From September 26-27, 2019, the University of Santo Tomas and Chung Yuan Christian University – Taiwan held its Second Joint Symposium on Chemical Sciences, at UST’s Central Laboratory Auditorium. The event bore the theme “Recent Innovations in Chemical Sciences for a Better Life,” and brought together the two universities’ scientists to present frontiers of chemistry and allied sciences.
Gathering over 100 attendees from different academic, government, and industry sectors, the second symposium updating the participants on the advances in polymers; materials science; nanotechnology; green, computational, medicinal, synthetic, and organic chemistry; and opening up possibilities of engaging them in meaningful collaborations.
The symposium held both plenary and poster presentation sessions over the two days.
Delivering talks were:
- Distinguished Prof. Jui-Ming Yeh, PhD (Synthesis, characterization, and applications of biomimetic coating materials)
- Prof. Jose H. Bergantin, Jr., PhD (Bacteriophage-based Impedimetric Biosensors for Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Aeromonas hydrophila)
- Assoc. Prof. Bernhard Egwolf, PhD (Molecular Docking of Ipalbidine into Human Cyclooxygenase-2 Crystal Structures)
- Asst. Prof. Rafael Alfonso, MSc (Molecular Docking: How to fight diseases with your laptop)
- Prof. Chung-Der Hsiao, PhD (Use Zebrafish as an in vivo model to study obesity, aging, and ecotoxicity)
- Kim Hazel Arafiles, PhD (Metabolomic profile analyses in the study of oleaginous and carotenogenous thraustochytrids)
- Prof. Yi-Ning Chen, PhD (Emerging disease viruses in the bat populations of Taiwan)
- Asst. Prof. Ma. Sheila M. de Jesus, MSc (Inhibitory activity of some natural spiro-indole alkaloids in HIV latently infected cell lines)
- Assoc. Prof. Hsi-Wei Jia, PhD (NMR Investigation of Acetylacetone Tautomerization)
- Prof. Allan Patrick G. Macabeo, PhD (Asymmetric dearomatization of furans for the enantioselective synthesis of enterolactone natural products)
- Asst. Prof. Amily Fang-Ju Jou, PhD (Optical genosensor for cancer screening)
- Prof. Librado A. Santiago, PhD (Bioactive Venom Peptides from Philippine Tarantula Phlogiellus bundokalbo [Theraposidae])
Three scientific posters were likewise recognized during the event. The three best scientific posters were:
1st Place
Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) and Colorectal Cancer Development among Filipinos
by Ana Maria D. Cariño, Edrienne Myena M. Magat, Gregg Austine Balanag, Allan Felizar, Dr. Teresa Sy-Ortin, MD, Mr. Leonardo A. Guevarra, Jr., and Dr. Pia Marie S.P. Albano.
This paper was a collaboration of people from UST’s Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, College of Science, Graduate School, Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, and Hospital, as well as scientists from the Quirino State University and Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center.
2nd Place
Discovery of novel SPIRODIOXYNAPHTHALENE derivatives with anti-microbial, nematicidal, and cytotoxic properties from Sparticola junci
by Katherine Yasmin M. Garcia, Charles David V. Pabillo, Chayanard Phukhamsakda, Kevin D. Hyde, Marc Stadler, and Prof. Allan Patrick G. Macabeo, Dr. rer. nat.
This transnational research was a collaboration among UST, Mae Fah Luyang University, and Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research – Braunschweig, Germany.
3rd Place
External Calibration vs Standard Addition Method in the Determination of Calcium in Drinking Water by ICP-OES for Proficiency Testing Studies
by Clarissa J. Gatchalian, Christian D. Laurio, Elyson Keith P. Encarnacion, and Benilda S. Ebarvia
The researchers represented the Department of Science and Technology’s Industrial Technology Development Institute.
The collaboration with CYCU began in 2010, when the first Memorandum of Understanding was first signed. Since then, CYCU has hosted UST’s Engineering, Physics, and Chemistry students for internship, as well as alumni and faculty for postgraduate studies.
A two-year joint project between Prof. Jui-Ming Yeh and Prof. Karen S. Santiago, PhD was also finished in 2017, resulting in a number of international joint publications and theses topics of undergraduate and graduate students.
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