Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB)

🌟 Join Us for the Inaugural Panakeia Mini-Symposium 2025! 🌟 📅 Date: Thursday, 23rd January 2025 🕒 Time: 8:30am – 3:00pm 📍 Venue: Scorpio & Taurus, Level 2, Park Avenue Rochester Hotel To kick start the year, IMCB is proud to host this symposium, which addresses the critical need for scalable, off-the-shelf, and cost-effective immune cell therapies for cancer patients. This national platform brings together world-class experts in T/NK cell biology, genome editing, immunotherapy, GMP production, and clinical oncology to advance innovative CAR-NK products for immunotherapies. 💡 Featured IMCB Speakers from the Panakeia Program: ·      Prof Qi-Jing Li – Lead PI ·      Prof Loh Yuin-Han Jonathan – Co-Lead PI ·      Prof John Connolly ·      Prof Qi Zeng ·      Dr. Qingfeng Chen A big thank you to our exclusive sponsor, Thermo Fisher Scientific, for their support. 🔗 Register now (free registration) via the QR code, and see you there! #IMCBscience #IMCBastar #PanakeiaProgram #CancerImmunotherapy #CAR_NKCells

🎉 Happy New Year 2025 from IMCB! 🎉 As we step into another exciting year, IMCB wish you and your loved ones a year filled with happiness, health, and success. Here’s to another year of inspiring discoveries, collaborations, and breakthroughs in science! #HappyNewYear2025 #IMCBscience #IMCBastar

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas filled with joy, peace, and love! 🎄✨ May this festive season bring warmth to your homes and happiness to your hearts. Thank you for being a part of our journey this year. #MerryChristmas #HappyHolidays #FestiveSeason #IMCBscience #IMCBastar

🎉 Reflecting on a Remarkable Year at IMCB! 🎉 As 2024 comes to a close, we take this opportunity to celebrate a year of impactful science, meaningful collaborations, and significant recognitions at IMCB. Here are some highlights: 🤝 Driving Innovation Through Strategic Collaborations ✅  Albatroz Therapeutics, an IMCB spin-off, is advancing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting cancer and arthritis, translating years of foundational research into potential breakthrough therapies. ✅  IMCB partnered with Cerecin Inc. to accelerate research in neurometabolism and brain health, addressing the high unmet need in neurological diseases for Singapore’s aging population. ✅  IMCB scientists played a pivotal role in the NRF Competitive Research Programme project SPECTRA, focusing on spatial multi-omics cartography to guide the development of next-generation cell-based therapies. 🏆 Celebrating Talent and Excellence ➡️  Dr. Leslie Beh (NRF Fellowship 2024) for advancing RNA modification research, opening doors to novel therapeutic applications. ➡️  Dr. Qi-Jing Li (NRF Investigator 2024) for harnessing resident memory T cells to prevent breast cancer metastasis. ➡️  Dr. Shi Yan Ng (NMRC Open Fund) for her innovative work on lipid metabolism and neurodegeneration. 🌟 Showcasing Scientific Excellence 🧬 Dr. Christopher John Brown and collaborators developed new rules for designing low-toxicity peptide-based drugs, enhancing potency and safety for future therapeutics. 🧬 Dr. Qi-Jing Li, in collaboration with international teams, identified nerve growth factor (NGF) as a key immune suppressor in melanoma. Targeting NGF enhances immune checkpoint therapy, paving the way for improved treatments for skin cancer. ✨ Looking Ahead 2024 has been a transformative year, and we are excited to build on these achievements in 2025. IMCB remains committed to advancing biomedical research, fostering impactful collaborations, and delivering solutions to improve human health. Here’s to continued innovation and excellence in the year ahead! 🚀 #IMCBScience #IMCBastar #ScientificExcellence #InnovationInBiomedicine #Neurometabolism #CancerResearch #PeptideTherapeutics #EndOfYearReflection #BiomedicalInnovation #CellTherapy #CollaborationMatters

Learn more about how spatial biology technologies can shed light on the cell-cell interactions between stromal cells and the immune system in pancreatic cancer. Lead author Rachel Fincham shared: "Our exciting findings highlight the prognostic implications of stromal-natural killer cell proximity in pancreatic cancer. Taken together, we suggest the potential for spatial biology to be used as a tool for patient stratification in pancreatic cancer." #spatialbiology #diagnostictools #pancreaticcancer #cancerdetection #crossbordercollaborations

🎉 Reflecting on a Remarkable Year at IMCB! 🎉 As 2024 comes to a close, we take this opportunity to celebrate a year of impactful science, meaningful collaborations, and significant recognitions at IMCB. Here are some highlights: 🤝 Driving Innovation Through Strategic Collaborations ✅  Albatroz Therapeutics, an IMCB spin-off, is advancing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting cancer and arthritis, translating years of foundational research into potential breakthrough therapies. ✅  IMCB partnered with Cerecin Inc. to accelerate research in neurometabolism and brain health, addressing the high unmet need in neurological diseases for Singapore’s aging population. ✅  IMCB scientists played a pivotal role in the NRF Competitive Research Programme project SPECTRA, focusing on spatial multi-omics cartography to guide the development of next-generation cell-based therapies. 🏆 Celebrating Talent and Excellence ➡️  Dr. Leslie Beh (NRF Fellowship 2024) for advancing RNA modification research, opening doors to novel therapeutic applications. ➡️  Dr. Qi-Jing Li (NRF Investigator 2024) for harnessing resident memory T cells to prevent breast cancer metastasis. ➡️  Dr. Shi Yan Ng (NMRC Open Fund) for her innovative work on lipid metabolism and neurodegeneration. 🌟 Showcasing Scientific Excellence 🧬 Dr. Christopher John Brown and collaborators developed new rules for designing low-toxicity peptide-based drugs, enhancing potency and safety for future therapeutics. 🧬 Dr. Qi-Jing Li, in collaboration with international teams, identified nerve growth factor (NGF) as a key immune suppressor in melanoma. Targeting NGF enhances immune checkpoint therapy, paving the way for improved treatments for skin cancer. ✨ Looking Ahead 2024 has been a transformative year, and we are excited to build on these achievements in 2025. IMCB remains committed to advancing biomedical research, fostering impactful collaborations, and delivering solutions to improve human health. Here’s to continued innovation and excellence in the year ahead! 🚀 #IMCBScience #IMCBastar #ScientificExcellence #InnovationInBiomedicine #Neurometabolism #CancerResearch #PeptideTherapeutics #EndOfYearReflection #BiomedicalInnovation #CellTherapy #CollaborationMatters

🧬 How do new integrase variants transform genome editing? A recent study led by Senior Investigator Farid John Ghadessy and his team at IMCB has unveiled significant advancements in DNA editing. Their study introduces novel lambda integrase variants that show more than a 1000-fold improvement in specificity for non-natural target sites. These breakthroughs hold potential for advancing biomanufacturing by enabling precise genome editing in microorganisms such as Phaeodactylum tricornutum and Nannochloropsis oceanica. Notably, the integrases also successfully target unique sequences in the human genome, presenting exciting possibilities for gene therapy and genomic research. This work represents a critical step forward in precision genome engineering, with broad implications for both biotechnology and healthcare. Check out the exciting study 👉 https://lnkd.in/guNkNC6S #IMCBastar #IMCBscience #GenomeEditing #Biotechnology #PrecisionMedicine #GeneTherapy #DNAResearch #SyntheticBiology #SustainableBiotech #ResearchInnovation

🔬 New Insights into Early Embryo Development Dr. Jonathan Yuin-Han Loh and team at IMCB have recently unveiled a key discovery in stem cell research. Their study, published in Nature Communications, identifies Nr1h2 as a critical transcription factor in early embryo development. This research sheds light on the genetic regulation during blastoid formation, offering promising insights for advancements in regenerative medicine, fertility treatments, and developmental biology. By activating Nr1h2, embryonic stem cells can transition into an expanded pluripotent state, enabling more robust models for studying early development and therapeutic targets. Dr. Loh emphasized how this finding improves the fidelity of embryo models and could help address challenges such as developmental disorders and infertility. Check out the exciting study and its impact here: https://lnkd.in/gHFRQ-HA #IMCBscience #IMCBastar #StemCellBiology #DevelopmentalBiology #RegenerativeMedicine

🎉 Last week, we wrapped up the year in style with the IMCB Townhall & Year-End Staff Gathering 2024! It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our achievements, celebrate milestones, and reinforce the values that drive us forward. The townhall discussions on scientific excellence, mentorship initiatives, and team culture highlighted the principles that form the foundation of our success and future growth. 🌟 One of the key highlights of the event was the presentation of the IMCB "Go-the-Extra-Mile" (GEM) Award, recognising the remarkable efforts of those who consistently go above and beyond. To our awardees: thank you for your exceptional contributions, dedication, and hard work. You are truly GEMs to us all and the driving force behind IMCB’s continued success! 👏🏆 We capped off the day with a lively and joyous year-end gathering, filled with laughter, connection, and good vibes. It was the perfect way to close out 2024 and set the stage for an exciting 2025. Looking forward to reaching even greater heights together in the year ahead! 🚀 #IMCBscience #IMCBastar #CelebratingExcellence #GEMAward #Teamwork #YearEndCelebration #2025Bound

🌱 Shaping the Future of Food Security 🌾 IMCB is thrilled to be part of Singapore's journey toward a resilient and sustainable food ecosystem. Under the second phase of the Singapore Food Story R&D Programme, an impressive $40 million has been allocated to 12 innovative projects aimed at enhancing urban agriculture, aquaculture, future foods, and food safety. Launched in 2019, the programme had provided $144 million in funding for 50 projects during its first phase. Joint Research Director, Prof. Bin Tean Teh, and his team at IMCB plays a pivotal role in the future food domain by leading efforts to develop cost-effective cell culture media and scalable manufacturing processes for cultured meat, aiming to reduce production costs and promote sustainable alternative protein solutions. As part of these initiatives, IMCB is committed to driving impactful research that addresses global challenges and contributes to a sustainable future. Check out the full stories at https://lnkd.in/gsACEW-4, https://lnkd.in/g63HPCkJ, and https://lnkd.in/gkXn-Uar. #IMCBscience #IMCBastar #FoodSecurity #SustainableInnovation #AgriFoodResearch #FutureFoods #AlternativeProteins #SingaporeFoodStory