Developing Biotechnology Research Capacity in Vietnam

On September 3, at the ICISE Center (Quy Hoa Valley, Gia Lai Province), the Vietnam Science and Technology Association introduced and organized an international scientific event with the theme "The 4th Vietnam School of Biology (VSOB-4): Metagenome Analysis in One Health Practice - From 16S to Shotgun", with the participation of more than 60 domestic and international scientists and young researchers.

At the event, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry (representative of the organizing committee) said that biology and biotechnology in recent years have made important contributions to the development of agriculture , medicine, industry and the environment. From that reality, the Vietnam Science Association in collaboration with domestic units and organizations annually organizes the VSOB-4 program, creating a forum to improve research capacity for students, graduate students and young scientists; at the same time connecting Vietnamese science with the international community.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, at VSOB-4, experts and scientists will focus on clarifying the prospects of a new research method on “metagenomics”. This is the most advanced research direction in biology today, allowing the exploration of complex microorganisms in the environment, animals and humans. Thanks to sequencing technologies, especially 16S rRNA (a special type of RNA molecule for identifying bacteria) and shotgun (a comprehensive sequencing method, reading all DNA in the sample), scientists can analyze in depth the composition, function and diversity of the microbiome. This is an important tool for “one health” research, emphasizing the connection between humans, animals and the environment.

In addition, VSOB-4 focuses on equipping students with bioinformatics application skills in metagenome research, with practical content ranging from raw data processing, quality control, bacterial system analysis to result visualization using R (analyzing microbial data and presenting results graphically in R). The program includes 16S rRNA amplicon analysis (design, preprocessing, diversity analysis), shotgun metagenomics (assembly, annotation, functional analysis), and data visualization methods (heatmaps, alignment charts, network graphs).

Dr. Tran Thanh Son, Deputy Director of ICISE Center, said that VSOB-4 creates an effective learning, practice and academic exchange environment, contributing to nurturing the young generation in the field of biology and biotechnology. In particular, research from the event will help young Vietnamese scientists identify research directions, create new achievements, and expand applications for domestic applied biology.

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Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/phat-trien-nang-luc-nghien-cuu-cong-nghe-bi-hoc-tai-viet-nam-post811504.html