Dr. Nguyen Huy Thuan of the Molecular Biology Center of the DTU center for Research and Development was sponsored by IFS, the International Foundation for Science, to conduct a research project entitled
"Biosynthesis and Production Optimization of Flavonoid Glycoside Compounds Using Experimental Planning Techniques". DTU and the University of Science in Ho Chi Minh City are the two Vietnamese universities being funded by IFS in 2014.
Dr. Nguyen Huy Thuan in the DTU laboratory
The IFS Research Council was founded as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Sweden in 1972. IFS receives funding from a variety of donors, including developmental and scientific institutions. IFS has awarded grants to over 100 nations, including Vietnam, to build the capabilities of tens of thousands of young researchers in developing countries in the fields of Water Management and Preservation, Food Science, Aquatic Animal Management and Conservation, Agricultural Science and Natural Substance research.
By conducting biosynthesis and production optimization of flavonoid glycoside compounds, using experimental planning research techniques, Dr. Thuan wants to establish a foundation of knowledge concerning the synthetic biology of active medical pharmaceutical substances, using biotechnology. In reality, most natural substances are extracted from plants and microorganisms using chemical technology. Extraction requires advanced equipment, is time-consuming and is not highly productive.
In contrast, the advantage of synthetic biological technology is that it produces higher yields, using biological catalysis fermentation, which occurs at normal temperatures. This makes it easier to enlarge the scale of the experiment to produce natural biologically active substances in the laboratory in greater quantities.
The success of this project will contribute significantly to the improvement of the quality of education and research quality at Duy Tan University in the near future.
(Media Center)