Mentors, students trained on chemistry research

 Selected faculty and students from CAS and COE enhanced their capabilities in carbohydrates chemistry and mass spectrometry after completing the seminar-workshop held last November 22-28.

 

The trainer was Dr. Concepcion A. Remoroza, an Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) participant and a chemistry researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Maryland, United States. 

 

EVP is an international exchange program administered by the United States to implement the Mutual Education and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961. It aims to increase mutual understanding between the American people and those from other countries by means of educational and cultural exchanges.

 

A total of 89 participants attended the activity. Of this number, 63 were BS Biology students while the remaining 26 were faculty-researchers of CAS-Departments of Physical Sciences and Biological Sciences, and COE-Department of Chemical Engineering.

 

The opening program and lecture proper were conducted at the CAS Multimedia Center last November 22. Topics discussed were: new trends in biochemistry and advanced analysis of biomolecules with emphasis on glycans and glycoconjugates.

 

Dr. Remoroza said she chose to train MMSU faculty, believing that "the university is the best institution where we can establish the Carbohydrates Research Center (CRC) in the country."

 

"Our country has many natural resources and one way we can do is to convert these into high-end products using fermentation technology, and biochemistry, among others," she said.

 

Emphasizing that the CRC is her dream research center after she came back to the Philippines in 2015, Dr. Remoroza vowed that she won't leave MMSU without accomplishing her goal.

 

Aside from the lectures, a training on drafting research proposal was held at the FEM Conference Room last November 23. Hands-on activities in the isolation and characterization of plant enzymes, and sample preparation of oligosaccharides by solid phase extraction were done last November 26-27 at CAS Microbiology Laboratory.

 

Lastly, presentation of participants' outputs and closing program was held last November 28 at FEM Hall Conference Room.

 

At the end of the activity, CAS and COE faculty thanked Dr. Remoroza for her efforts expressing confidence that they are now ready to accept the challenge to put up the CRC and offer BS Chemistry program in the near future. 

Gallery