Opening of the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC) & The Singapore Stem Cell Consortium (SSCC) Laboratories

06 Apr 2006

By Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts And Health

Venue: The Biopolis Singapore

Professor Sir George Radda, Chairman of the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium,

Professor Roger Pedersen, Chairman of the Singapore Stem Cell Consortium,

Your Excellency, Mr Teppo Tauriainen, Ambassador of Sweden

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a pleasure and an honour for me to speak at today's opening of the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium and Singapore Stem Cell Consortium Laboratories.

The opening of the three labs under these two Consortia signifies another milestone in narrowing the gap between basic research and multi-disciplinary translational research.   

Some background

Bioimaging has, as its antecedents, a long line of technologies that have been used to discern the inner workings of the human body.  Roentgen's discovery of X-rays in 1895 laid the foundation; for the first time, doctors were able to view what was inside the body, without cutting it open. 

Advances followed that allowed images to be captured on photographic film, real-time images to be seen on fluoroscopic screens, contrast media and radioisotopes that improved clarity and specificity of imaging, and, more recently, digital imaging and computed tomography that permitted cross-sections of the body to be visualised.

Other modalities of imaging have been developed - ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (or PET scanning). Today, we are looking beyond the inside of our bodies.  Our very genetic code is the subject of study, and the Human Genome Project has led to the complete mapping of the human genome for the first time.  We are now at a stage where we have the blue-print of life, but do not know how this information translates into the functions of a living organism.

Importance of Bioimaging

We need more powerful tools that go beyond just seeing what lies inside.  We need to be also able to view the working products of the genome inside the living cell.  Bioimaging could provide this capability.  Bioimaging has the potential to play a pivotal role in translational research.  In the process of drug discovery, the availability of advanced cellular and molecular imaging not only allows highly detailed visualisation of molecular interactions, it also enables pharmaceutical companies to greatly reduce the time and cost of developing new compounds.  In future drug studies, targeted bioimaging would allow visualisation of therapeutic products in the whole organism.

The Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC)

In Singapore, imaging capabilities exist across universities, research institutes and healthcare institutions.  The availability of these resources means that we have the potential to carry out a wide range of research work.  However, there should be consolidation of research efforts if there is not to be duplication or under-utilization of resources.

The idea of forming a consortium to identify the strengths and weaknesses of bioimaging research was first conceived in early 2004 through a workshop conducted by Sir George Radda.  This led to the eventual formation of the Singapore Bioimaging Consortium or SBIC in October of the same year.

The SBIC will serve as a focal point for funding and coordinating the various aspects of bioimaging activities in Singapore, with the main aim of building up a coordinated national programme of imaging research. It will bring together the substantial strengths in the disciplines of engineering and physical sciences with those in the biomedical sciences.

I hope that the SBIC will also foster closer cooperation in bioimaging among researchers and medical practitioners, thereby ensuring that research has practical value.  Such linkages will help bridge the gap between "bench" research and "bedside" clinical application.

For example, under the SBIC, a new centre for pre-clinical imaging using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), optical, and other imaging modalities will be linked to collaborative programmes in universities and hospitals.  Through their participation in the Consortium, researchers and clinician scientists will be able to access bioimaging facilities at Biopolis. 

SBIC will house the Biomedical Imaging Lab, a laboratory with more than 10 years of experience in biomedical imaging R&D.  Professor Wieslaw Nowinski, a well-regarded scientist with research activities in neuroinformatics, brain atlases and, computer-aided diagnosis and treatment, will be heading the Biomedical Imaging Lab.  New clinical applications from the Biomedical Imaging Lab include programs for computer-aided management of acute ischaemic stroke and surgical treatment of Parkinson's disease.  Besides expertise in information technology and biomedical imaging, the Biomedical Imaging Lab has in-house domain knowledge in neuroanatomy, neuroradiology and neurosurgery.

A key project for the SBIC will be the setting up of the Laboratory of Metabolic Medicine.  This lab will focus on diabetes mellitus, a major health problem for many Singaporeans.  One of the key areas of research will be to study  the mechanism by which impaired insulin secretion leads to diabetes.  Ultimately, such studies should lead to more effective prevention and better treatment of metabolic disorders.

Although we mark the opening of the SBIC today, SBIC has already been active since last year.  SBIC had its first grant call for collaborative and innovative projects last year and eleven projects were awarded grants.

The Singapore Stem Cell Consortium (SSCC)

Today also marks the opening of the Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology under the Singapore Stem Cell Consortium or SSCC.  Established in October 2005, SSCC was formed to bring together the various stem cell groups in Singapore and coordinate and develop a national stem cell research programme. 

The Stem Cell Consortium will, like the SBIC, have a strong emphasis on multi-disciplinary collaboration.  It will create opportunities for researchers, scientists and clinicians in biomedical sciences and bioengineering to work together on common themes.  This closer cooperation across disciplines and the synergy of strengths and expertise will enable the fruits of basic discovery to flow into the clinics and allow the wider population to reap the benefits.      

By coordinating stem cell-related research activities in Singapore, the SSCC will be able to generate critical mass to deepen our understanding of stem cell biology and to accelerate the development of therapies that hold the promise of improving the lives of those who suffer from diseases such as diabetes, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.

SSCC will fund the development of key resources like dedicated stem cell research laboratories, a Stem Cell Bank and a Cell Therapy Processing Facility.  The Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology is the first of the SSCC-funded laboratories to be set up according to the research needs of Singapore.  It will focus on characterising stem cells and will work together with the Stem Cell Bank to create a pool of well-characterised stem cells for use by the Singapore research community.        

Co-located in the same building, the Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology will work closely with the two SBIC laboratories to leverage on SBIC's bioimaging capabilities.  The collaboration between bioimaging and stem cells research will open doors to a whole new range of areas for exploration and exploitation. 

Going Forward

Going forward, it is hoped that the two Consortia will catalyse the synergy amongst physical scientists, biologists, physicists, computer scientists, bioengineers and clinicians.  By investing our resources in these areas of translational research, we hope that the work of SBIC and SSCC will lead to new clinical opportunities and improvements in diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Ultimately, this will lead to improvements in the health of Singaporeans.

To conclude, it only remains for me to wish the SBIC and SSCC every success and to declare the SBIC and SSCC laboratories open.  Thank You.