The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and University of the Philippines (UP) will inaugurate next month a new analytical facility for proteomics research that will boost the genomic research capacities of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC).
The Protein, Proteomics, and Metabolomics Facility (PPMF), which is will be opened on Oct. 4, will add to the existing genomic research capacities of the UP PGC.
DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development (R&D) Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara said the PPMF is envisioned “as a platform for collaborative work on proteomics and metabolomics research and a training hub for those who are conducting OMICS-type researches.”
Initiated in 2018, the DOST has allocated P175 million to equip the facility with the needed tools and equipment to help R&D institutions both in the government and in the private sector.
Some of the laboratory equipment available at the PPMF include an Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography System and a High-Resolution Mass Spectrometer, which are used in the purification, quantification and identification of target compounds.
“We are proud of the PGC for the role that they play in advancing genomics and proteomics research in the country,” Guevara said in a statement.
“It is our hope that with the inauguration of this facility, we will be able to provide a platform for collaborative work, and open new opportunities for our researchers to further grow their expertise in the field,” she added.
Meanwhile, UP PGC executive director Dr. Cynthia P. Saloma said that the “DOST has always been a champion of our local researchers, by providing the mechanism to make available highly technical scientific tools – for the advancement of scientific research in the country.”
According to the PGC, the new facility, to be supervised by Dr. Neil Andrew D. Bascos, has been preparing for the launch since last year.
“The PPMF welcomes research collaborations, with members of the academe, other R&D institutions in the government, and the private sector, as we all strive towards conducting relevant research for the benefit of the country,” Bascos said.