| Adrian Pereira (Assistant Lab Manager of STN) receives Public Service Medal |
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We are proud to share that our colleague, Mr Adrian Pereira (Assistant Lab Manager of STN) is a recipient of the Public Service Medal in the Singapore National Day Awards (Year 2009).
The Public Service Medal (Pingat Bakti Masyarakat) was instituted in 1973. The Medal may be awarded to any person who has rendered commendable public service in Singapore or for his achievement in the field of arts and letters, sports, the sciences, business, the professions and the labour movement. The Medal, in silver, is in the form of a stylised rosette of undulating folds having, on the obverse side, a disc with a bar to each side upon which a circular shield bearing a crescent and 5 stars is embossed. Below it is a scroll with the inscription "PINGAT BAKTI MASYARAKAT" and 2 laurels. The reverse side of the Medal bears the State Arms. The Medal is to be worn on the left side of the outer garment suspended by a ribbon. The ribbon is grey with a white centre band and a red stripe to each side. For more on the Public Service Medal, please visit http://www.pmo.gov.sg/NationalHonoursandAwards/Pingat+Bakti+Masyarakat+(The+Public+Service+Medal).htm
Congratulations and well done, Adrian!!!
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| TCR Flagship Programme on Metabolic Diseases kicks off in STN |
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Studies in adults with diabetes and obesity will evaluate the relative importance of developmental and genetic pathways in contributing to individual risk and to the efficacy of weight loss interventions. These studies will enable the team to examine mechanisms underlying insulin resistance and ethnic differences in metabolic disease risk. The project will focus on evaluating body composition, skeletal muscle fibre composition, nutritional and metabolic phenotype in situations of obesity of a defined range of body mass index in relationship to epigenetic/genetic markers and developmental history. Subjects will be screened for eligibility and check baseline anthropometry and blood tests including a full blood count, serum biochemistry, liver panel and coagulation profile. Eligible subjects will then undergo 3 days of further investigations that measure parameters of metabolic relevance such as body fat composition, energy balance and insulin sensitivity. The results of this study will be useful for the design of subsequent studies on the theme of developmental pathways to chronic lifestyle diseases such as obesity, and also for evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing the burden of obesity and metabolic syndrome.
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| STN Open House 2009, 21 February 2009 |
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The STN Open House 2009 on 21 February 2009 was an outreach program to reach out to the public about the most common types of cancers in Singapore. This event aimed to increase the public’s awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in healthy individuals. A/Prof Allen Yeoh (Senior Consultant & Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, NUH/NUS) had talked about how to prevent and control cancer. Mobile units were set up for the screening of cervical and breast cancer. Laboratory tours were conducted in STN to showcase some laboratory activities. Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman (Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of National Development) was invited to be the Guest-of-Honour.
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Commencement of first STN Project in the year :
“PHARMACOGENETICS OF ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS – SERIOUS SKIN RASH”
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To ensure the safe use of medicines in Singapore, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) maintains a system for the voluntary reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) as a key component of a national pharmacovigilance program. The national ADR monitoring program contains a rich repository of local ADR reports which has enabled the detection of many signals of serious ADRs.
HSA will focus first on serious skin rash because this category of ADR represents the largest group of serious ADRs in HSA’s pharmacovigilance database. These reports signal a significantly higher predisposition in our local population to SJS and TEN associated with certain drugs such as carbamezepine and phenytoin.
HSA has established collaborations with investigators/doctors from National University Hospital and Singapore General Hospital for the recruitment of study subjects, collection of medical histories and blood samples of patients with serious skin rash. At the same time, HSA will collaborate with A/P Ren Ee Chee at the National University of Singapore to conduct genotyping analysis of these samples.
Through collection of DNA samples and phenotype data, HSA seeks to undertake a study of the genetic predispositions of serious ADRs in the different ethnic groups (Chinese, Malay & Indian). STN will provide HSA with DNA banking capabilities.
Based on scientific data gathered from this study, HSA will be able to issue practice guidelines to physicians on the use of certain drugs and the testing that may be needed to reduce the incidence of serious skin rash in Singapore.
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STN Strives Towards ISO 9001: 2008
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STN had attained the ISO 9001 : 2000 certification on 27 October 2006. In the pursuit of continual improvement, STN is now striving towards ISO 9001 : 2008; the latest edition of the International Standard as the framework for its Quality Management Systems (QMS). The new version, ISO 9001 : 2008 will provide greater clarifications to responsibilities, competencies and control of outsourced processes and other existing requirements of ISO 9001 : 2000. The scope of QMS for STN includes the collection, processing, archiving and distribution of bio-specimens and associated clinical data.
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ISBER 2007 features Singapore Tissue Network
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The 2007 Annual Meeting of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) was held from 30 May 2007 to 02 June 2007 in Singapore. This is ISBER's first meeting in the Asia Pacific region and a tour of Singapore Tissue Network was featured. STN’s Chairman Professor Tan Chorh Chuan was invited to make the Welcome Address on 31 May 2007 while STN’s Director Professor Edison Liu made a speech on Genomic Technologies and the Importance of Biobanks: New Models of Interaction. On 1 June 2007, Ms. Theresa Chow, Deputy Director of STN, led a panel discussion on the Implementation of ISO 9001 Standards for Quality at the Singapore Tissue Network.
Read More...
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STN joins P3G as Charter Member
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In January 2007, Singapore Tissue Network was accepted as a Charter Member of the prestigious Public Population Project in Genomics (P3G), a non-for-profit international consortium dedicated to fostering collaboration between researchers and projects in the field of population genomics. Membership to P3G allows STN access to networking and informal scientific exchange with leading researchers and biobanks in the field of population genomics so as to enable the international research community to share expertise and resources and facilitate knowledge transfer for the health of populations.
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Quality Management System of Singapore Tissue Network achieves 1SO 9001 : 2000/SS ISO 9001: 2000 on 27 October 2006
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27 October 2006 marks a milestone for Singapore Tissue Network as it achieved the stringent ISO 9000 standards to attain the ISO 9001 : 2000/SS ISO 9001: 2000 certification.
The assessment of Singapore Tissue Network’s Quality Management System was conducted by PSB Certification Pte Ltd, Singapore’s national certification body, and the criteria included the conformity for the collection, processing, archiving and distribution of bio-specimens and associated clinical data.
The ISO 9000 is a series of international standards on quality management developed by the Geneva-based International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1987. It was developed to assist companies to design, develop and implement effective quality management systems.
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Biomedical Sciences International Advisory Council Endorses Four New Translational Research Initiatives To Bring Basic Science Closer To Clinical Applications
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Twelve eminent scientists from US, UK, Europe, Canada and Australia gathered in Singapore on 31 October 2005 for the 10th meeting of the Singapore Biomedical Sciences International Advisory Council (BMS IAC). The BMS IAC endorsed the proposals from A*STAR's Biomedical Research Council to establish:
- the Singapore Stem Cell Consortium (SSCC);
- the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN)
- the Singapore Consortium of Cohort Studies (SCCS); and
- the A*STAR Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
A*STAR will establish a Data Privacy Framework (DPF) by end 2006 to protect the privacy and confidentiality of patients and subjects as efforts to strengthen translational research step up.
The DPF will build upon the existing regulatory and ethical guidelines in Singapore for studies involving humans; including the need to obtain proper informed consent from potential study subjects, as well as approval from the relevant Institutional Review Board (IRB). Under the DPF, stringent processes and an IT-based infrastructure will be put in place to de-identify confidential information and tissue samples collected by the Singapore Tissue Network and the proposed Singapore Consortium of Cohort Studies, allowing research to be conducted in a secure and ethical manner.
Read More...
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Singapore Tissue Network implements Nautilus LIMS
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Singapore Tissue Network announced its appointment of Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd to implement its Nautilus Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) software on 12 May 2004.
This appointment was undertaken together with the Genome Institute of Singapore, one of the research institutes of the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). The LIMS software was selected based on its extensible and flexible functionalities – the tracking inventory, samples and locations, as well as work flow building, equipment automation and results storage – all of which are targeted to enhance STN’s operations of managing genetic resources and utilizing the resources in an organized, concerted and transparent manner.
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Singapore Tissue Network has moved to Biopolis
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Singapore Tissue Network has begun its operations in Biopolis. The Biopolis is a 180 hectare biomedical city within the Buona Vista Science Hub. The Biopolis houses the Singapore Institute of Molecular Biology, the Bioinformatics Institute, the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, the BioTechnology Center, the Genome Institute of Singapore, the Biomedical Research Council and regional and multinational industrial R&D organizations. The Singapore Tissue Network occupies 500 sq meters of space with storage and laboratory facilities for high throughput processing of tissue and DNA samples.
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