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Session: Regulatory RNAs and siRNAs |
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09:00 |  | Keynote Presentation microRNA Functions: Insights From Drosophila Genetics
Stephen Cohen, Executive Director, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A-STAR , Singapore
Animal genomes encode hundreds of microRNAs, which have the potential to regulate hundreds of targets. I will present recent work on microRNA mutants in Drosophila that reveal intriguing regulatory roles for miRNAs in the brain and in control of tissue growth and metabolism. |
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09:30 | Profiling Translational Regulation in Embryonic Stem Cells
Leah Vardy, Project Manager, Institute of Medical Biology, Singapore
Amd1, a key regulator of the polyamine pathway, is essential for ES cell self renewal and is translationally down regulated by a miR-762 on differentiation of ES cells to neural precursor cells. |
10:30 | Coffee Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall |
11:45 | Enhancing RNAi and RNAa via Chemically Modified siRNAs
Xianbin Yang, Director, AM Biotechnologies LLC, United States of America
This presentation, will describe novel modification chemistry for synthesizing modified siRNAs; the biophysical properties of modified siRNA, and the high potency modified-siRNA gene silencing and gene activation observed in vitro and in vivo. |
12:15 | Lunch Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall |
13:30 | Poster Viewing Session |
14:15 | Mass Production of siRNA by Liquid Phase Synthesis to Enable Therapeutic Development at Economical Scale
Zicai Liang, Professor, Peking University, China
Great efforts have been made to enable and facilitate siRNA drug development by technological exploration and capacity built-up. siRNAs targeting HBV and breast cancer have shown promising efficacy in animal models. Kunshan, a small town near Shanghai and Suzhou, is emerging as the RNAi valley in China. |
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Session: Developments in RNAi Delivery and Therapeutics |
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15:15 | Coffee Break and Networking in Exhibition Hall |
16:00 | Using Helper-Dependent Adenovirus Vectors to Deliver Expressed Anti Hepatitis B Virus RNAi Activators
Patrick Arbuthnot, Director, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Helper-dependent Adenoviral vectors act efficiently to deliver anti hepatitis B virus RNAi actorators to the liver. |
16:30 | Plasmid-Based shRNA – An Effective Antiviral Strategy Against Chikungunya Virus Infection
Justin Chu, Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore, United Kingdom
The mosquito-borne Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is known to cause Chikungunya fever in humans. Our study has demonstrated the high anti-CHIKV efficacy of shRNA (small-hairpin RNA) that were designed against three CHIKV genes against Chikungunya virus infection in human cells. Hence, shRNA technology is proposed as a novel antiviral strategy for this re-emerging viral disease. |
17:00 | Analysis of the Emerging Biomarker Spaces: Epigenetic Signatures & MicroRNA Signatures
Enal Razvi, Managing Director, Select Biosciences Inc, United States of America
This talk presents a snapshot of our recent analysis of the technology and market trends in the microRNA and epigenetic spaces, areas undergoing rapid translation from basic research towards clinical utilization especially as biomarkers for cancer personalized medicine, and in other disease areas. |
17:30 | Drinks Reception |
