Yogyakarta, 22-23 February 2024 – The Faculty of Biology in collaboration with the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Public Health, Universitas Gadjah Mada received a visit from Prof. Dr. Herman Spaink from Leiden University of the Netherlands and as Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Biology UGM and Dr. Christopher James Hall from Auckland University New Zealand. The visit was a follow-up to the collaboration between the Joint Research Center and Expertise in developing zebrafish as an animal research model for collaboration between Leiden University and three faculties at UGM. Prof. Herman and Dr. Chris visited the zebrafish research station at the Integrated Research Center Laboratory (LPPT) Universitas Gadjah Mada, before leaving to Bali to take part in the 2024 Asian Conference on Fish Models for Disease.
The development of zebrafish as a research animal model has become one of the research focuses at Universitas Gadjah Mada in recent years. Its application as a model animal for the study of diseases including diabetes, tuberculosis, and so on is expected to accelerate research in Indonesia. The Faculty of Biology played a role in this collaboration in collaboration with other researchers at Universitas Gadjah Mada and partners from Leiden University.
Visit of Prof. Herman and Dr. Chris will be followed by a workshop on gene editing of zebrafish embryos and sequencing which will take place in early March. It is hoped that this activity can accelerate the skills of UGM researchers, especially in animal model research, especially zebra fish for the study of this disease.
Dr. Eko Agus Suyono, M.App.Sc. as Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Collaboration and Alumni Affairs, Faculty of Biology UGM said that the agenda was a follow-up to the collaboration between the Faculty of Biology UGM and the Faculty of Science Leiden University and was part of the activities of Prof. Herman Spaink as Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Biology, UGM. Furthermore, this collaboration also shows the Faculty of Biology’s commitment to expanding connections and collaboration with various partners to improve the quality of education, in line with its support for the Sustainable Development Goals for improving education and expanding cooperation (SDG 4 and 17), and of course improving health and better social welfare through renewable research (SDG 3).