The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the University of the Philippines (UP) will inaugurate the Protein, Proteomics, and Metabolomics Facility (PPMF) as an addition to the existing genomic research capacities of the UP Philippine Genome Center (PGC) this October 4, 2021.
Initiated in 2018, the DOST provided a total of 175 million pesos of funding support for the provision of globally recognized tools and equipment units needed for the establishment of the PPMF. According to DOST Undersecretary for R&D Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara, 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”.
With UP’s support on infrastructure development and DOST’s support in the acquisition of several laboratory equipment, the new facility is poised to serve R&D institutions both in the government and in the private sector in the coming months. 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.” Usec. Guevara says. “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.”
In line with UP’s partnership with DOST, UP PGC executive director Dr. Cynthia P. Saloma mentioned in a separate interview that “DOST has always been a champion of our local researchers, by providing the mechanism [funding support] to make available highly technical scientific tools – for the advancement of scientific research in the country”.
The new facility under the supervision of Dr. Neil Andrew D. Bascos, has been preparing for this much-awaited launch since last year. Together with his team of young researchers, they have been working on standardizing and optimizing laboratory protocols, and establishing research networks, to promote the use of multi-Omics technologies throughout the Philippines. Dr. Bascos shares “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”.
Stay tuned for the launch of the PPMF webpage and visit https://pgc.up.edu.ph/ppmf-launch/ for more information and updates.
ABOUT THE PHILIPPINE GENOME CENTER
The Philippine Genome Center is a genomics-focused multidisciplinary research unit that offers a full range of DNA sequencing services from single-gene sequencing to high-throughput sequencing and a suite of Bioinformatics services from scripting to full project workflows. With the addition of a new core facility devoted to protein analysis, PGC is able to offer a diverse range of Omics services in one roof. Under the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs of UP System, the Center’s main headquarters is located inside UP Diliman Campus. The Philippine Genome Center Building houses the DNA Sequencing Core Facility, Bioinformatics Core Facility, Core Facility for Biobanking, Clinical Genomics Laboratory, and the soon-to-launch Protein, Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility.
