Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced a strategic partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to establish the NUS-Agilent Center of Excellence (CoE) in Cell Metabolism. This collaboration aims to advance cardiovascular and metabolic disease translational research over the next four years, addressing a pressing health issue in Singapore and beyond.
Metabolism plays a crucial role in identifying cardio-liver-metabolic biomarkers that can prevent cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes. In Singapore, approximately 34 individuals experience heart attacks daily, with a concerning 25% of these cases being clinically silent. By advancing research in this field, the partnership aims to discover effective clinical interventions for asymptomatic individuals, ultimately improving population health.
As part of this collaboration, Agilent will provide cutting-edge technologies, including xCELLigence, Seahorse XF, and BioTek systems, to support both targeted and untargeted metabolic profiling for large-scale population-based cohorts involved in translational research. This initiative is part of Project RESET, a five-year government-funded research program designed to develop new early detection methods for cardiovascular diseases and enhance Singapore’s standing in the realm of precision medicine.
Professor Roger Foo, Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Professor in Medicine and Corresponding Principal Investigator of Project RESET, emphasized the transformative potential of this collaboration. “We are at the forefront of a transformative era in healthcare, where rapidly evolving technologies are revolutionizing our approach to the age-old challenge of altered metabolism”, he stated. “Addressing metabolism is paramount for advancing not just cardiovascular disease but global health. Agilent's cutting-edge technologies will play a pivotal role in unraveling the complex mechanisms behind metabolic dysfunction, paving the way for new treatment targets and biomarkers”.
Chow Woai Sheng, Singapore General Manager and Vice President of Global Instrument Manufacturing at Agilent, expressed pride in the collaboration, stating, “The proven xCELLigence and Seahorse XF technologies are world-leading, high-performing cell analysis solutions designed to advance our knowledge of biology at its most fundamental level to improve the quality of life. Agilent has been a trusted partner to NUS for the past 24 years, built on a strong track record of delivery performance and scientific excellence. We are proud to contribute to Singapore's ambitious plan to transform care for a healthier nation”.
The integrated use of Agilent's metabolic and cellular phenotyping platforms will enable a world-class multimodal workflow solution for studying cells at unprecedented speed and scale. The NUS-Agilent CoE will also support the Cardiovascular Metabolic Disease Translational Research Programme (CVMD-TRP) and the Preclinical Platform for Development of Therapeutics for Heart Failure (PREVENT-HF) at NUS Medicine, accelerating the discovery of novel insights into the intricate mechanisms of heart disease.
With this new Center of Excellence, both Agilent and NUS are poised to make significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of metabolic diseases, enhancing healthcare outcomes not just in Singapore, but throughout Asia and beyond.
