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Research news 2007


December 2007 >> Scientific Congress - 12th Research Postgraduate Symposium,Theme V "Infection and Immunology ", Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 11:10 am - 12:10 pm, Multidisciplinary Laboratory 1-3, G/F, Laboratory Block, HKU Faculty of Medicine Building - Mr Kim Tat Teoh presents his work on "Identification of a Cellular Factor Which Interacts with SARS-CoV E Protein: Insight for Function during SARS-CoV Infection".


November 2007 *>> New Publication* - Published Article - The article entitled "Use of antibody avidity assays for diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection." by Chan K. H. et al. is published in Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.


October 2007 >> New Equipment - Carl Zeiss' Axio Observer Z1 fluorescent microscope equipped with ApoTome module, HKU-Pasteur Research Centre - The new Carl Zeiss' Axio observer Z1 fluorescent microscope is now fully operational. It is equipped with the ApoTome module. This module allows the very fast production of extremely high-quality optical sections through fluorescence-labeled biological specimens. In the future, the Centre will be able to provide service options to other HKU centres and departments.

*>> Scientific Seminar* - Seminar on SARS and Bird Flu organized by the CEFC, October 9, 2007 - Mr Frédéric Keck, Researcher at the Groupe de Sociologie Politique et Morale (CNRS/EHESS) gave a talk entitled "From SARS to Bird Flu: Public Health and Animal Diseases betwenn Hong Kong and Guandong" at the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China. He has been trained in philosophy and anthropology at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris) and at the University of California (Berkeley). He visited HKU-Pasteur Research Centre and met our Scientific Director, Prof Malik Peiris and different researchers working on SARS-CoV and Avian Influenza. *>> Scientific Congress* - Early Steps of the Viral Life Cycle: Molecular and Cellular Insights, October 4-5, 2007, Institut Pasteur Paris, France - Dr Béatrice Nal-Rogier and Dr Roberto Bruzzone attended this meeting.

*>> New Staff* - New Research Assistant II, HKU-Pasteur Research Centre - Mr Horace Lee (BSc (Hons) Biochemistry followed by an MPhil in Biology at HKUST in 2007, studying the genetics and development of C. elegans) joins the Virus / Immunology team as a Research Assistant II. He will work on the “Interactions between NK activatory receptors and hemagglutinin from avian flu” project.


September 2007 *>> Grant & Award* - Pandemic research project awarded HK$76 million by UGC - The University Grants Committee, in the fourth round of its Area of Excellence (AoE) scheme, has awarded HK$76 million to fund a research project titled 'Control of Pandemic and Inter-pandemic Influenza', to be led by a HKU research team comprising over 30 colleagues. Please visit these pages for the full team list and the press release. This funding will allow HKU researchers, in partnership with peers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Baptist University and the relevant government organizations, to identify novel and pioneering options of controlling influenza. HKU-Pasteur Research Centre’s efforts are concentrated on pathogenesis, host response and innate-immunity. Professor Malik Peiris, our Scientific Director and Chair Professor of the Department of Microbiology is the AoE Coordinator of the research project. *>> Scientific Congress* - Glial Cells in Health and Disease, VII European Meeting, September 4-8, 2007, Imperial College London, London - Dr Roberto Bruzzone, our CEO was an invited speaker at the VIII European Meeting on "Glial Cells in Health and Disease" that was held in London, September 4-8. He gave a presentation entitled “Cell-cell communication beyond connexins: The pannexin family “ on the functional role of Pannexins, a small group of proteins involved in neuronal function and innate immunity. >> New Student - New PhD student, HKU-Pasteur Research Centre - Mr Mateusz Kudelko (MPhil in Cellular and Molecular Therapies at the University of Paris 12 in 2004, studying semaphorins) has started his PhD at the Centre. He was a French international volunteer at the Centre under the supervision of the Consulate General of France for 2 years (Sep 2005-2007). He joins the Virus / Immunology team on a project investigating the role phospholipase C-gamma1 during influenza infection.


July 2007 >> Grant & Award - RFCID's grant - The Research Fund for Control of Infectious Diseases from the Hong Kong Health, Welfare and Food Bureau has approved for funding a project entitled "Interactions of NK activatory receptors and hemagglutinin from avian flu - Potential implication of NKp44 in anti-flu therapy", which was submitted by Dr Joanna Ho. >> PhD Announcement - Hong Kong University, July 27, 2007 - Mr Jason Kam has been awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong for his work entitled "Biochemical, functional and immunogenic characterization of the SARS spike glycoprotein: Implications for the development of a subunit vaccine". Dr Jason Kam joined the Centre in Autumn 2003 and published two scientific articles (Kam et al. 2007 & Nal-Rogier et al. 2005). Visit also our News & Events' page and our photo albums' page.


June 2007 >> New Publications - Published Articles - A collaborative study involving different Institutes of the Institut Pasteur International Network entiltled "Influenza A/H5N1 virus infection in humans in Cambodia" by Buchy P. et al. is published in the Journal of Clinical Virology. The article entitled "Immunogenicity and safety of intradermal influenza immunization at a reduced dose in healthy children" by Chui S. S. et al. is published by Paediatrics journal. The article entitled "A prospective study of hospitalization disease burden of rhinovirus infection in children in Hong Kong" by Cheuk D. K. L. et al. is accepted by Paediatrics journal and in press.


April 2007 >> New Publication - Published Review Article - The review article entitled "Avian Influenza Virus (H5N1): a Threat to Human Healt", by Peiris J. S. M. et al. is published in Clinical Microbiology Reviews. - Submitted Paper Accepted & In Press - The manuscript entitled "Hemagglutinin pseudotyped lentiviral particles: Characterization of a new method for avian H5N1 influenza sero-diagnosis," by Nefkens I., et al. is accepted by the Journal of Clinical Virology and is available online.


March 2007 >> Scientific Seminar - Seminar, March 30, 2007 at 4:00-5:00 p.m., Seminar Room 6, LG1/F Laboratory Block, Faculty of Medicine Building - A seminar entitled "Vaccine Research and Development in Taiwan National Health Research Institutes (NHRI)" will be given by Dr Pele Choi-Sing Chong. All are welcome. - Seminar, March 27, 2007 at 4:00-5:00 p.m., Department of Physiology, Seminar Room L4-28, 4/F Laboratory Block, Faculty of Medicine Building - A seminar entitled "A journey through cellular networks: from communication to infection" will be given by our CEO, Dr Roberto Bruzzone. All are welcome. >> Scientific Meetings on Avian Influenza A (H5N1) virus - WHO/ISIRV/FIND Consultation on Diagnosis of H5N1 Avian Influenza Infections in Human, 19-20 February 2007, WHO, Geneva & Second WHO Consultation on Clinical Aspects of Human Infection with Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus, 19-21 March 2007, Antalya, Turkey - Professor Malik Peiris, the Centre's Scientific Director, Co-Chaired the WHO/ISIRV/FIND Consultation on Diagnosis of H5N1 Avian Influenza Infections in Humans held at WHO Geneva 19-20 February 2007. This meeting objective was to define the state of the art for H5N1 diagnostics in humans, to identify major gaps in H5N1 diagnostic capability and to foster dialog between WHO and industry on ways forward for improving H5N1 diagnostics. He was also in attendance at The Second WHO Consultation on Clinical Aspects of Human Infection with Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus (Antalya, Turkey, 19-21 March 2007). The meeting is expected to provide an update on key features of H5N1 infection, our understanding of its clinical manifestations in humans and the efficacy of antiviral treatments. >> Scientific Congress - IX International Symposium on Respiratory Viral Infections, 3-6 March 2007, the Excelsior Hotel, Hong Kong - Prof Malik Peiris will give a talk entitled "Pathogenesis of Zoonotic Respiratory Viral Infections: Studies in SARS and Avian Influenza" (keynote address, March 3). Dr Jean-Michel Garcia will present his work on H5 pseudotyped lentiviral particles: a new tool for sero-diagnosis of influenza H5N1 infection (poster).


February 2007 >> Scientific Meeting - Interdepartmental Meeting, February 26, 2007 at 5:30 pm , Seminar Room 6, LG1 Laboratory Block, Faculty of Medicine Building - HKU-Pasteur Research Centre together with the Departments of Microbiology and Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine will co-organize a series of lab meetings and journal clubs, held every 2 or 3 weeks, that will allow students and young scientists to present and exchange ideas about scientific projects and publications. The first meeting will take place on February 26, 2007 at 5:30 pm , Seminar Room 6, LG1 Laboratory Block, Faculty of Medicine Building, 21 Sassoon Road , Hong Kong (visit our interdepartmental meeting's page). >> Scientific Meeting: Li Ka Shing Foundation & Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, CAS - HKU-Pasteur Research Centre, February 1-2, 2007 - Group leaders from the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai (IPS), CAS including its Director, Professor Vincent Deubel, has gathered at HKU-Pasteur Research Center on February 1 for the mid-term report of research programs supported by the Li Ka Shing Foundation. This grant provides a framework for a collaborative research on avian flu between the two institutions. The progress report was followed on February 2 by a more informal exchange of ideas between leaders and younger scientists to promote a more integrated collaboration and seek common strategies for future projects.