The immunoassay system has long been a potent and efficient diagnostic tool for various diseases, especially since the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic, the need for rapid diagnosis has increased sharply, however, there are still many obstacles on the path to develope rapid diagnostic kits with high selectivity, affinity and low-cost production, so this field continues to attract attention and research from many scientists around the world.

On 6 January 2024, the research group "Preservation and Processing of Animal-based Products " extended an invitation to Prof. Yoichi Kumada, a distinguished Japanese expert from Kyoto University, to visit Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), discuss about possibilities of collaboration and present a scientific seminar on " Development of sensitive and economical immunological tests using recombinant antibody fragments." Prof. Yoichi Kumada completed his PhD program at Kobe University in 2005. He was selected asa JSPS research fellow supported by Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) and studied in Okayama University (JAPAN) and University of Natural Resources and Life Science (BOKU, Austria). He became an assistant professor of Kyoto Institute of Technology in 2007. He promoted associate professor in 2014. He won Young Research Awards from Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan (SCEJ) in 2008 and Society for Biotechnology, Japan (SBJ) in 2012. He also had posts of visiting scholar of University of Texas at Austin in 2016, and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in 2020 – 2022.

The seminar drew significant attention from both Vietnamese and international students, and faculty members of  Faculty of Food Science and Technology (FST), as well as active engagement from various collaborative partners. Notable attendees included Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Nam Thang, From Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Dr. Dang Thi Thanh Son, along the working group from the Department of Veterinary Hygiene, the Institute of Veterinary Medicine.

Commencing the seminar, Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Hoang Anh, Dean of FST provided a concise introduction to the VNUA and the FST to external partners. The event included a brief exchange where participants introduced their respective units and highlighted their research capabilities.

Professor Yoichi Kumada elucidated that conventional antibodies, with a size of approximately 150 kDa, are widely employed in test kits, ELISA diagnostics, SPR sensors, and latex agglutination tests. However, their high cost, challenging procurement, and resistance to structural modifications for enhanced specificity and performance pose significant limitations. In contrast, recombinant antibodies offer the advantage of facile synthesis, structural similarity to original antibodies albeit in a simplified form, and the ability to ensure essential functionality. The professor presented research findings demonstrating the superiority of recombinant antibodies over their conventional counterparts. The ensuing discussion among attendees further illuminated and expanded upon the presented topic through insightful questions.

Beyond the thematic exchange of expertise during the seminar, the group conducted a visit to the central laboratory of Food science and technology. Leveraging the respective human resources and facilities of the involved parties, proposals for collaboration on research topics related to diagnostic kits for identifying pathogenic microorganisms in food and antibiotic resitantance in human being were discussed. The visit culminated in the development of a cooperation roadmap for 2024, marking the initial step in fostering collaboration among the Faculty of Food Science and Technology of VNUA, Kyoto University, Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and the Institute of Veterinary Medicine.
Some pictures at the seminar

Le Thien Kim

Research Group: Preservation and Processing of animal-based Products