More than 100 top scientists from 20 countries will converge at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to attend Asia’s biggest bioinformatics conference.
Attending the 6th International Conference on Bioinformatics (InCoB 2007) are top experts on bioinformatics and computational biology in the region and internationally. It will feature three days of intense discussion and scientific sharing on topics as esoteric as structural biology, biological knowledge and its information infrastructure.
The opening ceremony today (Aug 28) is presided over by Mrs Regina Ip, Hong Kong’s public champion of science and technology, as the guest of honor.
“Bioinformatics is a quintessential 21st century science because it is essentially inter-disciplinary. The inter-disciplinary approach to scientific and technological research offers great promise in innovative breakthroughs. Bioinformatics is our gravy train to a better economic destination and perhaps a medical utopia.” Mrs Ip said when opening the conference.
Another dignitary who graced the occasion is Prof Tony Eastham, Acting Vice-president of Research and Development at the HKUST where a bioinformatics centre was recently opened to accelerate the university’s research and development in this rapidly growing field.
“We at HKUST are honoured to have been chosen as the venue of such an important international conference on a high inter-disciplinary subject. Indeed, HKUST is one of the leading organisations in bioinformatics in our region,” he said.
Perhaps the proudest conference participant is Professor Hannah Xue, Director of the newly formed bioinformatics centre called the HKH Bioinformatics Centre.
“There are tremendous possibilities to merge our longstanding strength in Traditional Chinese medicine with the latest in bioinformatics and computational biology,” Prof Xue said, adding that the presence of top scientists in this field will help us benchmark Hong Kong against the best in the world.
The event will be rounded up with a Gala Dinner graced by the attendance of the Honorable Mr Wong Yan Lung, Secretary for Justice, who has taken a keen interest in this newly emerging field, while endorsing life-long learning in diverse fields from law to science and technology.
The three-day conference will continue till 31st August 2007 at a satellite venue in Nansha Science and Technology Park where special workshops will be conducted.
For media enquiries, please feel free to contact :
Luk Kam Wing
Tel: 2358 6306
Email: kluk@ust.hk
Donna Wong
Tel: 2358 6317
Email: donnaw@ust.hk
