Third meeting of Asia Reproductive Biotechnology Society

December 6, 2006 – The RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology (Kobe, Japan) co-hosted the third Asian Reproductive Biotechnology Society conference in Hanoi, Vietnam together with the Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology (http://www.cdb.riken.jp/arb/). The meeting, which took place from November 29 to December 1, was attended by more than 200 researchers, exhibitors and dignitaries from Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea and Taiwan, as well as a number of scientists from the CDB and other labs across Japan. Attendees from outside the region, including France, Australia and Hungary, also participated in the discussion of recent advances in such areas as assisted reproduction, fertility, nuclear transfer and early embryogenesis. The conference attracted the attention of local media as well, drawing nearly thirty journalists and photographers on the first day of the meeting.

Poster award winners at the 3rd ARBS meeting

The local organization of the event was coordinated by Dr. Bui Xuan Nguyen of the Institute of Science and Technology (Vietnam). Dr. Nguyen Van Thuan of the CDB Lab for Genomic Reprogramming (Team Leader; Teruhiko Wakayama) also helped to develop the meeting program, which featured such renowned speakers as Xiangzhong (Jerry) Yang of the University of Connecticut Center for Regenerative Biology (USA), Atsuo Ogura of the RIKEN Bioresource Center (Japan) and Mongkol Techakumphu, from Chulalongkorn University (Thailand).

Following three days of intensive scientific discussion, this year’s conference closed with a panel-led discussion of opportunities for international collaboration between labs in the region. Younger participants, including many students, enjoyed the chance to ask questions of the many experienced scientists regarding working overseas, research funding, and their views on what it takes to become an excellent scientist. Following the meeting, many participants took a few days to visit research and cultural attractions in the scenic Ha Long Bay area of northern Vietnam.

Next year’s ARB will be held in fall 2007 in Singapore.