Agilent to Support Lipidomics Research Consortium Led by National University of Singapore

The National University of Singapore (Singapore) is leading a research consortium to develop the world’s first lipid database for different racial and ethnic groups, supported by Agilent Technologies (California, USA). When completed, the project will provide a centralized resource for researchers studying fat levels as diagnostic markers.

The NUS Singapore Lipidomics Incubator (SLING) founded the Lipidomic Natural Variation (L–NAVA) consortium together with other founding members including South Korea's Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology (GRAST) at Chungnam National University; Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute (Melbourne, Australia); and Agilent Technologies. The members will use liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry instrumentation from Agilent for the project.

Markus Wenk, director of SLING, said: "Understanding natural variations is a major aim of SLING. This network allows us to extend, and hopefully connect, our studies on lipids with others that address variability at the level of genes, proteins, and sugars. Doing this in healthy individuals will provide a broad, foundational basis relevant for a better understanding of onset of diseases."

Rod Minett, Agilent's general manager, Life Sciences, South Korea and the South Asia-Pacific region, said: "We are honoured to be part of this new consortium, supporting its goal to systematically determine lipid profiles across different groups of humans." He added: "Agilent's innovations in bio-analytical instruments will help consortium members in their research on the natural variations using different methods. We hope this resource will help medical professionals provide better-quality care to their patients."

For more information visit: www.nus.edu.sg or www.agilent.com