Agilent Technologies and Monash University Sunway Campus Boost Talent and Skills for Genomics Research in Malaysia

Agilent Technologies Inc and Monash University Sunway campus today announced a collaboration to promote talent and skills development for genomics research in Malaysia.

This partnership, the first of its kind for Agilent with a university in Malaysia, will help Malaysia assert itself as a leading centre for life sciences research and development in Southeast Asia. Under the agreement, a centre of excellence known as the Monash-Agilent Authorized Microarray Service Center will be established at Monash University
Sunway campus. This centre will be equipped with the latest microarray instruments and will provide competency training for the centre’s lab professionals undertaking molecular-genetic studies of human disease.

“The establishment of the AMSC will be a timely boost in the collaboration between Agilent and Monash University Sunway campus through the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, providing the opportunity to access  advanced technologies to strengthen our current genomics research in diabetes, cancer, neurobiology and infectious diseases,” said Professor Dato’ Dr Anuar Zaini Md Zain, Head of the School.

He added that the school has forged strong collaborations with local and international academic institutions as well as leading industry players in expanding its expertise in research. “The Monash-Agilent Authorized Microarray
Service Center, together with existing platform technologies at the school, such as liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and proteomics, will encourage integrative and multidisciplinary research.

The centre will become the platform to train next-generation scientists in genomics research and potentially spearhead new  niche areas in biomedical research through support and networking with Agilent’s global customers/collaborators,” said Professor Anuar.

“We are excited about this collaboration with Monash University Sunway campus,” said Rod Minett, General Manager,  Agilent Life Sciences Group, South Asia Pacific and Korea. “The knowledge gleaned from the collaboration will not only contribute toward further understanding and preventing diseases, but also cement Malaysia as a centre for life sciences research and development.”