Features and Prospects

Features

• The Institute of Biochemical Sciences was established in close collaboration with the Institute of Biological Chemistry at Academia Sinica. Since its inception, the Institute has achieved outstanding accomplishments in protein science, particularly in the study of snake venom proteins. Following the establishment of the new Academia Sinica building in Nangang, abundant faculty resources and state-of-the-art research facilities have further strengthened the Institute's commitment to excellence in both teaching and research.
• Students admitted to the Institute come from diverse academic backgrounds, including science, engineering, medicine, agriculture, life sciences, and related disciplines from universities throughout Taiwan. This diversity promotes interdisciplinary interaction and facilitates the development of research at the interface of biology and chemistry.
• The Institute has become one of the most sought-after academic and research-oriented graduate programs for university graduates pursuing advanced studies in Taiwan.

Educational Objectives

• Through research and education spanning biology, medicine, chemistry, structural biology, and drug development, the Institute aims to cultivate outstanding researchers and educators with expertise in both biological and chemical sciences. In addition to providing highly qualified research personnel for academia and the biotechnology industry, the Institute aspires to play a leading role in advancing biochemical sciences in Taiwan.

Core Competencies

• Professional knowledge and research skills in biochemistry, including molecular biology, structural biology, and chemical biology. The ability to read and critically analyze scientific literature, and the ability to publish scientific findings in professional journals.

Research Dimensions

Research areas at the Institute include protein chemistry and proteomics, physical biochemistry and biophysics, structural biology, genetic engineering and genomics, reproductive physiology, neurochemistry and signal transduction, molecular and cellular biology, and systems biology.

Major research topics and areas of emphasis include:

1. Molecular biology of cell-surface glycan expression
2. Molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in plasma membrane repair
3. Developmental biology of Drosophila
4. Mechanisms of autophagy
5. Drug discovery and development
6. Neural development in zebrafish embryos
7. Regulation of transcription and translation
8. Diagnostic reagents for Helicobacter pylori-associated gastrointestinal diseases
9. Studies of neuronal generation and connectivity using the zebrafish habenulo-interpeduncular circuit
10. Functional and regulatory mechanisms of human T-cell receptors
11. DNA damage responses in cancer biology
12. Functions of proteins secreted by male accessory sex glands and their covalent interactions during seminal coagulation

Research findings are published in leading international journals and presented at international scientific conferences. In addition, the Institute regularly invites distinguished scholars and experts from Taiwan and abroad to deliver seminars and lectures. Faculty members and students actively participate in international biochemical symposia organized by the Taiwan Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, as well as national biomedical and biochemical molecular biology training programs and workshops.

Future Prospects

• Although the research fields and topics pursued by the Institute appear diverse, they are united by a common theme: proteins. By integrating the research strengths of the Institute of Biochemical Sciences at National Taiwan University and the Institute of Biological Chemistry at Academia Sinica, future development can be broadly categorized into five major research areas.

Molecular and Cellular Biology

• Research topics include reproductive biology, model systems, transcriptional regulation, and the biological effects of post-translational modifications.

Proteomics and Genomics

• Research focuses on biomarkers, glycoproteomics, phosphoproteins, snake venom proteins, peptide hormones, and related areas.

Chemical Biology

• Major topics include enzyme inhibitors, mechanistic probes, drug design and synthesis, and enzyme engineering.

Glycoscience

• Research areas include glycosyltransferases, carbohydrate recognition, carbohydrate synthesis, glycan analysis, and glycomics.

Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics

• Research focuses on protein structure, computational modeling and simulation, single-molecule imaging, protein folding and unfolding, and protein–protein interactions.