News

One of the academic staff of Department of Biology, Dr. Rika Indri Astuti, M.Si, had been honored to be invited as one of the speakers at the 14^th International Congress on Yeast (ICY14), held at Awaji Yumebutai, Kobe, Japan on  11^th -15^th  September 2016. She reviewed her yeast research in an oral presentation entitled “The important role of radical molecules to modulate antioxidant properties in fission yeast” at a special workshop session, Yeast Fermentation in Asia. This particular session was fully supported by The Society for Biotechnology, Kansai Branch, Japan.

ICY is an important scientific meeting for yeast researchers, which focuses on basic as well as the application of yeasts in various fields. This meeting is routinely held once in every four years since 1955 by the International Commission on Yeasts under the umbrella of the International Union of Microbiological Sciences (IUMS). It provides the opportunity for presenting the latest research progress in yeast metabolism, physiology, genetics, genomics, regulations, ecology, systematics, phylogeny, food and beverage applications, biofuel production and clinical applications.

Regarding ICY14, general topics were “Yeast for Global Happiness” that meant great contribution of yeast science and technology to the world in terms of food and beverage, health and medicine, energy and environment. About 440 yeasts researchers from 40 countries participated in this big event. Among them, 185 participants were involved in the oral presentation and about 255 participants communicated their yeast research via poster presentations during this five days congress. The ICY14 event, chaired by Prof. Hiroshi Takagi who is also the current chairman of  International Commission on Yeasts was successfully held and may bring big contributions to the future development of yeasts research and applications.