A science seminar will be held in Macao Science Center on Saturday, 5th June to introduce the application of zebrafish on cardiovascular disease research and drug screening to the general public. All interested visitors can join the seminar held between 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
The seminar will take place at the Science Exploration Gallery (Gallery 8) of the Macao Science Center. In addition to showcasing the zebrafish embryo and the live specimens of both wildtype and transgenic zebrafish at different stages, experienced researchers from the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) of University of Macau will be available to demonstrate and to explain to the visitors the proper way to examine a live zebrafish specimen. This allows visitors to observe the embryo, body structure, development, morphology of different transgenic zebrafishes, and the cardiovascular functions of zebrafish, including the beating of its heart and blood circulation through different kinds of advanced microscopic systems.
The causes of many common diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, senile dementia and osteoporosis are related to abnormal blood vessel branching. The use of zebrafish model in the treatment of angiogenesis-related disease research found that some traditional Chinese medicine display outstanding efficacy. Due to transgenic zebrafish’s ability to give off various fluorescent colours in vascular endothelial cell, nerve cell and osteoblast, when observed with an imaging system, the effect of drugs to zebrafish can be tracked in real time. Therefore, using zebrafish as a research model not only can effectively screen out traditional Chinese medicine that has curing effects on diseases caused by abnormal angiogenesis, but also help to understand the role of any active ingredient in the process of angiogenesis and further verify the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine against different diseases.
The seminar is jointly organised by the Macao Science Center Limited and the University of Macau. The “Application of Zebrafish on Cardiovascular Disease Research and Drug Screening” project headed by Dr. Simon Lee, Associate Professor of ICMS has been selected by the public as one of the favourite scientific research projects in the “Science, is by your side: poll for your favourite local science researches activity” for the Macao Science Center. This project is currently on display along with the “Demonstration System of Smart Home” and “Graphic Display of the Analysed Results Measured by Lunar Exploration Satellite Chang’e 1” by the Macao University of Science and Technology, and the “Self-organizing Smart Antennas for Wireless Networks” by Macao Polytechnic Institute at the “Science News Area” in the Science Exploration Gallery of Macao Science Center as a short-term exhibition.
Standard ticket for admission to the Exhibition Center of the Macao Science Center is MOP 25, special discount for Macao residents and non-resident workers is MOP 15, with free admission for local students, elderlies and disables. Please check at website www.msc.org.mo for details.
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Today is 2012-02-05 Sun Temperature:9°C Humidity:89%
