DR MARK SKIDMORE VISITS INFORMM FOR POTENTIAL COLLABORATION ON CARBOHYDRATE STUDIES

DR MARK SKIDMORE VISITS INFORMM FOR POTENTIAL COLLABORATION ON CARBOHYDRATE STUDIES

22 April 2023 – Under the Keele-USM (INFORMM) postgraduate student attachment programme, INFORMM welcomes the visit from Dr Mark Skidmore, a senior lecturer at Keele University with 22 years of experience in biochemistry and glycobiology, and a specialist in the biophysics, biochemistry, and cell biology of carbohydrates, particularly sulphated glycominoglycans (GAGs). This is Dr Skidmore's first visit to INFORMM and USM where Dr Skidsmore’s student is working with Assoc Prof Dr Tye Gee Jun, researcher at INFORMM, specializes in immunology, biotechnology and natural products. Their study aims to screen GAGs properties from local marine resources, such as seaweeds and sea cucumbers, and explore potential applications in biomedicine and biotechnology. Dr Skidmore’s visit which started from April 22 to May 6, 2023, also include visit to the Health Campus on May 4th, 2023. During the visit to the School of Health Sciences, with Forensic Department, Dr Skidmore shared some insights on the use of GAGs as biomarkers for forensic identification and diagnosis. Dr Skidmore expressed his appreciation for the hospitality and professionalism of INFORMM and USM. He added that he was impressed by the quality and diversity of research conducted at the institute and the university. He hoped to continue and expand the partnership between Keele University and INFORMM in the field of carbohydrate research.