During a ceremony commemorating the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Microbiota Consortium, a National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University academic yesterday said that he hoped there would be more collaboration between organizations in Taiwan and Japan, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia on microbacteria research and potential academia-industrial partnerships.
The university’s College of Medicine vice dean Wu Chun-ying (吳俊穎), the consortium’s president, said the global market value for microbacteria research and its applications could reach US$1.37 billion by 2029.
The consortium hopes to establish a healthy ecology for cross-region, cross-field and cross-facility research collaborations on specimen examination and clinical information sharing, he said.
Photo courtesy of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Studies on this subject are an evident global trend, and the establishment of the consortium hopes to spearhead microbacteria research in the Asia-Pacific region, Wu Chun-ying said.
How relevant microbacteria research is translated into industrial innovations would determine how Taiwan’s biotechnology industry would compete with others, he added.
There is a lack of clinical research on how microbacteria affected genetics, immunology, endocrinology, body inflammation, metabolism, food and drink consumption, and human psychology, said Professor Emad el-Omar, editor-in-chief of the monthly peer-reviewed medical journal Gut.
The US and Europe have a relatively mature academia-industrial research alliance on microbacteria, and the founding of an Asia-Pacific-based partnership would greatly improve research capacity in the region and the world’s goal to attain precision health, el-Omar said.
Asia University College of Medical and Health Sciences dean Wu Jiunn-jong (吳俊忠) said the National Science and Technology Council would be announcing a new project starting next year to translate existing microbacteria research into usable data that could help the industry develop innovative concepts and products.
The ceremony also featured talks on the formation of microbacteria and how they can be applied to diagnose various cancers, the relation between health and substances created via lactic acid metabolism, the relevance of gastrointestinal microbiota and the formation of fat, as well as the possible use of gastrointestinal microbiota for biological cures.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
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The Ministry of National Defense yesterday reported the return of large-scale Chinese air force activities after their unexplained absence for more than two weeks, which had prompted speculation regarding Beijing’s motives. China usually sends fighter jets, drones and other military aircraft around the nation on a daily basis. Interruptions to such routine are generally caused by bad weather. The Ministry of National Defense said it had detected 26 Chinese military aircraft in the Taiwan Strait over the previous 24 hours. It last reported that many aircraft on Feb. 25, when it spotted 30 aircraft, saying Beijing was carrying out another “joint combat
Taiwan successfully defended its women’s 540 kilogram title and won its first-ever men’s 640 kg title at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei yesterday. In the women’s event, Taiwan’s eight-person squad reached the final following a round-robin preliminary round and semifinals featuring teams from Ukraine, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Basque Country and South Korea. In the finals, they swept the Basque team 2-0, giving the team composed mainly of National Taiwan Normal University students and graduates its second championship in a row, and its fourth in five years. Team captain
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