Fourth Tecan Symposium Enjoys Chinese Success

Tecan recently hosted the fourth annual Tecan Symposium, welcoming leading genomics, proteomics and biobanking
experts from around the globe to discuss this year’s topic; Translational Medicine: From bench to bedside and back. Held outside of Europe for the first time, the 2011 Tecan Symposium was in Shanghai, China, reflecting Tecan’s strong commitment to the Asian market and the growing importance of China as a major centre for genomics and
clinical research. The two-day event was divided into four topics – current trends in translational research, clinical aspects of translational medicine, the growing importance of biobanking and the impact of technology on translational science – andexplored a wide range of current hot topics in this fast-growing area of life science research.

The high quality program for this year’s event was opened by Professor Huanming Yang, President of China’s very  own ‘genome  factory’, the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI). A succession of enlightening presentations then charted the contributions that genomics and, more recently, proteomics have played in enhancing our understanding of the world around us, and how these breakthroughs are being applied to global health issues.

The second day’s program concentrated on the technologies behind the science, looking at why ‘biobanks are more than just a place to store freezers,’ the huge tasks that face the exciting global initiatives now being undertaken and what we can learn from the mummified remains of our ancient past. Fittingly, the Symposium’s final presentation
was by Dr Colin Campbell from the University of Edinburgh, who discussed an exciting collaborative project first  conceived during a  chance meeting at the very first Tecan Symposium in Zurich.

Alongside the scientific content, Tecan’s local representatives – Tecan (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd – arranged a number of social events for delegates, including a river cruise to provide a more relaxed environment to discuss
the day’s topics, and a visit to a traditional Chinese tea house to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Shanghai itself. Overall, the Fourth Tecan Symposium was hailed a great success, once again highlighting the innovation-driven,
customer-focused approach that has made Tecan a leading provider within the life sciences sector.