LaMer Symposium Held at Ehime University

By Kohei Hamamoto.

Following the JSPS Core-to-Core Symposium, the LaMer Symposium on “Metabolomics and Advanced Analytical Technologies in the Study of Insects, Vector-Borne Diseases, and Biological Control” was held on October 2nd, 2024. At this event, eight distinguished speakers from various research fields were invited to present their recent achievements.

The symposium began with opening remarks by Prof. Kozo Watanabe, who emphasized the importance of international collaboration. In the first session, talks focused on the application of metabolomics, volatilomics, and biological materials such as seaweed for human health and plant pest prevention. Active Q&A sessions were held among speakers and participants.

​In the second session, interesting biological countermeasures against helminths, as well as practical research applications and the forefront of mosquito research, were introduced. This was followed by a panel discussion on two key topics: “Future Directions for Implementing Multiple Techniques to Investigate Insects and Vector-Borne Diseases” and “Towards Better Mosquito Control by Crossing Boundaries.” The panelists engaged in active multidisciplinary discussions and shared hopeful messages for future collaboration.

​In summary, more than 40 people attended the symposium, most of whom were early-career scientists such as undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students, or postdoctoral fellows. We hope this networking opportunity will lead to collaborative research in the near future, especially among the young researchers who connected at these successive symposiums.