A Japan-based researcher is helping advance bioactive natural products research at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) through the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Balik Scientist Program.

Dr. Andrea Roxanne Anas, a researcher and faculty member of Meijo University’s Faculty of Pharmacy in Nagoya, Japan, conducted her first lecture under the program at MMSU on 25 August.

Anas discussed advanced liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) strategies for identifying the chemical structures of bioactive natural products that could be used for food and therapeutic applications.

Her lecture, titled “Advanced LC-MS/MS Strategies for the Structural Elucidation of Bioactive Natural Products for Food and Therapeutics,” focused on the use of advanced laboratory technologies in natural product discovery and their potential applications in food, medicine and community-based research.

Anas said advanced laboratory instruments, coupled with appropriate analytical strategies, are important in determining the exact chemical structures of useful compounds found in nature, food and medicinal sources.

“LC-MS/MS Strategies are robust tools for structural identification of bioactive natural products for foods and therapeutics when coupled with other supporting techniques,” Anas said.

The partnership between Anas and MMSU also seeks to strengthen the university’s research capabilities, promote technology transfer and expand international research linkages.

MMSU students, faculty members, researchers and other participants attended the lecture onsite and online. An open forum followed the presentation, allowing participants to discuss the application of the techniques presented.

The Aug. 25 lecture was the first of a three-part series under the Balik Scientist Program.

Anas is scheduled to conduct two more sessions at MMSU on Sept. 22 and Oct. 20, focusing on natural product discovery and high-resolution molecular techniques for biological research.