NCKU President, Academician Michael Ming-Chiao Lai, signed Technology Transfer Agreement in this morning with Mr. Tou-Hsiung Yang, Chairman of Vedan International (Holding) Ltd, witnessed by Vedan Biotechnology President Shih-An (Raymond) Yang and the inventor, Prof. Huey-Lang Yang of the NCKU Institute of Biotechnology. This agreement marks a successful transfer of NCKU's microalgal DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) production technology, developed by Prof. Yang’s Aquatic Animal Bio-Medicine R&D Team (AABM Team), to Vedan Biotechnology, a subsidiary company of Vedan International.
President Lai commented that the collaboration between NCKU and Vedan is a good example of industry-academia cooperation. President Lai also praised that Prof. Yang has not only made breakthroughs in aquiculture and biotechnology industry and great contributions to ecology and human health, but also demonstrated his great creativity in producing DHA from microalgae, instead of fishes and marine animals. President Lai also shared his joy with press that Prof. Yang had recently been recognized for his excellent contribution to aquiculture and presented with the award - “2009 TWAS Prize in the Agricultural Sciences” from The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is certainly a great honor for NCKU.
Chairman Tou-Hsiung Yang felt very excited to have speedy development in cooperation with NCKU for the first time. He also highly commended the research capability of NCKU’s AABM Team, especially on the rapid isolation of indigenous DHA producing microalgae “BL 10” and associative research development on DHA production. Chairman Yang promised to successfully marketing the BL 10 produced DHA with Vedan’s 46 years of marketing experience in biotechnical products. Chairman Yang indicated that Vedan is always looking forward to having more opportunities in collaboration with NCKU in the future.
Prof. Huey-Lang Yang commented that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a carboxylic acid with a 22-carbon chain, is commonly known as a kind of fish oil (Omega 3 DHA). DHA is essential to humans, for example, in brain health and prevention of cardiovascular disease, etc. However, our body could not produce any DHA even though it is so much needed. Hence, DHA must be derived from other sources, such as fishes and marine mammals. Indeed, DHA is not excreted in these fishes and marine mammals. Instead, DHA is largely produced by microalgaes and concentrated in the fishes and marine animals through food chains. Unfortunately, trace of toxins, such as methyl mercury or dioxins, are conjointly present with DHA through food chains as well.