Image: NIRBA will engage scientists and clinicians from leading institutions like NUS, A*STAR, NTU, and Duke-NUS Medical School, to build strategic research capabilities in RNA biology and its applications.
A new national programme that aims to position Singapore at the forefront of advancements in RNA science and applications was officially launched by Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat, who is also Chairman of National Research Foundation.
This new initiative - named National Initiative for RNA Biology and Its Applications (NIRBA) - is supported by NRF with total funding of S$130 million over seven years. NIRBA will engage scientists and clinicians from leading institutions like the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and Duke-NUS Medical School.
RNA biology and its applications has been identified as a rapidly expanding field of critical importance to Singapore's future health and economic needs. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules are present in all living organisms and in many viruses. RNA molecules, transcribed from DNA, serve as vital messengers that translate genetic information into proteins, driving the biological processes essential to life.
Recent research has uncovered that structurally diverse RNA molecules perform a remarkable range of biological functions, with many more yet to be discovered. As a result, RNA has emerged as a vital macromolecule, with its pivotal role in human health and disease only starting to unfold.
To further strengthen Singapore's capabilities in RNA research and translation, NIRBA aims to achieve the following goals:
- Swiftly build world-leading foundational research peaks in differentiated challenge areas in RNA research where there are current global gaps, leveraging Singapore's competitive advantages.
- Develop an agile framework of 'Innovation Clusters' to create and sustain competitive research peaks, while drawing on relevant expertise from the local and global research community in a nimble and dynamic way.
- Operationalise innovative pathways to build an upstream pipeline that fuels the capabilities of Singapore's downstream units, to fully capitalise on their health and economic value for the nation and beyond.
NIRBA's innovation clusters will draw on a dynamic pool of multidisciplinary researchers from different institutions to promote island-wide inter-organisational collaborations between NUS, NTU Singapore, A*STAR, public health institutions, and industry.
