Invited Speakers

Keynote and Guest Speaker

Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, Ph.D.

Undersecretary for Research and DevelopmentDepartment of Science and Technology, Philippines

Plenary Speaker

Al-Ahmadgaid Bahauddin Asaad

Data ScientistNeuralMechanics, Inc. Ortigas City, Philippines

Scalable Bayesian Inference for Big DataModels used in industries nowadays are mostly estimated using optimization algorithms tailored towards complex models and parallel computations. These approaches, however, provide single point estimates without giving measures of uncertainty on the parameter of interest, which is useful in scientific problems and is well studied in Bayesian inference. In this paper, we attempt to review some of the recent advances in scaling Bayesian inference both for big n (tall data) and big p (wide data) problems, and discussions on probabilistic programming and other tools used for Bayesian modeling. Lastly, we provide applications for medical image classification and natural language processing.

Plenary Speaker

Filchito Renee G. Bagsican, Ph.D.

Osaka University, Japan

Laser terahertz emission microscopy as an investigative tool for low-dimensional materialsThe availability of short optical pulses in the mid-1970s, especially those of femtosecond laser pulses, has fostered the emergence of the innovative field of terahertz (THz) optoelectronics. Continual advancements in semiconductor technology, photonics, and the development of high-frequency electronics have further benefitted THz research. Since then, the field has found applications in many areas ranging from basic science to industrial applications.
In this talk, we will illustrate the use of laser THz emission microscopy (LTEM) as an investigative tool for low-dimensional materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNT). We will first give an overview of the technique, followed by its applications in the study of ultrafast excited carrier dynamics in various materials, to the more practical applications such as evaluation of solar cells and other semiconductor devices. Lastly, we will present our work on molecular desorption study with graphene and two-dimensional tungsten disulfide, as well as our recent results with CNT-based THz photoconductive antenna emitters.

Plenary Speaker

Drexel H. Camacho, Ph.D.

Full Professor, Department of Chemistry De La Salle University, Manila, PhilippinesResearch FellowOrganic Materials and Interfaces Research Unit, CENSER

Preparation, characterization and fabrication of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) containing carrageenan-based electrolyte systemsGelling polymers such as the hydrophilic polysaccharide, k-carrageenan, was explored as polymer matrix in gel-electrolyte systems for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. The influence of the solvent system, the effect of incorporating conducting polymers, and the impact of various redox couples were observed. The composite natures of the k-carrageenan-electrolyte systems in optimized solvents were confirmed by FTIR, SEM, and TGA analyses. The presence of k-carrageenan did not impede the electrochemical properties of the electrolytes as supported by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). Fabrication of these gel electrolyte systems in DSSC showed positive improvement in solar energy conversion albeit lower than the liquid electrolyte controls. The gel systems however showed better stability compared to the liquid control. Incorporation of the gel-electrolytes in DSSC showed that solvents play a critical role to maximize the solubility of the composites as well as improve its penetrability. Moreover, the incorporation of conducting polymers or ionic polymers in the matrix improved the ion transport ability of the gel electrolyte system. The use of bulky redox couples were found to be advantageous as it disrupts the helical strcuture of carrageenan promoting ion transport. The potential of carrageenan-based electrolyte system is high making it possible to be applied in electrochemical devices with niche applications.

Plenary Speaker

Ida F. Dalmacio, Ph.D.

Professor EmeritusUniversity of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

Fungal Pigment ProductionColor plays an important role in the lives of people. It can be seen from the food people eat to the clothes that people wear. There is a growing demand for colorants because they are applied to food, cosmetics, textile and pharmaceutical products. However, the colorants produced today are still to a large extent synthetic and may cause harmful effects to humans and to the environment. Hence, the demand for the production of nontoxic and naturally occurring pigments that can be used as colorants is globally increasing.
Microbiology provides an important contribution that may address the problem of colorant demand since certain microorganisms can be a source of both extracellular and intracellular pigments. Furthermore, they have a high growth rate and thus, can be mass multiplied.
Results of the studies on the optimization of pigment production from Rhodotorula rubra using coconut water medium and that of Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium purpurogenum using selected fermentation media are presented and discussed. The following parameters: inoculum concentration, initial pH of medium, and incubation period were optimized for the fungal isolates, while the most favorable incubation temperature was also determined for the mold cultures.
The antibacterial activity of the concentrated pigments from the molds were tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, a preliminary experiment on the best possible mobile phase to separate the components of the concentrated pigment from each mold was conducted, and the color stability of the concentrated pigments when exposed to different pH and temperature changes was determined.

Plenary Speaker

Yu-Jang Li, Ph.D.

ProfessorDepartment of Applied ChemistryNational Chiayi University, Chiayi City, Taiwan

Applications of γ-Benzyloxy and γ-allyloxy Vinylogous Urethanes Toward Natural Products and Oxetane Derivatives SynthesisIn recent years, reactions of γ-benzyloxy and γ-alloxy substituted vinylogous urethanes have been developed in our laboratory, reactions including [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement, aldol reactions, oxetane derivative synthesis and [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement. Intermediates generated from [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement studies were applied to complete the total synthesis of (±)-γ-lycorane, the formal synthesis of (±)-maculalactone and the B-C-D fragment of planchol C. Vinylogous urethane lactone obtained from aldol reaction was facilely transformed into (─)-isoaltholactone. Studies of [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement lead to the total synthesis of substituted indolizidines.

Plenary Speaker

Chung-Ping Lin, Ph.D.

Professor,Department of Life ScienceNational Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

Diversification of Colourful Pachyrhynchus WeevilsPachyrhynchus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are a group of brilliant, metallic-coloured weevils distributed in the Old World tropics. We are interested in studying the ecology and evolutionary histories of these beetles, and testing a few long-standing hypotheses proposed by Alfred Russel Wallace nearly 150 years ago regarding the biological functions and ecological significance of their diverse colours. Our current findings suggest: (1) The conspicuous colouration of Pachyrhynchus weevils can function as aposematic signals (primary defence) that deter attacks by sympatric lizard predators; (2) The hardness of aposematic Pachyrhynchus weevils is an effective secondary defence against small vertebrate predators; (3) The inter-island speciation of endemic Pachyrhynchus weevils inhabiting neighboring oceanic islands may be more common than previously thought; (4) Speciation of the P. orbifer complex may have occurred only between islands, indicating that peripatric speciation through the founders of stochastic dispersals was the major evolutionary driver.

Plenary Speaker

Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D.

Debbie and Sylvia DeSantis Chair in Natural Products Drug Discovery and Development Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of PharmacyDirector of Center for Natural Products, Drug Discovery and Development (CNPD3) University of Florida, Gainesville Florida, USA

Marine Natural Products as Starting Points for Drug Discovery and DevelopmentOver half of all current drugs are based on natural products, while the marine environment represents a largely untapped resource. Our chemical investigations of marine cyanobacteria have yielded novel marine natural products that act on a range of therapeutically relevant targets. A requisite for their development into therapeutics is the detailed characterization of their mechanisms of action, along with solving the supply problem. An integrative platform of pharmacological, genomic and proteomic profiling assisted us in understanding their activities on the cellular and molecular level. Total synthesis and medicinal chemistry campaigns for prioritized compounds allowed us to improve selectivity profiles. Rigorous biological evaluation directed us to specific disease indications and enabled us to perform more targeted preclinical studies.

Plenary Speaker

Jomar F. Rabajante, D.Sc.

Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics (IMSP)University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines

Filipino Kaizen based on Scientific Thinking and Mathematical ReasoningHeraclitus once said that ‘change is the only constant in life’. But I say that the change which must be pursued is towards improvement or ‘Kaizen’. In this talk, I will present ideas on how our community may trail the path of Kaizen towards a progressive society. I will provide examples on how the philosophy of science and scientific thinking, especially mathematical reasoning, can be used as bedrocks of innovation and development.

Plenary Speaker

Mario A. Tan, Ph.D.

Full Professor and Department ChairDepartment of Chemistry,University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines

Progress in the Chemistry of the Philippine Pandanus SpeciesThe Pandanus represents the largest genus among the four genera in Family Pandanaceae. Consisting of about 700 species, they are distributed in tropical and sub-tropical regions, including the Pacific Islands, Malaysian islands, and Australia. Several Pandanus species are medicinal plants that have been used in traditional medicine because they possess such pharmacological activities as anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-hyperglycemia, anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory,anti-microbial,and antidiarrhealactivities.The genus Pandanus is also an excellent source of secondary metabolites, including steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, lignans, benzenoids, and alkaloids. In the Philippines, 52 Pandanus species have been recorded. This will highlight the phytochemical and pharmacological studies conducted on the Philippine Pandanus including the synthetic strategies on the Pandanus alkaloids.

Plenary Speaker

Tamaki Tanaka, Ph.D.

ProfessorDepartment of MathematicsGraduate School of Science and TechnologyNiigata University, Niigata 950--2181, Japan

Sublinear-like Scalarization Scheme for Sets and its Applications

Plenary Speaker

Giovanni A. Tapang, Ph.D.

ProfessorNational Institute of Physics, College of Science University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

Multidisciplinary Workflow for Optics and Materials ResearchWe discuss recent results towards reversible optical lithography with photoactive materials that leverages a multidisciplinary team to address different aspects of the problem from optics, material science, neural networks, and instrumentation. We developed a reversible light-activated anthracene-based material that is illuminated with a fully computer controlled light field using a spatial light modulator, a liquid crystal tunable filter, and a neural network.

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