Prof. Dr. Gamal Shiha, President of the African Foundation for Development and Capacity Building, and Dr. Mitsuo Hira Ibara, Head of the Smart Polymer Research Team at the National Institute for Materials Science at Tsukuba Ibaraki University in Japan, inaugurated today, Monday afternoon, the first and most modern center outside Japan and the United States of America for smart metals research in Egypt, at the Egyptian Liver Hospital in Dakahlia. In the presence of Prof. Dr. Ashraf Hafez, Vice President of Mansoura University, representatives of civil society associations participating in the National Alliance for Development Work, in addition to a number of members of the House of Representatives.

 

The center is dedicated for medical purposes and aims to conduct medical research in this new branch of science in order to reach results that help diagnose and treat various diseases, especially tumors. Such research also aims to overcome medical challenges through the manufacture of smart biomaterials.

 

Dr. Gamal Shiha confirmed that the center was established based on a research cooperation agreement between the Egyptian Liver Research Institute and the Smart Polymer Group at the National Institute for Materials Science at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.

 

He added that the center works to support scientific research and continue education and will allow researchers from inside and outside Egypt, including doctors and students, to obtain what they need from smart biological materials, as well as the possibility of conducting laboratory experiments inside the center.

 

He pointed out that this achievement comes in implementation of the directives of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, to continue implementing the National Alliance for Civil Development Work for social initiatives and to reduce the burden on the first groups of care, and to celebrate the silver jubilee of the establishment of the Association for the Care of Liver Patients in Dakahlia, a member of the National Alliance for Developmental Civil Work.

 

He added that the center includes 5 units: the smart biomaterials unit, the flow cytometry unit, the stem cell and tissue transplantation unit, the genetic sequencing unit, and the molecular biology unit.

 

The center includes the facilities required to manufacture biomaterials characterization in addition to promoting activities related to biomaterials including developing regenerative medicine techniques, designing devices and building prototypes.

 

The Smart Biomaterials Unit focuses on the design, manufacture and characterization of new smart biomaterials including polymers, in addition to further evaluation of their diagnostic and therapeutic performance.

 

Flow cytometry unit: It can measure cellular flow, which enables us to determine the effect on cells in a solution after tests with biological materials that will be designed in the center.

 

Stem Cell and Tissue Transplantation Unit: it will focus on building a cutting-edge and pioneering stem cell program that integrates expertise in regeneration and precision medicine and includes a fundamental and new understanding of cells.

 

Genetic Sequencing Module: In which it innovatives methods that will be applied to quickly read complete genetic sequences and deeply sequence target regions and use DNA sequencing to discover new or splice variants or to analyze genetic change.

 

Molecular Biology Unit: It will focus on studying the composition and structure of interactions of cellular molecules with biological materials designed in the center such as nucleic acids and proteins, as well as conducting many advanced types of molecular analyzes.

 

Prof. Dr. Ashraf Hafez, Vice President of Mansoura University, said that the National Alliance of NGOs is launching its activities in the field of scientific research, not only to help those who are unable, but also in the field of advanced scientific research to serve patients using the latest technologies in the world in the field of treatment.

 

The vice president of the university expressed his happiness with what he saw in the hospital, which owns one of the most modern research centers to serve citizens in the Middle East, stressing the continuation of cooperation between the university and the Egyptian Liver Hospital.

 

Professor Ibarra said, "I am happy to be here to participate in the manufacture of smart polymers and bio-tissue used in the field of diagnosis and treatment, especially in the field of diagnosis and treatment in tumors."

 

Professor Ibarra praised what he saw in the hospital, because this laboratory is owned only by universities and major research institutes, and this is a source of pride for those in charge of this hospital.

 

Simon Nasser, head of the technical office sector of the Foundation of hayah karima, added that the opening of this center is a great victory for the National Alliance for Civil Work, because it enters the field of scientific research for the sake of the Egyptian society, because it goes beyond the issue of providing aid only, but entering the field of scientific research will add a lot of prosperity to research  science for Egypt.