Professor Dr. Pham Quoc Long, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry in Vietnam, highlighted the importance of lipid research to understanding marine life. By studying lipids, scientists can gain insights into the activities within marine environments and solve various problems related to marine organisms such as determining biosynthetic pathways, chemical analysis, relationships with biotic and abiotic factors, reproductive cycles, food chains and environmental influences on lipid composition.
Since 2000, Professor Long and his team have been working on various research projects related to marine lipid composition. They have collected samples from Vietnamese marine organisms and analyzed their chemical components to build a comprehensive database of lipid compositions. However, collecting marine samples requires specialized equipment and techniques which has been a challenge for the team. With the help of the Academician ship Oparin from the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, they were able to expand their database by collecting offshore marine samples. This collaboration provided access to advanced tools for analyzing the chemical composition of marine organisms.
The researchers at the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry are now leveraging modern analytical tools and collaborations with international partners to fill in missing parts of their Vietnamese marine lipid database through comprehensive surveys. Their ultimate goal is to enhance scientific understanding of marine ecosystems and contribute to the conservation and sustainable management of marine resources in Vietnam.
