GIST, Full Effort in Research to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced on the 1st that it is calling for projects on 'COVID-19 problem-solving and commercialization technology development' and will establish feasible response plans at the GIST level by the end of the year.

GIST will select 5 to 7 final projects from technologies applicable and adaptable internally, supporting up to 70 million KRW per project. The research period is until the end of the year after the agreement. The outcomes will be linked to local governments and companies to be applied directly in the field.

Additionally, GIST will collaborate with Gwangju Metropolitan City to develop customized COVID-19 response technologies for the field.

Kim Insu, Vice President of Research at GIST, said, "We hope that by securing resources independently for COVID-19 response technology development and providing information and technologies, GIST will contribute to protecting public health through the development of infectious disease diagnostic technologies, therapeutics, and vaccines."

Meanwhile, Professor Park Jinju's research team from the Department of Chemistry was recently selected as a priority negotiation candidate for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus diagnostic antigen and antisera production and efficacy evaluation project among the 2020 Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's urgent designated academic research and development tasks. The team is conducting research to produce antigen proteins aimed at securing technologies necessary for serological diagnosis of COVID-19 antigens.