DEPARTMENT OF LIPIDS AND APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY

DEPARTMENT OF LIPIDS AND APPLIED COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY

1. About the lab Head: Prof. Dr. Doan Lan Phuong

Tel:  0904221818

E-Mail:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Contact adress: 1H – Institue of Chemistry, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Nghia Do, Cau Giay district, Hanoi City, Vietnam

2. Lab members:

 Research areas:

• Research on Lipids of Plant Seed and Marine Organisms; Applied Computational Chemistry.

3. Main achievements:

The department has established long-term international collaborations, including with the Russian Federation on research into marine biochemical composition and the screening of bioactive compounds from marine organisms. It has also partnered with Germany on vegetable oil research and worked with Japan, South Korea, India, and France to develop and implement optimal technologies for extracting bioactive substances from natural sources, as well as on QSAR (Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship) research.

• Research Results on Lipids from Plant Seeds and Marine Organisms:

- Plant Seeds: The lipid composition of 150 plant seed species has been investigated. Key outcomes include the development of an online database detailing the lipid class composition in the oils of these 150 Vietnamese plant species; the publication of a monograph titled "Lipids and Fatty Acids of Vietnamese Plant Seeds—Biochemical Diversity" by the Natural Science and Technology Publishing House in 2018; the successful training of one PhD and four master’s students in this field; and the development of a skincare cosmetic product derived from kumquat seeds, which was granted circulation permit No. 1037/8/CBMP by the Hanoi Department of Health on November 25, 2018.

- Corals: Research was conducted on 50 species of soft and hard corals collected from the coastal waters of Vietnam. The study examined various factors influencing coral growth and development, including the roles of symbiotic organisms and biochemical factors. The findings were published in the monograph "Lipids and Fatty Acids of Vietnam's Coral Reefs—Biodiversity and Biochemistry," released by the Scientific and Technical Publishing House in 2008. As part of this research, two PhD candidates and two master's students were trained. Additionally, two major research projects, directed by the Academy, were successfully implemented and received outstanding evaluations. A comprehensive database was also developed, comprising 184 marine organism samples, including 51 coral samples, 25 seagrass samples, 32 sponge samples, 36 mollusk samples, and 40 echinoderm samples—all collected from the waters of North Central to Central Coastal Vietnam

- Algae: Biodiversity assessments have been conducted on over 100 species of red, brown, green, and blue-green algae from the central coastal region of Vietnam. Chemical and biochemical studies focused particularly on lipid compounds, including the composition and content of fatty acids. A PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) preparation was developed from seaweed to support experimental studies on disease prevention in aquaculture. This product has been transferred to the Nha Trang Application Technology Research Institute for trial implementation. Ongoing research continues to investigate bioactive fatty acids from seaweed, with a special focus on the red algae species Gracilaria, aiming to develop products for use in medicine and pharmaceuticals. One such product, Catosal, has been created using calcium alginate as the active ingredient, recognized for its potential in detoxifying heavy metals.

- Mollusks and Echinoderms: Research has focused on the biochemical composition of various marine organisms, including bivalves, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, starfish, and marine fish. A comprehensive database has been developed to support the screening of raw materials for the development of products with practical applications in daily life. Several notable products have been created from these organisms, including OF27, a formulation for burn treatment; EBS1, designed for treating soft tissue wounds; a PUFA blend rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 for use as a nutritional feed supplement in livestock and aquaculture; Omegaka, a marine-derived product for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis; and a functional food product developed from sea urchin eggs. The dossier for the latter was submitted and received circulation permit No. 4143/2018/ĐKSP from the Food Safety Department of the Ministry of Health on July 9, 2018.

• Publication and Patents: The department has published hundreds of articles in both national and international journals and has been granted 11 patents for inventions and utility solutions by the Intellectual Property Office. In addition, five specialized monographs have been published.
• Awards and Recognitions: The department received the VIFOTECH Award in 2004, along with commendations from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Hanoi People's Committee, and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology for its project on the sustainable utilization of Vietnam's marine biological resources to develop high-value products for daily life. It was also honored with the State Award in 2012 and the National Book Award in 2019.
• Training and Development: The department has trained 15 PhD students and 30 master’s students, and is currently supervising the training of three additional PhD candidates.

4. Publications (2020-2025): 75 international and 33 domestic publications

5. Photos: