Last week, the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center (VU LSC) hosted a delegation from Amano Enzyme, a leading Japanese company specialising in the research, production, and application of enzymes.
The delegation, comprising Dr. Shotaro Yamaguchi, Chief Technology Officer of Amano Enzyme Inc., and Dr. Hirotaka Matsubara of Amano Enzyme USA, was welcomed by VU LSC Director Dr. Arvydas Lubys, Adviser for International Relations Prof. Eglė Lastauskienė, Deputy Director for Business and Infrastructure Julius Gagilas, as well as scientists Dr. Renata Gudiukaitė, Dr. Vilius Malūnavičius, Dr. Inga Matijošytė, and Prof. Rolandas Meškys. Representatives from Invest Lithuania also joined the meeting.
The discussions opened with a broader presentation of Lithuania's scientific and economic landscape, delivered by Invest Lithuania. VU LSC representatives then introduced the Center's research directions, academic programmes, and organisational structure.
The meeting continued with in-depth discussions on potential areas of collaboration, particularly in protein design, manufacturing, and application fields at the intersection of VU LSC's research strengths and Amano Enzyme's industrial expertise. The delegation subsequently visited the laboratories of the attending scientists, where conversations deepened around specific proteins, enzymes, and their potential biotechnological applications.
The visit reflects VU LSC's ongoing commitment to fostering international scientific and industrial partnerships. Both institutions are members of the European Society of Applied Biocatalysis (ESAB), and the meeting signals promising prospects for future cooperation between Lithuanian and Japanese researchers in the rapidly developing field of enzyme biotechnology.
