11:10-12:00, Rm 103

Merck Young Scientist Award Lecture1stSeok-Jun KimGastric cancer branch, Division of translational & clinical research I,National Cancer CenterIn 1999, Seok-Jun Kim enrolled in Yonsei University, which granted him a B.S. of lifesciencein 2007. After graduation, he joined the Dr. Kyung-Hee Chun’s lab at NationalCancer Center Gastric Cancer Branch for the research. Also followed, He carried outgraduate studies at Sungkyunkwan University through the program of Research center andUniversity, and then received his M.S in 2010. After that He was started Ph. D degree since2010 at Sungkyunkwan University. During M.S course he was studied about function ofgalectin-3, as a β-galactoside-binding protein that increases cancer cell motility, in gastriccancer metastasis. Through the microarray in down-regulation of galectin-3 by silencingwith small-interfering RNA (siRNA), he found the expression of cell motility relatedgenes. Among of genes, he chooses fascin-1, actin bundle protein, was down-regulated bygalectin-3 siRNA treatment. As followed, he was started about galectin-3 and fascin-1’srelationship through the mechanism study. He demonstrates that galectin-3 silencing alsodiminished the binding activity of β-catenin/TCF-4 on fascin-1 promoter and also blockedthe interaction β-catenin and TCF-4. The nuclear-localization of GSK-3β‚ and β-cateninwas not detected when galectin-3 was silenced. Also, he confirmed expression in bothgalectin-3 and fascin-1 were found higher level in cancer tissue than in normal tissue ofgastric cancer patients. Those data published in Gastroenterology in 2010. Also, these datashowed that galectin-3 as a critical therapeutic target for the prevention of gastric cancermetastasis. Therefore, he has studied about galectin-3 and cell motility related genesrelationship in gastric cancer until now.This award is awarded to graduate and post doctorate research members of Korean citizenship who had submitted distinguishing researchpapers. The “Most Excellence Award”and the “Excellence Award”and the corresponding prizes are presented. The awards are funded byMerck Ltd. Korea sponsorship.The nominated candidates submit their resumes, research works and letters of recommendation, which are then evaluated by the awardcommittee and Merck Ltd. Korea through which the final winner is elected and the sealed approval is given by the board.32 Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology