Microbial Ecology of Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems Laboratory - METAS Lab

06/04/2026

Asian Marine Mammal Stranding Network (AMMSN) 5th Symposium and Workshop
June 3-5, 2026
Singapore

https://www.singaporeoceanarium.com/content/sgo/ammsn2026.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawQ__ZFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe9h2o1nxpoex-eV-n61vGRUYK-hlSYB4DYZ71oVNrHo1LhZx5PXGQHhLUOIY_aem_p7mf74_0umJb3MVvt4bITg

The 5th Asian Marine Mammal Stranding Network Symposium & Workshop will be held from 3 to 5 June 2026 at Singapore Oceanarium. Registration now.

31/03/2026

Congratulations to the METAS Lab members for passing the 2026 Registered Microbiology certification exam of the Philippine Academy of Microbiology! Padayon!

24/03/2026

𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐚𝐛’𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲

Dr. Marie Christine Obusan conducted an official visit to National Taiwan University’s College of Veterinary Medicine for the collaborative project on cetacean health surveillance in Philippine and Taiwan waters. The collaborative effort is supported by the DOST MECO-TECO 2025 Sandwich Scholarship Program and the University of the Philippines-Office of International Linkages (OIL) Continuous Operational and Outcomes-based Partnership for Excellence in Research and Academic Training Enhancement (COOPERATE) Grant. The grants also support the thesis of Mr. Peterson Jerome Nieto, METAS Lab MS student, who is currently conducting his research at the Conservation Medicine Laboratory.

To further support these research initiatives, a collaborative meeting was also held with GeneReach Biotechnology Headquarters in Taichung, Taiwan, where Ms. Cielo Emar Paraoan-Villareal, METAS Lab PhD student, trained in the use of POCKIT™ Central SARS-CoV-2 detection assay. The Philippine GeneReach Team, Prince of Love Trading, provided support and assistance.

12/03/2026

The METAS Lab congratulates Mr. Kenneth Angelo L. Bagay on the successful defense of his MS thesis proposal, “Assessment of Gastropod and Protozoan Co-occurrence in Select Mangrove Sites in the Philippines: A Metabarcoding Approach,” held on March 12, 2026, at the Institute of Biology, College of Science, UP Diliman.
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His panel is composed of Dr. Severino G. Salmo III (WATER Lab, IB) and Dr. Marie Christine M. Obusan (METAS Lab, IB) as Co-Advisers and Dr. Maria Elisa Gerona-Daga (UP Tacloban) as Reader.

10/03/2026

𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬

The RENEW (Removal of Excess Nitrogen and Endocrine Disruptors from Wastewater) Program, funded and monitored by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD), held a progress meeting on March 10, 2026 to present the findings of the three projects at the National Engineering Centre (NEC), University of the Philippines Diliman.

The RENEW Program aims to contribute to improvement of the wastewater treatment processes in the Philippines and is composed of three interconnected projects:

Project 1: Post-Wastewater Treatment Determination of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds for Interventions (POST-EDCs)
Project Leader: Dr. Maria Pythias B. Espino, Institute of Chemistry

Project 2: Microbial Community Composition and Function for the Removal of Excess Nitrogen and Endocrine Disruptors in Wastewater Treatment Project Leader: Dr. Marie Christine M. Obusan, Institute of Biology ​

Project 3: Functional Microbial Community Contained as Granules and Biofilm in Aerobic-Anaerobic Bioprocess Systems for Removal of Nitrogen and Endocrine Disruptors in Wastewater Project Leader: Dr. Analiza P. Rollon, Departmentof Chemical Engineering

The meeting was attended by representatives from monitoring agencies, industry partners, and academic institutions, including DOST-PCIEERD, Maynilad Water Services Inc., Sustamina Agro-Industrial Corp., Manila Water Company Inc., Project Leaders, and Research Associates.

26/02/2026

METAS Publication Alert!

Biodegradation of Commercially Available Plastics and Melanin Production of 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘺𝘤𝘦𝘴 sp. H28 from Meycauayan River, the Philippines

Click the link to read more:
https://philjournalsci.dost.gov.ph/biodegradation-of-commercially-available-plastics-and-melanin-production-of-streptomyces-sp-h28-from-meycauayan-river-the-philippines/

24/02/2026

METAS Publication Alert!

Portable Molecular Diagnostics for Cetacean Morbillivirus: Development of a Reverse Transcription Insulated Isothermal PCR (RT-iiPCR) for Global Surveillance

Click the link to read more:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/tbed/4194454

23/02/2026

Invitation to attend the MS Thesis Proposal of Mr. Kenneth Angelo L. Bagay, MS Biology student and a member of METAS Lab

"Assessment of Gastropod and Protozoan Co-occurrence in Select Mangrove Sites in the Philippines: A Metabarcoding Approach"

The Institute of Biology invites all interested individuals to attend the MS Thesis Proposal presentation of KENNETH ANGELO L. BAGAY, entitled “Assessment of Gastropod and Protozoan Co-occurrence in Select Mangrove Sites in the Philippines: A Metabarcoding Approach” on March 12, 2026, at 10:00 AM. The presentation will be held in person in Room 117, Institute of Biology, University of the Philippines Diliman.

11/02/2026

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!👩‍🔬🧫

Here’s to the strength, accomplishment, remarkable impact, and limitless potential of women!

10/02/2026

09/02/2026

First METAS Lab Assembly of Research Staff and Advisees for 2026

08/02/2026

Ms. Kricel Marianne Grace Garcillan, METAS Lab MS student, has completed her International Graduate Visit at the University of Waterloo under the Canada Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) Grant from September 2025 to January 2026.

Kricel conducted some of the experiments for her research on bacterial dynamics and production of compounds in Laguna De Bay, Philippines, as part of a collaboration between METAS Lab and Arlos Research Lab at the University of Waterloo. She also worked at the Waterloo Genomics Surveillance Center and the Servos Laboratory.

Congratulations and welcome back, Kricel!