Daily Briefing: Singapore may receive first batch of COVID vaccine in early 2021; NTU to invent 'electronic nose' to check meat freshness

And new DOSM for Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium.

From Bloomberg:

US pharmaceutical company Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. said on Monday it may ship to Singapore the first batch of a COVID-19 vaccine it has been developing with local scientists early next year.

The statement comes as the company announced positive preliminary results from ongoing early stage clinical trials in Singapore, according to a Straits Times report.

Arcturus announced a manufacturing and vaccine supply agreement with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) for up to $296.13m (US$220m) in additional financial commitment, the company’s chief financial officer Andrew Sassine said, according to an earnings transcript.

The EDB will provide a limited recourse loan of $60.57m (US$45m) within 60 days contingent on the delivery of certain documentation.

The loan will be repaid through royalties on future vaccine commercial sale, and the loan will be forgiven if the vaccine development doesn’t succeed or obtain regulatory approval.

Read more here.

From ChannelNewsAsia:

Scientists from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have led an international team to invent an "electronic nose" that assesses the freshness of meat with 98.5% accuracy.

The invention could help to reduce food wastage by confirming whether meat is fit for consumption more accurately than a "best before" label can, the research team said in a news release on 10 November.

The electronic nose comprises two elements that mimic the way a mammal's nose recognises fresh or rotting meat.

A coloured "barcode" made of chitosan, a type of natural sugar, is loaded with different dyes and acts as a set of receptors for the gases produced by decaying meat.

The dyes change colour in response to the different types and concentrations of gases, producing a unique combination of colours that serves as a "scent fingerprint" for the state of any meat, said NTU.

Read more here.

From TTGAsia:

Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium has appointed Shadab Amin as director of sales and marketing.

In his new role, Amin will manage all aspects of sales and marketing, including business development, customer relationship management, digital marketing, and brand and communication strategies.

Amin brings with him a decade of hospitality experience.

He joined IHG in Manila and subsequently, moved to Crowne Plaza Muscat and Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, before settling down in Singapore.

During his stint in Manila, Amin played a pivotal role in laying the foundation of IHG’s India global sales team, while at Muscat and Maldives, he held key sales positions that drove revenue targets.

Read more here.