On Friday, December 5, 2025, the Japan-Korea International Symposium on “Next-Generation Biomaterials and Precision Fermentation” was successfully held at the Kookmin University College of Science.

This international symposium was jointly hosted by the Biotechnology Subcommittee of the Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology (KMB) and the Food Biotechnology Subcommittee of the Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (KSBB). and was sponsored by the Eco-Biomaterials Convergence Talent Development Specialized Graduate School Project Team (Director Park Yong Cheol) of the Department of Bio and Fermentation Convergence Technology and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH).

This event centered on the development and application of diverse biomaterials, bringing together leading scholars and emerging researchers from Korea and Japan in two key areas: “Discovery of Next-Generation Biomaterial” and “Development of Innovative Bioengineering Technologies” for lively discussions.

In the first session, Professor Yoshimitsu Hamano from the University of Fukui introduced microbial-derived polycationic isopeptide-based cell delivery technology, Professor Kweon Dae Hyuk from Sungkyunkwan University presented the Navibody platform technology, and Professor Yasuo Ohnishi from the University of Tokyo introduced bacterial sporangia. They presented cutting-edge next-generation biomaterial technologies and their potential applications in precision targeted delivery.

The second session featured Professor Kwak Su Ryang from Kookmin University discussing metabolic engineering technology for yeast-based prebiotic oligosaccharide production. Professor Junya Kato from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and Professor Na Jeong Geol from Sogang University introduced bio-based carbon recycling technologies for compound production. This session facilitated discussions on the latest trends in bio-based biomaterial production technologies.

This international symposium served as a platform for Korea and Japan to share cutting-edge advancements in novel bio-based materials and precision fermentation technologies, covering bio-food and chemical materials as well as materials for pharmaceutical applications, and to discuss their potential uses. It particularly served as an opportunity to establish a close R&D network between Korean and Japanese researchers and explore joint research. Based on this, it is expected that international cooperation between Korea and Japan for multidisciplinary convergence research in the field of biotechnology across food, medicine, environment, and industry will become even more active.