Prof. SUN Yuanxia was invited to participate in the “Rare Sugar Symposium 2014 in Kagawa” organized by the International Society of Rare Sugar (ISRS) in Takamatsu, Japan, on March 29, 2014. The general assembly is one of the most academic conferences in rare sugar which attracts researchers from all around the world. 

“Rare sugar and human health” is one of the major topics of this symposium is focused on. Prof. SUN Yuanxia was invited to give a plenary lecture which is one of the seven plenary lectures of the symposium, named “Biosynthesis of rare sugars using multi-enzyme coupling reaction in genetic engineering bacteria”. The presentation showed the process and method for screening and constructing of engineering bacteria to produce rare sugars (such as psicose, sorbose and allitol) using multi-enzyme coupling reaction. A suitable green production process of rare sugars was established. In addition, she participated the panel discussion to discuss the nomenclature of rare sugar and future direction of ISRS with the representatives from UK, Finland, Belgium, Thailand, South Korea and India, etc. 

Currently, Rare Sugars have been added in some foods in Japan and Europe, which was developed to a certain functional foods. During the meeting, Prof. SUN Yuanxia attended the commodities fair of rare sugar, from which she learned about the production and market development status of rare sugar, the latest international research developments of the biotransformation of rare sugar, which provides useful experiences for her team and will promote correlational studies and process of industrialization. 

Making plenary lecture