Taiwan has achieved good results in the fields of biotechnology, prevention cares, and ICT. Based on these achievements, the MOST will collaborate with the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Economic Affairs on the continuous effort of interdisciplinary integration to establish BioICT, including quarantine, diagnosis, prevention and therapy, public epidemiology, social impact, and international science and technology collaboration. Thus, we may provide other countries with relevant experience, and further strengthen the international alignment of industries.

The longstanding achievement of MOST has helped Taiwan built a strong foundation in various fields, including immunology, infectious diseases, virus studies, public health, and even the AI technology. With our full dedication to putting fundamental research into practice, the role of MOST is proven indispensable in providing support to promote scientific and industrial development, and helping our society to overcome challenges. Through our strong R&D capability and robust international partnerships, Taiwan and global science community can work together to create a sustainable future.

The subject featured in the May issue highlights the development of COVID-19. The Research Highlights encompass several issues from clinical observation to the search for effective medication, a healthcare system for creating epidemic prevention, immune monitoring to explore host immunity, infectious pathogenesis for learning coexistence, and novel factors for targeting microbes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, promptly isolating confirmed patients and high-risk individuals is an effective strategy for avoiding further infection. Most importantly, promoting innovative power of science and technology has greatly encouraged the creations of efficient approaches to prevent emerging infectious pathogens and to treat patients with severe disease progression. All sectors across Taiwan have devoted their efforts, and stand out in the global epidemic crisis. We should be proud that Taiwan could conquer the fight against the epidemic and help the international community.