g No 200604393R
U p f r o n t
Nobel
insights into
the future of
learning
Think like a child and
study a useless
subject? This was
the advice of some
Nobel Laureates
who were at NTU
to discuss how
best to educate our
future generation.
Prof Wole Soyinka’s
suggestion that “students
should be compelled to learn a ‘useless’
subject” was met with a brief moment
of disbelief, before he explained that
students should be pushed to go
beyond their comfort zones. For the
celebrated Nigerian playwright and
Nobel Laureate, his “useless” subject was
mathematics, which got him through a
period of solitary confinement when he
was a political prisoner in his homeland.
Anecdotes like this one brought the
theme of the Nobel Prize Series, “The
Future of Learning”, to life at NTU on 5
NTU professors
named World’s
Hottest
Researchers
Two NTU scientists are the only ones
from Asia to make it into Thomson
Reuters’ list of the World’s Hottest
Researchers 2015. The global ranking
recognises 19 scientists who published
at least 14 papers in
2015 w i t h h i g h
levels of citations.
Prof David Lou
( l e f t), f r o m t h e
School of Chemical
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PUSHING FRONTIERS
and 6 November 2015. The global debut
of this event saw five Nobel Laureates
and experts from education, business
and politics, and even students, sharing
their own experiences in education, in
the best scholarly traditions.
In his opening speech, Singapore’s
President, Dr Tony Tan, said: “The
education system must prepare students
to tackle social and ethical issues that
arise as technological advances
enable humankind to do more.”
The Nobel Laureates and guest
speakers agreed that the most important
role an educator can play is to fuel
curiosity in the young, along with a
big heart for humanity.
Produced by the Nobel Foundation’s
subsidiaries, Nobel Media and Nobel
Museum, in partnership with NTU, the
Nobel Prize Series featured a roundtable
dialogue, panel discussions, lectures by
the Nobel Laureates, and an exhibition
at Singapore’s ArtScience Museum.
(This photo, from left) Nobel Laureates Scottish economist Sir James Mirrlees (Economic
Sciences 1996), Nigerian playwright and poet Prof Wole Soyinka (Literature 1986) and German
physicist Prof Stefan Hell (Chemistry 2014). (Top photo, from left) English chemist Sir Harold
Kroto (Chemistry 1998) and Israeli crystallographer Prof Ada Yonath (Chemistry 2009).
a nd Biomed ica l E ng i neer i ng, is
ranked 8 th in the world. He has
produced breakthroughs in the areas
of supercapacitors and batteries
(read about his research on page 24
of this issue).
Prof Zhang Hua
(r ig ht) i s ra n ke d
12 t h a nd he was
also in last year’s
inaugural list of the
Hottest Researchers.
From the School of
Materials Science and Engineering,
he is a recent winner of the ACS
Nano Lectureship Award from the
American Chemical Society.
Prof Michael Grätzel (right), a
Visiting Professor at NTU, is 7th on the
list. Known as the father of “artificial
photosynthesis” and inventor of the
dye-sensitised solar cell, he is closely
associated with NTU, as Chairman of
the Scientific Advisory Board of the
Energy Research Institute @ NTU
and Director of NTU’s Centre for
Nanostructured Photosystems.
The Hottest Researchers list is part
of Thomson Reuters’ “The World’s
Most Inf luential Scientific Minds”
citation analysis.
In a separate list,
Thom son Reuters
also placed nine NTU
scientists among the
world’s Highly Cited
Researchers 2015.
DISCOVERIES
Recent innovations and breakthrough discoveries at NTU Singapore, a research-intensive university
that leads the top Asian universities in normalised research citation impact (Thomson Reuters InCites
2015) and is ranked 40th in Nature Index Global.
Neuroscience
Immunofluorescent
image of brain cells.
Picture: Yoon Ho Sup.
Zap your memory awake
Soon, we might be able to boost our
memory, fend off dementia and even
treat depression and anxiety with just
a few electrical pulses.
Deep brain stimulation, which
uses implanted electrodes to deliver
electrical stimulation to a precise
area of the brain, has already been
used to treat a number of neurological
conditions such as Parkinson’s disease
and dystonia.
Now, Dr Lim Lee Wei (bottom
left) and Asst Prof Ajai Vyas (bottom
right) from NTU’s School of Biological
Sciences have found that stimulating
a part of the brain behind the forehead
called the prefrontal cortex can trigger
the growth of new brain cells.
I n pre cl i n ica l st ud ie s, rat s
stimulated daily for one month showed
both short-term and long-term memory
improvements. The memory boost was
linked to an increase in neurogenesis—
the formation of new neural cells—
within the brain’s hippocampus, which
supports learning and memory.
The researchers hope that the
technique may someday benefit patients
suffering from depression and anxiety.
“In particular, deep brain stimulation
opens new avenues of treatment for the
many patients who do not respond to
regular anti-depressant treatments,”
they say.
---Details of the study are found in “Ventromedial
prefrontal cortex stimulation enhances memory
and hippocampal neurogenesis in the middleaged rats”, eLIFE (2015), DOI: 10.7554/
eLife.04803.
Treating
Parkinson’s
disease with
antimalarial
drugs
Up to 2% of
the global
population
over the
a g e o f 65
a re a f fected
by Parkinson’s
disease, characterised
by a gradual loss of motor control from
a decline in dopamine production in
the brain.
To help these patients, a research
team led by Prof Yoon Ho Sup (top) from
NTU and Prof Kim Kwang-Soo from
McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical
School in the US screened about 1,000
drugs approved by the US Food and
Drug Administration.
The researchers found that two
well-known antimalarial drugs,
a mod iaqui ne a nd ch loroqui ne,
b o u n d d i r e c t l y t o N u r r1, a
transcription factor important in
the development, maintenance and
protection of dopamine neurons.
Both drugs also greatly improved
behavioural deficits in rat models for
Parkinson’s disease.
“ T h o u g h Nu r r1 h a d b e e n
suggested as a potential drug target
for Parkinson’s disease for a long time,
these are the first compounds ever
found which can directly bind to and
activate it,” says Prof Yoon.
The scientists aim to redesign
the drugs to improve their efficiency
and reduce side effects, and carry out
clinical trials within five years.
---Read about this research in “Nuclear receptor
Nurr1 agonists enhance its dual functions and
improve behavioral deficits in an animal model
of Parkinson’s disease”, Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences of the USA
(2015); DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1509742112.
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5
DISCOVERIES
Novel therapeutics
“Sniffing” out
inflammation and cancer
Detecting inflamed and cancerous
tissue is a critical step in monitoring
and ta rgeted treatment of “the
dreaded C”.
Assoc Profs Zhang Qichun (left)
and Joachim Loo (right) and their
research teams from NTU’s School of
Materials Science and Engineering
have developed nanoparticles that can
“smell” cancerous cells and damaged
tissue, lighting up upon contact.
The nanoparticles, which are made
from luminescent materials and coated
with specific organic compounds, detect
substances released by inflamed and
damaged tissue such as reactive oxygen
species and sulphur compounds.
Once the nanoparticles bind to the
signal molecules, they light up under
near-infrared illumination and can be
detected over days and up to several
centimetres deep within the body.
The scientists a re currently
conducting preclinical studies on
these nanoparticles for the delivery of
Antibodies
that fight
severe lung
infections
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When our lungs are infected by viruses,
bacteria or fungi, the build-up of fluids
and damage to lung tissue can often
be fatal.
A research team, led by Prof
Andrew Tan from NTU’s School of
Biological Sciences, has discovered a
novel biomarker that can not only help
clinicians to assess the severity of lung
inflammation, but also act as a target
for therapeutic intervention.
The scientists found that
angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4), a
protein important in metabolism
and tumour growth, also plays a
crucial role in inflammation-induced
lung damage. Tests conducted on
tissue biopsies of patients with lung
infections showed that ANGPTL4
levels corresponded to disease
severity.
They also discovered
that antibodies designed to
detect ANGPTL4 in patients’
anti-inflammatory and anticancer drugs. They are also
studying the potential for the
nanoparticles to be used in blood
and tissue sample testing.
---Details of the research have been described in
three articles: “Rhodamine-modified upconversion
nanophosphors for ratiometric detection of
hypochlorous acid in aqueous solution and
living cells, Small (2014), DOI: 10.1002/
smll.201303127; “Inorganic–organic hybrid
nanoprobe for NIR-excited imaging of hydrogen
sulfide in cell cultures and inflammation in a
mouse model”, Small (2014), DOI: 10.1002/
smll.201401867; and “A cyanine-modified
upconversion nanoprobe for NIR-excited
imaging of endogenous hydrogen peroxide
signaling in vivo”, Biomaterials
(2015), D OI: 10.1016/j.
biomaterials.2015.03.003.
biomaterials.2015.03.003.
NTU researcher Li Liang
holding the new antibody
that may someday help patients
suffering from pneumonia and
influenza to recover faster.
inflamed lung tissues were able to
protect mice infected with influenza
viruses from severe lung inflammation,
resulting in higher rates of survival
and faster recovery.
To ha r ne ss t he t herap eut ic
potential of these anti-ANGPTL4
a nt i b o d ie s , t he s c ie nt i s t s a r e
collaborating with pharmaceutical
company AdipoGen International to
carry out clinical studies on patients
with pulmonary infections.
---Read about the research “Angiopoietin-like
4 increases pulmonary tissue leakiness and
damage during inf luenza pneumonia” in
Cell Reports (2015), DOI: http://dx.doi.
org/10.1016/j.celrep.2015.01.011.
Immunity
Ezh2 critically regulates leukocyte
migration and adhesion dynamics via
direct methylation of cytosolic talin.
Picture: Nandini Venkatesan.
Stopping
immune cells in
their tracks
Healthy (top)
and flu-infected
(bottom)
mouse lung
tissue. Pictures:
Li Liang.
Multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune
disease of the central nervous system,
is caused when the body’s immune
system attacks the protective myelin
sheath of nerve fibres. There is currently
no cure for it.
An international research team, led
by Asst Prof Su I-hsin from NTU, has
made a discovery that could change
how immune disorders are treated.
The researchers found that Ezh2,
a protein previously only known
to methylate histone proteins in
the nucleus of cells, also functions
outside the nucleus in certain immune
cells. In this extranuclear function,
Ezh2 helps immune cells migrate
to and infiltrate tissue, supporting
inflammation processes that might
lead to autoimmune diseases. Using a
mouse model of multiple sclerosis, the
team showed that inhibition of Ezh2
expression slowed down progression
of the disease.
The scientists believe that Ezh2—
and possibly other proteins in this
regulatory pathway that help immune
cells migrate—are promising targets
in the fight against immune disorders
such as multiple sclerosis and allergic
contact dermatitis, and potentially
also cancer.
---The article “The methyltransferase Ezh2
controls cell adhesion and migration through
direct methylation of the nuclear regulatory
protein talin” was published in Nature
Immunology (2015), DOI: 10.1038/
ni.3125, and has been highlighted in Nature
Immunology News & Views (2015), 16:
441–443, DOI: 10.1038/ni.3142 and on the
cover of the same issue.
Rewriting the status quo
in immunology
Present in all body tissues, macrophages
and dendritic cells play critical roles
in the body’s immune defences—
macrophages digest pathogens and
abnormal cells, while dendritic cells
present antigens to cells of the adaptive
immune system. Both cell types are also
involved in autoimmunity.
In two recent studies, NTU
immunologists Assoc Prof Christiane
Ruedl and Prof Klaus Karjalainen
discovered new roles for these cells.
Using purpose-bred transgenic
mouse models which have increased
sensitivity to diphtheria toxin, the
researchers showed in the first study
that certain subsets of dendritic
cells are able to regulate intestinal
inflammation, demonstrating for the
first time the role of these dendritic cells
in protecting the epithelial cell layer of
the gut’s mucosal barrier.
In the second study, the scientists
found evidence that challenges the
long-held belief that macrophages
only mature inside their target tissues.
Using a transgenic mouse model that
clearly distinguishes between adult
macrophages and precursor cells
throughout embryonic development,
the researchers discovered that
nearly all types of macrophages in
adult animals are derived directly
from foetal hematopoietic (blood
cell-generating) stem cells, and not
from other intermediate cells of the
immune system.
These key insights into the
development, specialisation and
functions of important cell types
of the immune system may inspire
new t reat ment st rat eg ie s for
inf lammatory diseases, including
autoimmune disorders and cancer,
the researchers say.
---The studies “Intestinal CD103+CD11b- dendritic
cells restrain colitis via IFN-γ-induced antiinflammatory response in epithelial cells”
and “Most tissue-resident macrophages
except microglia are derived from fetal
hematopoietic stem cells” were published in
Mucosal Immunology (2015), DOI: 10.1038/
mi.2015.64, and Immunity (2015), DOI:
10.1016/j.immuni.2015.07.016, respectively.
Immunofluorescent image of dendritic cells in the mucous lining of a mouse’s large intestine.
Picture: Christiane Ruedl.
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7
DISCOVERIES
Cancer research
Structural Biology
Old drug,
new tricks
In battling colorectal cancer—one of
the three most common cancers in
the world—surgical removal is the
only option. Patients with familial
adenomatous polyposis (a rare,
inherited intestinal disorder that
can progress into cancer) find their
condition particularly challenging to
manage, and from adolescence on have
to go through repeated surgery and
regular intestinal monitoring.
A recent research discovery by Prof
Sven Pettersson (below) from NTU’s
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
and Prof Jonas Frisen from Sweden’s
Karolinska Institutet might reverse the
odds for this group of patients.
The team found that an existing
chemotherapeutic drug used to treat
leukaemia can also prevent and control
colorectal tumour growth in mice.
Imatinib, which works by blocking
the EphB signalling pathway in
leukaemia cells, also functions in
intestinal tumours via the same
pathway, opening up new avenues
for intervention.
According to the study’s first
author, Dr Parag Kundu, this work
has important implications for the
clinical treatment of tumour formation
and cancer progression in patients
predisposed to colorectal cancer.
---The study “An EphB-Abl signalling pathway
is associated with intestinal tumor initiation
and growth” was published in Science
Translational Medicine (2015), DOI:
10.1126/scitranslmed.3010567.
Two are hard to
manage? Try four!
It is a lesser known fact that aside from
double helices, DNA can form highly
diverse four-stranded structures called
G-quadruplexes.
In human cells, G-quadruplexes
interact with proteins for various
a sp e c t s of c el lu la r r eg u lat ion
including recombination, replication,
transcription and translation. Synthetic
G-quadruplex structures have been
used in anti-cancer treatment and
diagnosis, as well as in nanomaterials,
mechanical devices and biosensors.
NTU’s Assoc Prof Phan Anh Tuan
and his team characterised the binding
mode of one such G-quadruplexbinding protein called RHAU, short
for DEAH-box RNA Helicase associated
with AU-rich element.
Using NMR spectroscopy,
the team identified a small
RHAU peptide
interaction with a
DNA G-quadruplex.
Image: Brahim Heddi.
8
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PUSHING FRONTIERS
domain of 18 amino
acids in RHAU that binds
specifically to G-quadruplexes, and
characterised the structural basis
for G-quadruplex recognition by this
small peptide.
Their new insights may lead to
engineered proteins that modulate
G-quadruplex function for both
therapeutic and diagnostic purposes.
---The study “Insights into G-quadruplex specific
recognition by the DEAH-box helicase RHAU:
Solution structure of a peptide-quadruplex
complex” was published in Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences of the USA
(2015), DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1422605112.
Medical devices
Glues that mend everything
from surgical wounds to
ship hulls
Most adhesives cannot be applied to
moist biological tissue or used under
water. A team of scientists from NTU, led
by Asst Prof Terry Steele, has invented
a novel type of glue that overcomes
these drawbacks.
Nicknamed Voltaglue, the hydrogelbased adhesive consists of free-radical
carbene precursor molecules grafted
onto star-shaped polymers.
When low-voltage electricity
is applied, the functional groups
of the carbene precursors
i n st a nt ly c ros sl i n k t he
polymer backbone to various
s u b s t r a t e s . M o r e o v e r,
changing the voltage or
duration of electrical activation
alters the elasticity of the glue to suit
different environmental conditions
and substrates.
According to the inventors, the
high adjustability of the glue opens
up a host of practical applications,
from underwater repairs on ships and
pipes to replacing sutures and staples
during surgery.
-2 V Stimulation
---Details of the new glue technology can be
found in “Adhesive curing through low-voltage
activation” in Nature Communications
(2015), DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9050. It is
being patented through NTUitive, NTU’s
commercialisation arm.
Schematic: Terry Steele.
Microbiology/green technologies
Nature’s way of
cleaning water
To meet the growing demand for clean
water in megacities, scientists from the
Singapore Centre for Environmental
Life Sciences Engineering at NTU have
identified microbial communities in
urban waterways that are able to clean
raw water.
In a broad study that combined
ecology and microbial genomics with
chemical and physical environmental
analyses, the researchers characterised
microbial communities in urban
rainwater channels that naturally
eliminate organic pollutants.
They also found that elements
such as aluminium, copper and
potassium influenced the biology of
these microbial communities, and that
the microbes can act as indicators of
environmental stressors that might
disturb the natural cleaning system
in city canals and water bodies.
Singapore’s
Aquatic
Science Centre.
---Details of the study “Ecogenomics reveal
metals and land-use pressures on microbial
communities in the waterways of a megacity”
can be found in Environmental Science
& Technology (2015), DOI: 10.1021/
es504531s.
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9
DISCOVERIES
Robotics
Remote-controlled cyborg
beetles to the rescue
Breaking new ground in remotecontrolled drone technology, a joint
team from NTU and the University of
California, Berkeley, has developed a
living machine whose flight can be
wirelessly controlled with little human
intervention.
Led by NTU’s Asst Prof Hirotaka
Sato, the team mounted tiny radio
systems on top of Mecynorrhina torquata
giant flower beetles and connected the
systems via electrodes to the beetles’
wing-folding muscles.
By doing so, the researchers were
able to wirelessly control the insects’
f light, inducing them to take off,
change direction or hover in midflight. The invention was built on the
discovery that the muscle, in addition
to wing folding, plays a key role in
left-right steering.
If equipped with small microphones
or thermal sensors, the researchers say
the cyborg beetles could take the place
of remote-controlled drones in searchand-rescue missions, such as locating
survivors in hard-to-reach places.
---The research “Deciphering the role of a
coleopteran steering muscle via free flight
stimulation” was published in Current Biology
(2015), DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.01.051,
and featured on the journal issue’s cover
and in several international newspapers and
magazines such as the UK’s The Independent,
Popular Science and Smithsonian.com (all
published on 17 March 2015).
EVA, the first electric taxi purposebuilt for the tropics, is ready to hit the
road. Built in just two years by a team
from TUM-CREATE—a partnership
b e t we e n N T U a nd G e r m a ny’s
Technische Universität München—
EVA features a palette of innovations.
These include an energy-efficient airconditioning system tailored to hot
and humid tropical weather, energyefficient compressor technologies,
and an inductive wireless charging
technology coupled to a fast-charging
battery system that allows charging in
just 15 minutes for a driving range of
200 kilometres. It also boasts of other
innovations such as seat cooling,
integrated child seats and integrated
infotainment systems.
These technological innovations,
which include the use of lightweight
carbon fibre composites for the car
body, have caught the attention
of the automotive industry and
other compa n ie s i nt ere st e d i n
commercialisation.
A n o t h e r b i g p u s h i n
electromobility comes from the
invention of a 2-in-1 motor by scientists
from NTU and the German Aerospace
Centre, which integrates an electric
motor with an air-conditioning
compressor, increasing its efficiency.
In addition, its novel, space-saving
design allows the use of bigger batteries,
extending the vehicle’s range by an
additional 15 to 20%. The team is
currently developing a prototype for
test-bedding and commercialisation.
EVA received the Bavarian state
prize for electromobility, the eCarTec
Award, at eCarTec 2014, the world’s
largest electromobility fair held in
Munich, Germany.
And for their invention of the
2-in-1 motor, the team won the Best
Originality Award in the TECO Green
Tech Contest held in Taiwan in 2014.
Electric Vehicles
The world’s
first electric
taxi for
tropical
megacities
developed
by NTU and
Germany’s
TUM.
10
Zooming into
the future of
green cars
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PUSHING FRONTIERS
Energy
Perovskite:
science’s new wonder material
The unique electronic and optical
properties of perovskite materials
may well revolutionise today’s solar
cell technologies.
Dubbed the new “wonder material”
in materials science, its properties can
dramatically increase the speed of data
transmission while reducing energy
consumption, as a team from NTU
found out.
Electrons can spin (move) either
“up” or “down”, equalling the two
states “1” and “0” used in computers
to store bits of information. Led by
Assoc Prof Sum Tze Chien and Asst
Prof Nripan Mathews, the team used
ultrafast lasers to show that the spin
of electrons inside perovskite materials
can be switched in an ultrafast
way when manipulated by light,
representing an advance in spin-based
electronics (also called spintronics).
I n a s e p a r at e s t udy, N T U
researchers, led by Asst Prof Mathews
and solar cell technology pioneers Prof
Michael Grätzel and Prof James Barber,
showed that perovskites combined with
a mineral called hematite can be used
Perovskite-hematite water
splitting. Schematic:
Nripan Mathews.
to split water into hydrogen and oxygen
with the help of sunlight. According to
the team, using perovskite to generate
and store solar energy in the form of
hydrogen fuel could be another big step
towards affordable and sustainable
clean energy.
---The discoveries were described in the articles
“Highly spin-polarized carrier dynamics
and ultralarge photoinduced magnetization
in CH3NH3Pbl3 perovskite thin films” and
“Perovskite-hematite tandem cells for efficient
overall solar driven water splitting”, published
in NANO Letters (2015), DOI: 10.1021/
nl5039314 and NANO Letters (2015), DOI:
10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b00616.
Prof Sun Xiaowei
holding his
smart window
invention that
can self-tint
and also
function
as a battery.
Self–powered
tinted windows?
Cool!
Imagine being able to automatically
shield out sunlight entering your home
with the help of special windows, a
feature that may also slash your
electricity bill.
An eco-conscious NTU team has
already thought of this idea, with their
invention of an electrochromic window
that turns a cool tint of blue in bright
daylight and reverts to clear glass
at night.
The smart windows, which
also double as self-recharging
batteries, were made by coating
one of two glass sheets with a
layer of Prussian Blue pigment
and attaching a thin strip of
aluminium foil to the other sheet,
creating two electrodes.
Closing the electrical circuit
between the two glass plates with an
electrolyte solution turns the bluetinted Prussian Blue into colourless
Prussian White, discharging the
battery at the same time. Disconnecting
the electrodes leads to spontaneous
oxidation of Prussian White to Prussian
Blue by the oxygen dissolved in the
electrolyte solution, turning the glass
blue again and recharging the battery.
The researchers hope that their
smart self-powered window will be
fitted onto green buildings of the future
to save on lighting and cooling costs.
---Described in the article “A bi-functional device
for self-powered electrochromic window
and self-rechargeable transparent battery
applications”, the invention was published
in Nature Communications (2014), DOI:
10.1038/ncomms5921.
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PUSHING FRONTIERS
11
COVER STORY
AN EYE
INTO OUR
DESTINY
How nature and
nurture compete to
shape who we are
12
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PUSHING FRONTIERS
The Singapore Phenome Centre at
NTU, the first of its kind in Southeast
Asia, is changing the face of medical
treatment. Say goodbye to onesize-fits-all therapies and hello to
personalised treatments for metabolic
diseases such as diabetes.
T
wo diabetic patients show up at the clinic for a routine
check-up. The first, Mr Ravi, is aged 45, a smoker and
borderline overweight. The second patient, Mrs Lim, is a
65-year-old grandmother with a history of hypertension.
Despite their differences in ethnicity, age and medical
history, both are advised to eat well and exercise regularly,
issued with a month’s supply of metformin, and sent to
make their next appointment.
Thankfully, doctors are increasingly refining this one-sizefits-all approach to the treatment of metabolic diseases such as
diabetes. Leading the charge is the Singapore Phenome Centre, a
state-of-the-art research facility at NTU that aims to understand
the impact of both nature and nurture on human health. The
US$6.3 million (S$9 million) centre is part of the NTU Integrated
Medical, Biological & Environmental Life Sciences (NIMBELS)
cluster, a multidisciplinary research effort that brings together the
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, School of Biological Sciences,
Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering
and the NTU Institute of Structural Biology.
“We intend to characterise the unique Asian phenotypes by
working with clinicians from across Singapore, so that we can
offer tailored therapies for individuals,” explains Prof James Best,
Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU’s joint medical
school with Imperial College London, who chairs the new centre.
“We also hope to identify new biomarkers that can be used at a
population level to help people lead healthier lives.”
The phenome can be thought of as the sum total of an individual’s
measurable phenotype, or how we “express” our genetics and
metagenome. It is the product of both pre-determined genetics and
factors in the environment such as diet and exercise, explains Prof
Bernhard Boehm, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at NTU’s medical
school and Scientific Director of the Singapore Phenome Centre.
“When an individual’s genetic background interacts with all
the things he or she is exposed to—the exposome—what results is
the metabolome, a collection of biological molecules unique to that
individual,” Prof Boehm adds. “By studying the metabolome, we
hope to improve on the current ‘trial and error’ method of finding
the best treatment for each specific patient.”
The Singapore Phenome Centre aims
to be a true ’omics centre, looking
not only at human samples but also
bacterial, fungal, viral and plant
samples to paint a complete picture.
A daunting challenge
The end goal is for a blood or urine
sample to be able to tell the doctor which
course of treatment would be the most
appropriate for the patient; in the case of
our two fictitious diabetes patients, Mr
Ravi and Mrs Lim, it would be to tailor
the best outcomes for both of them.
However, current testing methods
have a long way to go. Existing blood
tests for diabetes measure one or two
metabolites at best—glucose and
haemoglobin A1c—when over 4,500
metabolites are known to be found in
blood. The situation is particularly
acute for lipids, the fats in our body,
where only a fraction of metabolites are
even known. New technologies have
already uncovered more than 10,000
different lipid molecules, a number that
will only increase, Prof Boehm says.
Adding to the complexity of the
sheer number of metabolites in play is
the fact that researchers have to track
the levels of each metabolite over time,
collecting multiple samples from each
patient to study the unique response
to environmental challenges such as a
healthy diet and the treatment.
“What this means for researchers is
that studying the metabolome quickly
generates terabytes of data,” Prof Boehm
notes. “Large-scale data analysis is
absolutely necessary to understand
the networks of metabolic pathways.”
To that end, researchers at the
Singapore Phenome Centre a re
working with collaborators at Imperial
College London and ETH Zürich, using
a systems biology approach
to look for nodes in the
network that could
be relevant to
metabolic
Prof Bernhard Boehm,
Scientific Director of the Singapore
Phenome Centre
ISSUE 07
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13
COVER STORY
diseases. The researchers also have at
their disposal the latest Progenesis QI
software, which allows them to build
a data bank of known metabolites and
extend it to unknown peptides, lipids
and other molecules.
From diabetes to
liver disease
One researcher working towards more
personalised treatments for diabetes is
Prof Walter Wahli, an expert on fatty
acid receptors known as peroxisome
proliferator-activated receptors, or
PPARs. Drugs that target a subset of
PPARs (PPAR-γ) are currently used to
treat type 2 diabetes but are known to
cause serious side effects in about 1%
of patients, such as a small increased
risk of bladder cancer.
“Our goal is to identify these 1%
of patients ahead of time so that we
can treat the 99% of patients that
don’t show side effects,” Prof Wahli
explains, adding that clinical studies
are underway.
Because of the strong link between
PPAR activity and lipid metabolism,
Prof Wahli is also investigating
the role of PPARs in non-alcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH), a fatty liver
disease that is on the rise worldwide
and particularly in Asia.
Since there is currently no antiNASH drug on the market, despite
the fact that more than 30% of the US
population have fatty liver, the finding
that a dual PPAR-α/PPAR-γ agonist
was used successfully in India to treat
diabetes brings some excitement, he
says, as it could potentially also be
used to treat NASH. Clinical trials
in Singapore are being planned
under the aegis of the Asia-Pacific
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (AHCC)
Trials Group, he adds.
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One target,
many effects
Working on the PPAR-β subset is Asst
Prof Wang Xiaomeng, a collaborator of
Prof Wahli at the Singapore Phenome
Centre. PPAR-β, which regulates the
formation of blood
vessels,
plays an
important
role in the
development of
cardiovascular disease, retinopathy
and wound healing in diabetic patients.
Although vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF) was found
to promote the formation of blood
vessels in animal models, its efficacy
in promoting functional blood vessel
formation in humans is still being
studied. In fact, VEGF overexpression
can cause blood vessel leakage
without relieving the symptoms of
restricted blood supply in ischaemic
cardiovascular diseases.
Looking for an alternative, Asst Prof
Wang has identified a protein called
leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein 1
(LRG1), which has shown promising
results in vitro. She is now examining
the effectiveness of LRG1 for the
treatment of ischaemic heart disease
and peripheral arterial disease—
the leading cause of delayed wound
healing and amputation in diabetic
patients—in animal models. Working
with researchers from the Institute of
Ophthalmology at University College
London, she is developing an anti-LRG1
antibody for ocular proliferative disease
clinical trials in the UK.
A s s t P r o f Wa n g i s a l s o
investigating the use of LRG1 as a
biomarker for diabetic retinopathy,
hoping to use it to monitor different
stages of disease progression.
What’s the gut got
to do with it?
Given the central role of
PPARs in lipid metabolism,
it comes as no surprise
that they also play a
big role in metabolic
disease syndrome
(M DS), a cluster of
risk factors including
diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, obesity, fatty liver
and high blood pressure.
“In fact, certain genetic
variations in PPARs have been
linked to a predisposition to MDS,”
says Assoc Prof Andrew Tan.
But instead of focusing on the
PPARs themselves, Assoc Prof Tan
decided to go upstream to look for
potential treatments for MDS. In
particular, he has found that the gut
microbiome plays an important role by
producing metabolites, including fatty
acids, that can trigger PPAR expression.
One interesting protein that is
activated by PPARs is angiopoietinlike 4 (ANGPTL4), a target Assoc Prof
Tan has previously shown to be useful
in treating pneumonia and influenza
(see pg 6). In his recent work, he found
that ANGPTL4 mutant mice are more
susceptible to MDS, drawing a link
between gut microbiome and
the disease.
Together with his
former postdoctoral
supervisor Prof
Wahli and fellow
NTU researcher Prof
Sven Pet tersson,
Assoc Prof Tan is
further investigating
t he g ut b ac t e r i a MDS link. He is also
working with scientists
The state-of-the-art Singapore Phenome
Centre in NTU’s Experimental Medicine
Building. Picture: biotechin.asia.
at Wageningen University in the
Netherlands to understand the related
issue of how nutrition affects the
development of disease.
A holistic approach
“The Singapore Phenome Centre aims
to be a true ’omics centre, looking
not only at human samples but also
bacterial, fungal, viral and plant
samples to paint a complete picture,”
Prof Boehm says.
Tools available there include ion
mobility spectrometers and matrixassisted laser desorption ionisation
(MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry,
which allows the non-destructive
a na lysi s of mole cu le s i n t wo dimensional tissue sections.
There are also plans to establish
a clinical phenome centre similar to
the one at Imperial College London, as
part of a move to form an international
network of standardised lab and
data analysis.
These metabolite - d riven
approaches will be complemented
by partnerships with the Genome
I nst it ute of Si ngapore a nd the
Singapore Centre for Environmental
Life Sciences Engineering at NTU,
which will focus on clinical and
environmental genomics, respectively.
“Through this holistic approach,
we can reduce the dependency
on treatments that are ‘copy and
pasted’ from the West,” Prof Boehm
says, adding that Asian and other
population groups differ in their
disease risk factors.
“The road ahead is challenging,
but the good work already being done
at the Singapore Phenome Centre
certainly bodes well for the future of
personalised medicine.”
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F E A T U R E
Going
SKIN deep
The body’s largest
organ under the
microscope
Barely two years old, the
Skin Research Institute of
Singapore has made headway
in combining the efforts of top
scientists and doctors to solve
pressing skin conditions that
affect Asians.
H
A ND
BE YOND
16
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ave you ever suffered from acne,
eczema or dark spots? You’re not
alone. Worldwide, about one in
three people suffer from some
form of skin disorder, and yet
research into the causes and
treatment for these disorders is
usually underfunded as most of them are
not life-threatening.
In Singapore and many developed
nations, about 20% of children suffer from
eczema, an inflammatory disease in which
patches of skin become rough and inflamed
with blisters, causing itching and bleeding.
Across Asia, obesity and diabetes rates are
also on the rise, which can lead to a host of
skin-related problems such as wounds that
do not heal properly.
The urgent need for answers to these
problems has led three organisations in
Singapore—NTU, the Agency for Science,
Technology and Research (A*STAR) and
the National Skin Centre—to pool their
resources to form the Skin Research
Institute of Singapore, which was launched
in September 2013.
Armed with US$70 million (S$100
million) in funding, the institute has zeroed
in on areas such as skin ageing, eczema and
wound healing, tackling both common and
rare skin diseases. In particular, the institute
pays attention to Asian skin types as these
are not well-studied. It is also building a
database of Asian skin samples that can
be used for scientific studies and consumer
product testing.
A switch to turn wound healing
on and off
Prof David Becker from the Lee Kong
Chian School of Medicine, NTU’s joint
medical school with Imperial College
London, has already made a breakthrough
in wound healing by discovering that a
protein called Cx43 plays an important
role in determining whether our cuts and
gashes heal properly.
In normal skin, Cx43 is turned off
during wound healing so that skin cells
can multiply and migrate into the wound
to repair it. When diabetic patients are
injured, however, Cx43 is “switched on”,
preventing the cells from moving and
performing their restorative work.
Prof Becker’s team has developed
a drug that has been shown to block
Cx43’s activity in cell cultures and animal
models. The scientists are conducting
Phase II human clinical trials, treating
diabetic foot ulcers and venous leg ulcers.
Their colleague, Asst Prof Liu Quan, from
the School of Chemical and Biomedical
Engineering, is developing a handheld
imaging device that can indicate whether
a wound is healing or not, without ever
having to take a biopsy.
Studying wounds from
every angle
The NTU scientists at the Skin Research
Institute of Singapore have also joined
forces with Singapore’s Tan Tock Seng
Hospital and artificial skin manufacturer
and NTU spin-off DeNova Sciences to solve
other skin problems related to diabetes.
Diabetic wounds are typically linked
to severe and persistent inflammation,
and eventually dead tissue and massive
scarring. There is still no standardised
procedure to reduce the scarring.
By reconstructing artificial skin with
all its layers, the NTU researchers can
find out how inflammation is involved
in diabetic and chronic wounds. They
are also working with colleagues at the
hospital to minimise scarring from such
wounds in diabetic patients.
St ud ie s on bu r n wou nd s a nd
pigmentation diseases such as melasma,
where the face develops brown patches,
are also on the cards. The research could
help skincare companies come up with
more effective products for sensitive
skin and sunscreen filters. Rarer skin
diseases such as scleroderma, where
the skin and connective tissues tighten
and harden, will similarly get their turn
under the microscope.
Prof A rtur Schmidtchen, who
specialises in dermatology and skin
biology at NTU’s medical school, is
studying the crosstalk between innate
immunity, hemostasis and inflammatory
pathways when wounds and infection
occur. When a burn wound becomes
infected, for instance, other medical
problems may arise, including sepsis,
a potentially life-threatening condition
where the body’s immune system goes
into overdrive.
“The goa l is to establ ish the
connections among skin biology, wounds,
infections, inflammation and people’s
innate ability to fight them, and then
translate the basic science discoveries
into useful applications in the clinic
and industry,” he says. The institute’s
researchers are also planning to work
with the Singapore General Hospital’s
burns centre and skin specialists at
another large local hospital, the National
University Hospital.
Meeting Asia’s growing needs
While the skin institute has its work
cut out for it, Singapore’s multi-ethnic
population gives it an advantage, says
Dr Benjamin Seet, Executive Director of
A*STAR’s Biomedical Research Council.
Given Singapore’s supportive scientific
environment, companies can also
easily undertake research and product
development in the country to meet the
needs of Asia’s diverse consumers.
“Besides collaborati ng w ith
pha r mac eut ica l c ompa n ie s, ou r
researchers are working with some of the
world’s largest personal care companies,
a number of which have expanded their
Armed with
US$71 million
(S$100 million)
in funding, the
institute has
zeroed in on areas
such as skin
ageing, eczema
and wound
healing, tackling
both common
and rare skin
diseases.
research and development activities
here,” he notes. “The Procter and
Gamble Singapore Innovation Centre,
for instance, has provided more than
500 research jobs.”
All three partners behind the skin
institute will also strive to develop the field
beyond the institute. They have launched
research grant calls to encourage other
scientists to explore the impact and
burden of skin diseases on the Singapore
and Asian populations. Workshops will
also be held to matchmake researchers
with complementary interests.
To develop a sustainable pool of
skilled researchers, NTU and A*STAR
have introduced doctorate programmes
for skin biology.
Offering hope to the millions who
suffer from skin ailments is the promise of
the Skin Research Institute of Singapore.
We all remember the saying that beauty
is skin deep, but to those coping with a
chronic skin condition, any measure that
offers relief and that helps to improve
their quality of life will go miles beyond.
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F E A T U R E
Greying
gracefully
… with the help of ageless-ageing technologies
Researchers at NTU and Canada’s
University of British Columbia are
using technology to help the elderly
stay youthful, mobile and independent.
At LILY, we are developing human-enriched artificial
intelligence technologies to empower the elderly.
Assoc Prof Miao Chunyan, LILY Director
W
e a l l face the agei ng
process—the only question
is how it will grab us. Will
it fade our memories? Will
it force us to move into
eldercare facilities? And
another question many
may not have thought of: In a digital world
very much focused on young people, will
technology still love us, when we’re 64?
From simply helping people to get
around their own neighbourhood, to
coping with a rise in devastating diseases
such as Alzheimer’s, adapting to an older
demographic may be one of the defining
challenges of our age. Yet much of our
society—whether our built environment or
digital worlds—still treat the silver world as
an afterthought, or at best a niche market.
Empowering the elderly
To rally research and innovations to
counter the challenge of global ageing,
NTU, in close collaboration with the
University of British Columbia (UBC), has
established the Joint NTU-UBC Research
Centre of Excellence in Active Living for
the Elderly (LILY).
The tie-up is a shining beacon in
NTU’s research ecosystem, built around
a focus on partnerships with other
institutions, including the training of
scientists and engineers who can bring
a multidisciplinary approach to solving
important societal issues.
In this quest, LILY is gaining ground
in artificial intelligence, interactive digital
media (IDM) and big data analytics—
all aimed at helping the elderly remain
healthily connected with society.
Funded by the National Research
Foundation of Singapore under its
IDM Futures Funding Initiative, LILY’s
ecosystem includes 65 researchers
within six research labs, with access to
resources from a number of schools at
NTU and UBC. The joint centre will tap
the diverse multidisciplinary expertise
within NTU and its collaborators, and
enrich NTU’s research focus in new
media and future healthcare, says Prof
Lam Khin Yong, Chief of Staff and Vice
President (Research) at NTU.
Prof John Hepburn, Vice President
(Research & International) at UBC, points
to the impact on healthcare bills as a
prime example. “It is evident that most
current healthcare models for the elderly
are economically unsustainable,” he says.
To support the growing “silver
market”, LILY has established longterm partnerships with institutions
dealing with everything from healthcare
technology to innovations for businesses.
In July 2014, LILY started a long-term
collaboration in healthcare technology
research in Singapore with the Institute
of Geriatrics and Active Ageing (IGA) at
Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Led by Assoc
Prof Chin Jing Jih, IGA provides a testbed for new digital technologies that
aim to improve the delivery of care for
the elderly. In October of the same year,
LILY launched a similar collaboration
with SPHERE at the University of Bristol,
UK. Researchers at SPHERE, which is
short for Sensor Platform for HEalthcare
in a Residential Environment, develop
sensor systems to monitor the health
and wellbeing of people where they live.
Where technology and
healthcare intersect
Promising technologies developed to date
at LILY include the Silver Silk Road, an
e-commerce portal that provides inclusive
retail options to seniors, whether online
or offline. E-commerce is a natural fit for
the elderly—if you can’t walk to the store,
bring the store to you.
But just as “bricks and mortar” retail
stores are not often elderly-friendly,
e-commerce needs to be tailored for the
elderly as well. To this end, LILY has
teamed up with one of China’s top retail
companies, Lushang Group, to produce
personalised e-commerce solutions for
the silver market, such as nutritious
products. According to Dr Wang
Renquan, Chairman of Lushang Group,
this collaboration “will help to create a
more friendly and inclusive environment
for seniors not only in Singapore, but also
across Asia and the rest of the world”.
LILY is also taking an extensive look at
how game technology can help the elderly
overcome physical and mental issues and
even serious ailments. It has developed a
Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Game, which
feeds information about the patient’s
behaviour and movements into therapeutic
advice and diagnosis, so individualised
physical treatment can happen. Says Assoc
Prof Miao Chun Yan, LILY’s Director:
“We are not trying to replace doctors, but
instead collect and analyse data to help
provide a more complete understanding
of the patient’s condition.”
LILY’s testbed at UBC’s Pacif ic
Parkinson’s Research Centre is studying
the effectiveness of interactive games
i n d iagnosi ng a nd rehabilitating
Parkinson’s disease.
And chances are if you visit a
hospital or even a community centre
in Singapore, you might find some
older gamers testing out a Table Tennis
Wellness Game, which requires players
to differentiate between balls of different
colours. The game trains the mind as
well as physical reflexes and mobility.
Other projects at the research centre
will help older people live independently
in their own homes and communities.
Assoc Prof Tan Ah-Hwee, who is leading
a group developing digital assistants
such as virtual nurses or butlers for the
elderly, notes: “It is important that the
design provides a simple, friendly and
intuitive interface for the user.”
From motion sensors to
digital assistants
“Most countries cannot afford to house
all their elderly in nursing homes, so the
main thrust of our centre is ageing in
place,” explains Prof Cyril Leung, LILY’s
Co-Director.
As part of LILY’s research using
wearable technologies to bring about
personalised caregiving in-place, scientists
are fine-tuning a sensing system that
“tells the story” of a senior person’s day.
Sensors pick up clues about the person’s
eating habits and emotional state—for
example, if they are behaving anxiously
by repeatedly opening the same door or if
they do not open the fridge all day.
In all, LILY has six “Silver” research
thrusts, from smart digital assistants
to matching of elderly with community
participation opportunities. In bringing
digital assistance to those who actually
need it the most, LILY hopes to help seniors
live “agelessly” and remain engaged in
their daily lives, whether online or offline.
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19
FROM THE RESEARCHER’S DESK
Chemistry
coup:
Creating new molecules
in a single step
By Robin Chi
Assoc Prof Robin Chi from NTU’s School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences received
a Class of 2016 NRF Investigatorship award for his project “Opportunities with carbene
organocatalysis: New activation modes & metal-free rapid green access to functional
molecules”. The funding is given out by Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF)
to a small number of Principal Investigators with a track record of research achievements.
More details of his research can be found in Nature Chemistry (2013), DOI: 10.1038/
nchem.1710, J. A. Chem. Soc. (2013), DOI: 10.1021/ja401511r, and Nature
Communications (2015), DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7207.
T
o produce the hundreds of thousands of
different pharmaceutical and functional
molecules needed in today’s world,
chemical, pharmaceutical and biomedical
manufacturing companies make use of
synthetic chemistry.
Most chemical synthesis processes used
in industrial manufacturing involve a succession of
chemical reactions. These reactions not only lead
to high production costs but also environmental
issues such as high energy consumption and the
generation of waste.
To reduce the number of synthesis steps required,
we need new strategies that use readily-available
basic substrates, as well as inexpensive synthesis
processes that allow functional groups to be directly
added to these substrates. Unfortunately, the addition
of functional groups to substrates is often hampered
by the specific electronic properties of the atoms
involved in the reactions. To overcome these intrinsic
reactivity issues, traditional approaches have used
additional synthesis steps to alter the electric
properties (such as polarity) of the atoms.
Our objective was to develop extremely short—
ideally single-step—and yet highly effective chemical
synthesis methods to produce pharmaceuticals and
other functional molecules. We also wanted to use
fewer resources in the process and dramatically
reduce the amount of waste generated.
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Challenging common beliefs in chemistry
To realise these goals, we reviewed some of the commonly
held “principles” in chemical reactions. For example,
chemistry textbooks tell us that that the beta-sp3-carbon
of a saturated ester is inert/non-reactive and cannot be
directly functionalised. We have challenged this belief
and discovered previously unknown chemical reactivities
of carbonyl compounds such as esters. Based on a fresh
understanding of chemical reactions and the reactivity
of their components, we developed new ways to directly
activate chemical bonds, allowing new functional groups
to be rapidly added to substrates.
In particular, our team found that N-heterocyclic carbene
can be used as a key organic catalyst to directly activate raw
materials and transform them into functional molecules
such as bioactive amino acids and pharmaceuticals—all
in a single step. As a result, we can now convert simple
and sustainable raw materials such as carboxylic acid,
carboxylic esters and sugars—obtained from renewable
sources like corn and other field crops—into desired end
products quickly, at low cost and without much energy use.
Powerful pharmaceutical and
biomedical applications through
fundamentally new activation modes
Carbohydrates/biomass
Carboxylic acids/esters
Sustainable and inexpensive raw materials
How single step activation works
Our research showed that carbene can catalyse one-step
reactions by changing the locations of the electrons
surrounding individual atoms in substrate molecules,
thereby altering the electric properties and reactivity
of the substrate. Specifically, carbene enables electrons
to move along chemical bonds within the substrate
molecule (without the need for additional reagents such
as oxidants), thus inverting or tuning the molecule’s
polarity and reactivity.
These basic scientific discoveries, initially carried out
on the milligramme scale, are now being scaled up to the
kilogramme range and tested for potential commercial
applications. In particular, our lab is developing a synthetic
method to produce carbene molecules (that can be used
as catalysts, ligands and scaffolds of bioactive molecules),
non-natural amino acid-type molecules (for biomedical use),
and other hetero-atom-containing functional molecules at
the kilogramme scale.
(metal-free)
Organic catalysis
“single-step”
operation
Making chemical synthesis “green”
Since all components used in our reactions are from
renewable sources, our strategy offers an eco-friendly way
to produce functional molecules needed for biomedicine,
pharmaceuticals and other purposes. And in contrast to
many traditional methods where the transition metal
catalysts and other reagents used are expensive and often
toxic, our processes are “green”, non-toxic and rely on
inexpensive organic molecules as catalysts. This way, we
can generate metal-free products that are safe to humans
and ideally suited for biomedical applications.
High-value functional
molecules and drugs
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21
FROM THE RESEARCHER’S DESK
Flexible and
stretchable devices
for seamless human-machine
communication
By Wang Jiangxin and Lee Pooi See
Prof Lee Pooi See is Associate Chair (Faculty) at NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering
(MSE). She recently won an investigatorship award from Singapore’s National Research Foundation to
pursue her project “Deformable electronic materials and devices for human machine interface”. Her joint
project with MSE Senior Lecturer Dr Long Yi on smart energy-saving low-cost windows was selected
for the TechConnect 2015 Global Innovation Award through an industry-review process. Wang Jiangxin
is a graduate student at the School.
Th i s re sea rch ha s be en
published in [1] Advanced
M a t e r i a l s (2014), D O I :
10.1002/adma.201304226;
[2] Nanoscale (2014), DOI:
10.1039/C 4 N R024 62 A ;
[3] A d v a n c e d M a t e r i a l s
(2014), D O I : 10.10 02/
adma.201304742; [4] ACS
Nano (2015), DOI: 10.1021/
nn507441c; [5] Advanced
Materials (2015) 27 28762 8 8 2 , D O I : 10 . 10 0 2 /
a d m a . 2014 05 486; a n d
[6] A d v a n c e d M a t e r i a l s
(2015), D O I : 10.10 02/
adma.201504187.
T
he way human beings and machines interact
is evolving rapidly. However, the development
of next-generation human-machine interfaces
is limited by the mismatch between our soft,
curved bodies and the rigid, flat electronics of
conventional technologies. Thus, soft and flexible
electronic devices that can be comfortably worn
or assembled onto wearable textiles are in high demand.
The idea of flexible and stretchable electronics can be
traced back to the late 1990s, when thin, wrinkled metal
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films were attached on rubbers to produce stretchable
conductors. Since then, stretchable electronics has become
a hot topic among research groups all over the world. Our
research group focuses on electronic interfaces and devices
that can receive feedback and respond accordingly.
Two ways to flex
When it comes to building flexible electronic devices, two
strategies are typically used. The first one, which is more
complicated and expensive, uses conventional materials
and assembles them into stretchable structures, with the
clash between the soft and rigid components in the system
posing a challenge. The second strategy relies on novel
stretchable materials. Using this cost-effective approach,
our group has developed unique stretchable materials and
simple fabrication approaches to achieve fully stretchable
electronic devices.
Replacing the senses
Photodetectors: Photodetectors are electronic components
that can convert light into electrical signals. Soft and
stretchable photodetectors could be used in a range
of applications such as wearable monitoring systems,
electronic eyes for the blind, infrared detectors for night
vision and bionic eyes in robotics.
Using nanowires, we made a stretchable photodetector
that can be flexed, twisted or stretched (as shown in Figure
1) while maintaining its function.
a
Figure 1. Bent and twisted all-nanowire photodetectors.
Reprinted with permission from [1] and [2].
Strain sensors: Strain sensors detect electrical shifts
when bending occurs. Highly stretchable strain detectors
are needed to accommodate the strain that arises when we
stretch, for example. Existing strain sensors are based on
bulky technologies that don’t stretch much.
We used an innovative method to fabricate high-strain
sensors based on crumpled graphene embedded in an
elastomer matrix. Our strain sensor can detect strains up
to 100%. Taking advantage of the excellent stretchability
of the strain sensor, we implanted it on gloves as shown in
Figure 2a. This prototype provided real-time feedback on
finger movements.
Temperature sensors: By exploiting the fact that crumpled
graphene changes its electrical resistivity under different
temperatures, we developed a stretchable temperature
sensor that could sustain strains up to 50%.
b
Flexible responses
Electroluminescent devices: Electroluminescent devices are the
primary components of lighting and displays. Stretchable
versions of these devices will be a key feature of tomorrow’s
soft display systems and biomedical imaging devices.
We came up with a novel stretchable transparent
electrode that was used to create light-emitting devices
that can accommodate up to 100% strain. We went on to
significantly improve the elasticity of light-emitting devices
by using ionic conductors as the electrode. The super-elastic
light-emitting device could be stretched to 700% strain.
Actuators: Dielectric elastomers are emerging “smart
materials” that can generate mechanical movement in
response to electricity. Cheap to fabricate and boasting a high
power density, these rubbers have the further advantage
of being easy to miniaturise.
Using dielectric elastomers, we developed transparent,
thin and soft actuators. Our device was created by integrating
our stretchable light-emitting device with a soft actuator.
The resulting self-bending light-emitting device will have
many applications, such as in interactive display systems.
Aside from these devices, we are extensively exploring
other innovative materials and fabrication methods. The
new capabilities we will generate through these new-age
flexible devices will spur the leap towards the vision of
seamless human-machine interactions.
Figure 2. (a) Implanted strain sensor on data gloves. Reprinted
with permission from [3]. (b) Stretchable thermistor in relaxed
and twisted states. Reprinted with permission from [4].
Bent
Twisted
Stretched
0%
100%
Figure 3. The stretchable light-emitting device being bent,
twisted and stretched. Reprinted with permission from [5].
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FROM THE RESEARCHER’S DESK
Functional
materials
from metal-organic
frameworks for
efficient
electrochemical
energy storage and
conversion
By David Lou
Prof David Lou from NTU’s School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering received a 2016 investigatorship award from
Singapore’s National Research Foundation for his project “Metal-organic-framework derived functional materials for
electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies”. He is placed 8th among the World’s 19 Hottest Researchers
in Thomson Reuters’ list of The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds 2015.
This research was published in Nature Communications (2015), DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7512; Chemistry – A European
Journal (2013), DOI: 10.1002/chem.201301689; and Journal of the American Chemical Society (2012), DOI:
10.1021/ja307475c.
D
epleting fossil fuels have led to a search for
alternative energy sources that are more
sustainable. In the past decades, there has been
great progress in the harvesting of renewable
energy, such as solar and wind energy, for
electricity. However, their intermittent and
uncontrollable nature makes it difficult to harness
them efficiently.
A promising strategy is to convert the electricity
generated into chemical energy in the form of fuels (e.g.,
hydrogen and hydrocarbons) and devices (e.g., batteries
and electrochemical capacitors). These electrochemical
energy storage and conversion technologies rely heavily
on materials to work, such as electrocatalysts for fuel
generation and electrodes for energy storage. Therefore, the
exploration of high-performance functional materials has
been a primary focus among energy researchers.
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Controllable synthesis of functional
materials from metal-organic frameworks
Our research group is developing functional materials for
electrochemical energy storage and conversion. By precisely
manipulating the chemical composition and micro-/nanostructure of the materials, we can significantly alter or
improve their physical and chemical properties. We are
exploring novel synthesis methods to obtain useful functional
materials in a cost-effective and controllable manner.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new and large
family of ordered porous materials constructed by metal
clusters and organic ligands. The wide variety of chemical
compositions and pore structures available has led to a
fascinating array of MOFs for important applications such
as gas storage, separation, catalysis and ion conduction.
In addition, MOFs can be used to fabricate other types of
functional materials for use in electrochemical energy
storage and conversion.
Many cost-effective and scalable approaches are possible
for the controllable conversion of MOFs into functional
materials such as carbons, metal oxides/sulfides/carbides
and their composites (Figure 1). For instance, MOFs could be
easily converted into metal carbides, metal oxides or carbons
by simply annealing them under an inert or oxidative
environment. They can also be annealed in solution to
obtain metal oxides/hydroxides/sulfides. Compared with
other methods, the synthesis of functional materials from
MOFs offers simultaneous control over their chemical
composition and micro-/nanostructure.
a
b
Fig 2. (a) Transmission electron micrograph and (b) elemental
mapping of porous MoCx showing the spatial distribution of
carbon and molybdenum.
Because of its unique structure, the porous MoCx
demonstrates excellent electrocatalytic performance for
hydrogen evolution in both acidic and basic solutions,
behaving like commercial platinum/carbon catalysts.
Considering its ease of synthesis and low cost, the porous
MoCx catalyst is an attractive alternative to platinum for
large-scale applications.
Hollow and porous functional materials
for electrochemical energy storage
Fig 1. A variety of functional materials synthesised from
metal-organic frameworks.
Porous metal carbides for hydrogen
evolution from water
Producing hydrogen from water by electrolysis is an efficient
and sustainable method to generate hydrogen, a clean fuel
that is oxidised back to water. The hydrogen evolution
reaction (HER) requires active electrocatalysts, among
which platinum is the best but most costly option. Several
noble metal-free materials, such as earlier transition metal
carbides, hold great promise as alternative, inexpensive
HER electrocatalysts.
Synthesis of metal carbides typically requires high
temperatures to trigger the carburisation reaction, which
inevitably causes coarsening and the reduction of activity.
Recently, we chose a well-studied copper-based MOF as
a host and precursor to prepare a highly active HER
electrocatalyst from porous molybdenum carbide (MoCx)
(Figure 2). The carburisation reaction is confined between
the MOF host and the Mo-containing guest in the pores,
which guarantees an in situ and homogeneous reaction, and
produces very small MoCx nanocrystallites embedded in a
porous carbon matrix. This synthetic approach overcomes
the agglomeration and coalescence problems associated
with conventional solid state reactions.
The synthesis of functional materials from MOFs is also
simple and straightforward. For example, starting from
several common MOFs, our group has successfully prepared
a series of functional materials in well-defined hollow or
porous structures with various shapes and morphologies,
including iron oxide microboxes (Figure 3), microporous
carbon polyhedrons, and cobalt nanoparticle-embedded
carbon double-shelled nanocages.
We have also found promising applications for these
functional materials in lithium-ion and lithium-sulphur
batteries. Iron oxide microboxes can be used as an anode
material for lithium-ion batteries, with much higher specific
capacity than commercially-used graphite anodes. After
loading sulphur into the microporous carbon, the composite
can serve as a cathode material in lithium-sulphur batteries,
producing novel rechargeable batteries with potentially
higher energy densities than current lithium-ion batteries.
a
b
Fig 3. (a) Field emission
scanning electron
m i c r o s c o p y a n d ( b)
tra nsm ission electron
m icroscopy i mages of
iron oxide microboxes. (c)
Cycling performance of iron
oxide microboxes as anodes
for lithium-ion batteries.
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25
C O N V E R S AT I O N S
Tiny Proteins,
Big
Impact
A conversation with pioneering structural
biologist Professor Daniela Rhodes
W
ith a dazzling record of achievements, Prof
Daniela Rhodes FRS left one of the world’s oldest
universities to join one of the world’s youngest.
At the world-renowned MRC Laboratory of
Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK, she worked
alongside five Nobel Prize winners. Now the
Director of the NTU Institute of Structural
Biology and a professor at NTU’s School of Biological Sciences
and Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, she continues to
use structural research to find answers to fundamental
biological questions.
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You spent 42 years at the
Laboratory of Molecular
Biology in Cambridge. How did that
impact your research philosophy?
Q
The scientists [at the Laboratory
of Molecular Biology] were full
of curiosity and never lost track
of the questions they were trying to
answer. The only thing that counted
was the science, and central funding
allowed scientists to pursue the most
challenging and interesting questions.
The most valuable lesson I learnt
there was that you have to think
broadly and deeply, and define the most
interesting questions. If people only
have grant money and their career
prospects depend on the number of
papers they have published, they will
only ask questions that they can easily
answer to get the papers out. But if you
want to drive science forward, you
really need to ask the most important
questions in your area of research and
create a research environment where
scientists are supported to tackle the
most important problems.
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27
C O N V E R S AT I O N S
History shows
that all big
discoveries
that changed
the world
primarily come
from basic
science.
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Q
What is the mission of the NTU
Institute of Structural Biology?
How does your research on
telomeres—and structural
biology in general—advance the
understanding of human health?
Q
NTU and its School of Biological
Sc ienc e s have a s t rong
foundation in structural biology,
particularly in two major methods—
crystallography and nuclear magnetic
resonance—as well as cell imaging.
After I joined NTU in 2011, we
set up the state-of-the-art electron
microscopy lab. In 2013, a consortium
of eight research groups—six of which
are based at NTU—was awarded a
US$16.5 million (S$23.8 million)
grant from Singapore’s Ministry of
Education over five years for a project
addressing specific structures at
the ends of chromosomes called
telomeres. The multidisciplinarity of
the consortium—ranging from physics
to cell biology—is very challenging
and stimulating, leading to novel ideas
and approaches.
The institute, which oversees
the work of the consortium, has two
major aims. First, we want to have
all structural methods under one
umbrella to allow people to tackle
scientific questions with different
structural methods. Second, we want
to encourage scientists from different
research areas to work together on
important medical problems.
My own interests a re in
solving challenging biological
problems that have to do
with human diseases. The beauty of
structural biology is that it provides
a detailed understanding of function
and how, for instance, mutations
cause proteins to malfunction. To have
structural information on a protein
also provides the most rational way
of designing drugs. When you can see
how a particular drug binds, you can
design more efficient drugs.
I try to understand why telomeres
are a hot spot for DNA damage, which
makes them important in both cancer
and ageing. I am also very interested
in the structure of telomerase, an
enzyme that synthesises telomeric
DNA. Telomerase is expressed in
embryonic stem cells but is turned
off in most adult tissue. However,
telomerase is upregulated in about
90% of human cancers, allowing
cancer cells to survive and to become
immortal. Understanding the structure
of telomerase might allow us to find a
strategy to prevent telomerase from
repairing the telomeres in cancer cells.
Why has NTU made structural
biology such an important
priority to it?
Where do NTU and Singapore
stand globally in the field of
structural biology?
The biggest and most exciting
developments in the analysis
of biomolecular structures
have been in electron microscopy. The
progress in computational methods has
also been amazing. These developments
mean that although we only started
a few years ago, we already need to
think about upgrading and expanding,
increasing the number of researchers
and getting another microscope, as our
current microscopes are used around
the clock.
In structural biology, both the
instrumentation and the specialists
you need to run the instruments and
conduct computational analyses are
very expensive. Central funding is the
only way to go, and since Singapore is
so small, it would make a lot of sense if
it became a nation-wide effort.
Singapore has most of the
structural methods—nuclear
magnetic resona nce a nd
electron microscopy—to carry out
cutting-edge structural determinations,
and X-ray crystallographers can collect
data at synchrotron stations like the
ones in Taiwan or Australia.
In comparison to my previous
environment in Cambridge, structural
work in Singapore overall is more
directed and less risky, which is
likely a result of the Singaporean
funding system. NTU itself is very
strong in structural biology, having
invested heavily in infrastructure and
produced biologically and medically
important structures.
A
Q
A
A
Q
A
As the former chair of the
European Molecular Biology
Organisation Council from 2009
to 2011, do you have any advice
for advancing molecular biology
research here in Singapore?
Q
I am completely convinced that
the only way to get excellence
in science is to fund the best
research and give scientists the freedom
to pursue their most imaginative ideas.
Basic research must be funded. History
shows that all big discoveries that
changed the world primarily come
from basic science.
A
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29
FACES
01
Prof
Balázs
Gulyás
Showing
us the
body in a
new light
T
o understand what ails
us, we first need to see
how our bodies work.
Across the NTU campus,
advanced imaging
technologies are giving
researchers a closer look
at everything from the intricate
networks of neurons in the brain to
what’s happening inside our cells.
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“We need a better understanding of
pathological ageing and neurodegenerative
diseases in order to develop novel diagnostic
and therapeutic approaches,” says Prof
Balázs Gulyás, Professor of Neuroscience
and Mental Health and Scientific Director
of the Neuroscience and Mental Health
Research Programme at NTU’s Lee Kong
Chian School of Medicine.
The clinician-scientist, who spent most
of his scientific career at the world-renowned
Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden,
is leading translational neuroscience efforts
at NTU’s joint medical school with Imperial
College London.
Here, he is studying brain inflammation
using humanised animal disease models and
developing molecular imaging biomarkers
for the early diagnosis of neurological and
neurodegenerative diseases. Together with
clinicians, he will test these diagnostic
markers in patients.
Prof Gulyás also heads NTU’s Human
Brain Imaging Centre, a US$7.6 million
(S$11 million) state-of-the-art facility
launched in 2015 to visualise the structural
and functional dynamics of the human
brain using cutting-edge neuroimaging
technologies, including magnetic resonance
imaging and magnetoencephalography.
02
Prof
Christer
Halldin
At NTU’s Lee Kong Chian School of
Medicine, Prof Christer Halldin, a global
pioneer in the development of diagnostic
biomarkers for neurological disorders,
ha s e s t abl i she d t he T ra n slat iona l
NeuroImaging Platform, which aims to
develop, test and validate novel positron
emission tomography (PET) radioligands
as early molecular imaging biomarkers.
The Professor of Medicinal
Radiochemistry and Director of the PET
Centre at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden,
is globally renowned for developing about
a third of radioligands used in clinical
brain PET imaging worldwide.
The Translational NeuroImaging
Platform at NTU’s medical school will be
used to conduct clinical research and preclinical studies with “humanised” small
animal disease models. Major diseases
affecting us today, such as Alzheimer’s,
Parkinson’s, traumatic brain injury,
stroke, cancer and diabetes, will come
under the spotlight.
“Our ultimate goal is to improve the
diagnostic and therapeutic repertoire of
local healthcare systems and to improve
patients’ lives,” Prof Halldin says. “Using
PET imaging, we want to develop novel
drugs that can be tested and validated in
the uniquely multi-ethnic population of
Singapore.”
To achieve this goal, Prof Halldin has
also set up a virtual molecular neuroimaging
network that consists of NTU’s medical
school, Singapore Radiopharmaceuticals
—a local PET radioligands-producing
company—and the Experimental Medicine
Centre of one of Singapore’s biggest
healthcare providers, SingHealth.
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31
FACES
03
Prof
Yehuda
Cohen
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“We need to overcome classical microbiology
that looks at one bacterial species at a time,”
says Prof Yehuda Cohen, Deputy Director
of the Singapore Centre for Environmental
Life Sciences Engineering at NTU.
The world-renow ne d m ic robia l
ecologist, who started his career at the
medical school of the Hebrew University
of Jerusalem and later headed the Israeli
Marine Research Facility in the Red Sea,
is also the founder and former head of the
Minerva Centre for Marine Biogeochemistry
at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
He joined NTU in 2011, where he is
studying biofilms. These multispecies
microbial communities are found in every
environment, including the human body.
Prof Cohen has initiated a partnership
with international optics leader Carl
Zeiss, giving the centre’s Advanced
Biofilm Imaging Facility access to Zeiss’
advanced imaging technologies such
as its high-resolution, high-sensitivity
laser scanning confocal systems. “The
use of fluorescence microscopy at super
resolution dimensions allows us to study the
behaviour of heterogeneous communities
of microorganisms in real time,” he says.
In collaboration with micro-hydraulic
engineering experts from NTU, Prof Cohen
has developed biofilm growth chambers to
study mixed-species biofilms in both real
time and 3D. The patented growth chambers
open new avenues of research in “biofilm
engineering”, with potential applications in
wound healing, antibiotics and other areas.
04
Asst Prof
Sara Sandin
At NTU’s Cryo-Electron Microscopy
Laborator y, Asst Prof Sa ra Sa nd i n
visualises complex macromolecular protein
structures in their native environments.
“Thanks to cryo-electron microscopy
and to new detectors such as direct-electrondetectors—which can measure single
electrons—we have been able to determine
structures at near atomic resolution,” says
the researcher, who joined NTU’s School of
Biological Sciences as an Assistant Professor
in 2012 after pursuing postdoctoral research
at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
in Cambridge, UK.
A s s t P r of Sa nd i n i s pa r t of a
multidisciplinary research programme in
Singapore on the structure, function and
dynamics of chromosomes in the context
of cancer and ageing, funded by a US$16.5
million (S$23.8 million) grant over five years
and led by NTU’s Prof Daniela Rhodes.
The researchers are improving a
new technique called Correlative Light
and Electron Microscopy to visualise cell
components in their native environment.
These structures include chromatin, which
are complexes of DNA and proteins in the
nucleus, and telomeres, which are protective
tips at the ends of chromosomes. In the
future, the technique could be applied to
entire tissues and organisms.
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33
Global dialogue
f
rom talks by Nobel Laureates
t o “p e r for m a nc e s” by
our eight-legged friends,
NTU has provided rich
opportunities for inspiration,
showing how art, science
and technology can come
together in fascinating ways.
Last October, Dr Sydney Brenner
was honoured at the Sydney Brenner
Scientific Symposium and
Exhibition. A co-recipient
of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine, Dr Brenner has been intimately
involved in biomedical science in
Singapore since setting up the Institute of
Molecular and Cell Biology at Singapore’s
Agency for Science, Technology and
Research (A*STAR) three decades ago.
The two-day symposium, jointly
organised by A*STAR, NTU, the National
University of Singapore and the Cold
Spring Harbor Laboratory, featured
keynote speeches by Dr Brenner, Dr
James Watson (Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine, 1962) and Dr Richard
Roberts (Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine, 1993); presentations by
17 distinguished speakers; and an
exhibition on Dr Brenner’s life in science
titled “A Heroic Voyage”.
More tha n 400 top pol itica l
advisors, policymakers and managers
from international organisations also
came together for the Australasian
Research Management Society
(ARMS) 2015 Conference, held in
Singapore in September and October
last year. Co-organised by NTU and
the Singapore chapter of the society,
the conference shed light on research
management in a global context, with
topics such as the changing nature of
innovation, crowdfunding, research
integrity and the translation of research
ideas into products.
Over at NTU’s arts enclave—the NTU
Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore
—incy wincy medleys stole the show. An
intriguing combination of architecture
and science, Arachnid Orchestra.
Jam Sessions by internationally
acclaimed Argentinian artist Tomás
Saraceno featured installations of spider
webs, including their builders. Sounds
created by the vibrations in the spiders’
silk thread networks were captured with
microphones and laser vibrometers,
and translated into acoustic rhythms.
Local guest musicians used various
instruments to interact with the sounds
generated by the spiders for a unique
audio experience.
Events
Public Symposium:
Evolution of Cells,
Genomes
and Proteins
Organised by NTU
Institute of Advanced
Studies together with
The Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences
and with support
from the Knut and
Alice Wallenberg
Foundation, Sweden
1 – 3 February 2016
Venue: Nanyang
Executive Centre, NTU,
Singapore
www.ntu.edu.sg/ias/
upcomingevents/ECGP/
Pages/default.aspx
Conference on
New Physics at
the Large Hadron
Collider
Organised by NTU
Institute of
Advanced Studies
29 February – 4 March 2016
Venue: Nanyang
Executive Centre, NTU,
Singapore
www.ntu.edu.sg/ias/
upcomingevents/NPLHC/
Pages/default.aspx
Complexity
Conference: Silent
Transformation
Organised by NTU’s
Para Limes
7 – 9 March 2016
4th International
Workshop on
Solar Energy for
Sustainability:
“Photosynthesis
and Bioenergetics”
Venue: Nanyang
Executive Centre, NTU,
Singapore
Organised by NTU
Institute of Advanced
Studies
www.paralimes.ntu.edu.
sg/Pages/Home.aspx
21 – 24 March 2016
QS Subject Focus
Summit – Electrical
and Electronic
Engineering
Venue: Nanyang
Executive Centre, NTU,
Singapore
www.ntu.edu.sg/ias/
upcomingevents/
4thPhotosynthesis/Pages/
default.aspx
Co-organised by QS
Asia Quacquarelli
Symonds and NTU’s
School of Electrical
and Electronic
Engineering
3rd Asian Wave
and Tidal Energy
Conference –
AWTEC 2016
9 – 11 March 2016
Co-organised by
Energy Research
Institute @ NTU
and Sustainable
Energy Association of
Singapore
Venue: Grand Hyatt
Singapore
qssubjectfocus.com/
eee-2016/
Annual NTU
Winter School:
Introduction to
Complexity Science
24 – 28 October 2016
Venue: Marina Bay
Sands, Singapore
www.awtec.asia/
awtec-2016/
Organised by NTU’s
Complexity Institute
10 – 16 March 2016
Venue: NTU, Singapore
www.complexity.ntu.
edu.sg/Programmes/
SchoolsCourses/
Pages/2016-WinterSchool.aspx
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35
AT A G L A N C E
New
faces
THE honour roll
Another honorary doctorate for NTU President
For his contributions in academia and commitment to fostering
close ties between NTU and Tianjin University, NTU President Prof
Bertil Andersson was conferred an honorary doctorate from China’s
Tianjin University. A Fellow of Imperial College London, he has
more than 13 honorary doctorates, including honorary degrees
from University of Edinburgh, University of New South Wales and
Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
From Cornell to NTU Singapore
Prof Chen Tsuhan, new Dean of NTU’s College of Engineering,
says he was attracted to his new role by “the energy, vitality and
‘can-do’ spirit” of the College. He is also the Cheng Tsang Man Chair
Professor at NTU.
“NTU’s College of Engineering is among the largest and finest
engineering colleges in the world, with faculty performing cuttingedge research and students receiving high-quality education,” he
says. “I see my role in helping the College recruit the best faculty
and students, develop innovative ways to deliver quality education,
and create partnership opportunities between schools and research
units in the University.”
Before joining NTU, he was the David E Burr Professor of
Engineering and Director of the School of Electrical and Computer
Engineering at Cornell University, where he led the School to top
ranking positions as a computer and electrical engineering graduate
school in the United States.
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High honours
from IES/IEEE
Oscars of data
centre industry
NTU’s Vice-President
(International Affairs) and
Professor of Electrical and
Electronic Engineering, Prof Er
Meng Hwa, received the joint
IES/IEEE Medal of Excellence
Award 2015 from the Institution
of Engineers, Singapore, and the
Singapore section of the Institute
of Electrical and Electronics
Engineer s, “for playing a
pivotal role in innovating
and revolutionising scientific
research and education”.
NTU’s Cloud3DView project
team, led by Asst Prof Wen
Yonggang from the School of
Computer Engineering, won the
“Open” Data Centre Project title
in the 2015 DatacenterDynamics
Asia Pacific Awards, considered
the Oscars of the data centre
industry. Their project was on
Cloud3DView, a human-centric
3D-gamification platform that
helps to reduce the risk of
adopting new technologies in
data centre operations.
Assoc Prof Robin Chi
Prof Lee Pooi See
Prof Hilmi Volkan Demir
Prof David Lou
Young innovator award Young scientist
accolade
Assoc Prof Chen Xiaodong from
the School of Materials Science
and Engineering received the
2015 Small Young Innovator
Award, which recognises
scientists or engineers below
the age of 40 for outstanding,
interdisciplinary scientific
work in the development and
fundamental understanding of
nanoscience and nanotechnology.
He also won the 2015 Lubrizol
Yo u n g M at e r i a l s S c i e n c e
Investigator Award.
Asst Prof Nripan Mathews, a
photovoltaics expert at NTU,
won the Young Scientist
Award 2015 for developing
novel electronic materials and
devices, and furthering their
potential. The award, from the
Singapore National Academy
of Science, is presented to
researchers aged 35 and below
who have shown great potential
to be world-class researchers.
Institute of
Physics prize
Prof Louis Phee
The 2015 Young Medal and Prize
from the Institute of Physics
was awarded to Prof Nikolay
Zheludev, Co-Director of NTU’s
Photonics Institute and a world
leader in his field. He was feted for his seminal contributions in
optical metamaterials and nanophotonics.
Five out of eight national awards to NTU faculty
Five researchers from NTU—Prof Lee Pooi See, Associate Chair
(Faculty) of the School of Materials Science and Engineering; Prof
Louis Phee, Chair of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering; Prof Hilmi Volkan Demir, Director of Luminous! Centre
of Excellence for Semiconductor Lighting and Displays; Prof David
Lou from the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering; and
Assoc Prof Robin Chi from the School of Physical and Mathematical
Sciences—received Class of 2016 NRF Investigatorship awards from
Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF).
The funding is given out to a small number of excellent Principal
Investigators who have a track record of research achievements that
identify them as leaders in their fields of research.
Fulbright US-ASEAN
awardee
Assoc Prof May Oo Lwin,
Associate Dean (Special Projects)
at NTU’s College of Humanities,
Arts, and Social Sciences, and
Director of the University
Scholars Programme, is the Singapore award recipient among ten
new visiting scholars from ASEAN nations selected for the Fulbright
US-ASEAN initiative. She will spend up to four months in the United
States researching topics at the intersection of public health, media
technology and innovation, and communication.
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AT A G L A N C E
Coming your way
4
Nadine with her creator, Prof Nadia Magnenat Thalmann, Director of
NTU’s Institute for Media Innovation.
1
Droids like Star Wars’
C-3PO aren’t just the
stuf f of movies. N T U
recently unveiled robots that
look almost human, with
soft skin, a sense of humour
and even good manners. One
such humanoid robot at NTU
that made headlines recently
is Nadine. She has artificial
intelligence software that
lets her hold a conversation
reflecting her own mood and
personality. Humanoids like
Nadine could act as personal
assistants or social companions
for the young and elderly.
EDGAR, a remote
telepresence robot, behaves
like your avatar or clone. Using
a webcam, you can project
your own face onto EDGAR’s
and control the robot and its
limbs from anywhere in the
world, even shaking hands,
writing or drawing. Need to
give a speech? Send EDGAR to
do it on your behalf.
2
3
A new consortium will
develop technologies to
harness and distribute
energy from light for areas
such as the internet, medicine,
security and defence, and to
boost Singapore’s sta rtup
e c o s ys t e m. For me d by
N T U i n pa r tnersh ip w ith
the National University of
Singapore and the Agency
for Science, Technology and
Research, the LUX Photonics
Consortium will facilitate
st ronger col laborations
between institutes of higher
learning and the industry. It
is backed by a US$27.8 million
(S$40 million) grant from the
Singapore government.
38
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Fresh solutions for greener
and more stable energy
s u p p l i e s — t h a t ’s t h e
promise of a new partnership
between NTU and French energy
and transport giant, Alstom.
The tie-up is the first project
under the Renewable Energy
Integration Demonstrator
– Singapore initiative led by
the Energy Research Institute
@ N T U a nd suppor ted by
t h e S i n g a p o r e E c o no m i c
Development Board. They will
jointly develop a “MicroGrid
Power M i x Ma nagement ”
s o lu t i o n t o s y s t e m i c a l l y
integrate renewable energies and
energy storage into microgrids,
irrespective of whether they are
connected to a main power grid.
PUSHING FRONTIERS
Safer skies are on
the hori zon with the
e stabl i sh ment of t he
Air Traffic Management
Research Institute, a
US$50.1 million (S$72 million)
t ie -up bet ween N T U a nd
Singapore’s national agency
for civil aviation. It features
a two-storey-high Air Traffic
Control Tower Simulator—one
of the world’s most advanced
and largest—where, together
with the Radar Simulation
Laboratory, new flight routes
and flight management software
will be tested.
5
A bet ter world is
materialising. NTU and
S i n g a p o r e ’s A g e n c y
for Science, Technology and
Research have set up the
US$20.9 million (S$30 million)
Silicon Technologies Centre
of Excellence to study novel
uses of materials in security,
environmental protection,
medicine, wearable technology
and even in space.
6
N T U’s space jou r ney
continues. In December
2015, t wo s at e l l it e s
bu i lt by N T U’s S at el l it e
Research Centre and one
developed by ST Electronics
(Satellite Systems)—a joint
ventu re i nvolv i ng N T U—
were launched from India
into space. Both NTU’s 123kg
climate -monitoring and
navigation satellite VELOXCI and ST Electronic’s 400kg
TeLEOS-1 are equipped with
sensors and instruments to help
in urban planning, disaster
management and monitoring of
haze in the region. The smaller
12kg VELOX-II is carrying a
commercial payload.
3D model of VELOX-CI.
V2X technologies being tested at NTU.
7
The NTU campus is being turned into a high-tech living
test bed for smart cars and traffic systems, steered by NTU
and NXP Semiconductors N.V., a technology leader in
secure connected cars. Supported by the Singapore Economic
Development Board, the US$15.3 million (S$22 million) NTUNXP Smart Mobility Test Bed will allow companies, research
institutes and government agencies to deploy, test and validate
future V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) technologies—involving
wireless communications between vehicles and with intelligent
infrastructure such as traffic cameras and traffic lights—in
real-world scenarios.
Here are 3 good reasons to join NTU Singapore,
the world’s top young university
The world’s best
young
university
is looking for the
world’s most
promising
professors
Pursue your highest aspirations at the world’s
fastest-rising young university that is also in
the top 13 of the global university league
Reap results at this research-intensive
university that leads the top Asian universities
in normalised research citation impact (Thomson
Reuters InCites 2015) and is ranked 40th in the
Nature Index Global
Rise in your chosen field as an elite Nanyang
Assistant Professor with a start-up research
grant of up to US$695,000 (S$1 million), an
attractive remuneration package and a tenuretrack appointment
If you are an early-career researcher (postdoctoral fellow or equivalent), and are ready to lead
your research group independently, write to us at [email protected] or visit
www.ntu.edu.sg/nap. Apply for the 2017 Nanyang Assistant Professorship by 9 October 2016.
www.ntu.edu.sg