Menu

Shaping Future Solutions

Menu

Shaping Future Solutions

Advancing knowledge

The Faculty continues to collaborate with our industry, government and academic partners. Our endeavours generate solutions to address complex, real-world problems.

Credit: CNA

Advancing nature-based climate solutions

The research group led by Prof KOH Lian Pin, Director of the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, is partnering Temasek Holdings to support research on blue carbon ecosystems and nature-based solutions for effective climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Blue carbon ecosystems, including mangroves and seagrasses, are known to be much more efficient in storing and sequestering carbon than terrestrial ecosystems.

Unearthing the secrets of the rhizophere

The agri-environmental systems biology group led by Assoc Prof Sanjay SWARUP, Department of Biological Sciences, is working with ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering to study carbon and nitrogen dynamics in the rhizosphere, the region surrounding the plant roots inhabited by diverse microbial communities. Rhizhosphere microbes are key elements for carbon sequestration. Rhizosphere studies offer potentially significant implications in regional / global models of high-carbon ecosystems, such as peatlands, mangroves, forests and agricultural ecosystems.

Developing innovations for the pharmaceutical industry

The research teams led by Assoc Prof WU Jie, Department of Chemistry, and Assoc Prof Matthias G WACKER, Department of Pharmacy, are collaborating with Pfizer Asia Manufacturing Pte Ltd to develop and deliver innovative solutions in the pharmaceutical research and development space. Assoc Prof Wu is developing sustainable and scaleable continuous flow processes to safely manufacture important chemicals that are challenging or hazardous for synthesis using the batch processing method. Separately, Assoc Prof Wacker is studying influences of the rheology of topical formulations and capsules on their skin permeation and drug release behaviour.

Improving the quality of degraded video sequences

The data science research team led by Assoc Prof JI Hui, Department of Mathematics, is collaborating with DSO National Laboratories to develop a computational framework using self-supervised deep learning techniques for video restoration. The quality of video sequences can be degraded due to a poor sensing environment and an imperfect transmission process. The research will improve the quality of degraded video sequences in terms of visibility and resolution.

Enhancing alternative proteins with natural food additives

The research team led by Assoc Prof YANG Hongshun, Department of Food Science and Technology, is collaborating with Guangzhou Welbon Biological Technology Co Ltd to develop natural food additives for enhancing the functional properties of alternative proteins for use in food products. Alternative proteins include those derived from plants, algae, fermented sources and potential cultured meat products.

Driving impact and enterprise

Numerous Science alumni have gone on to set up their own businesses, translating their dreams into solutions that benefit society.

Vaulting to unicorn status
A big future from small insects
Delivering RAPID aquaculture diagnostics
Visual sensing for a smarter world
Life-saving water for villages around the world
Some of our students have also ventured into enterprise.
Powering the food revolution

Our students participate in competitions, which give them the opportunity to stretch their imaginations and come up with innovative solutions to address diverse challenges.

Eliminating pests with biopesticides
Keeping esports players mentally strong
Cocreating sustainability solutions

Recognising excellence

Our faculty members are widely recognised by their peers for their achievements and enjoy high international standing. Our reputation for excellence was reinforced through various awards for our faculty members’ exceptional contributions to science and research. 

International

Prof TAN Eng Chye
Department of Mathematics
Knight of the French Order of the Legion of Honour (Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur)

NUS President Prof TAN Eng Chye was conferred the title for his distinguished contributions to education and research. The accolade is the highest French distinction for military and civil accomplishments.

Prof JIANG Donglin
Department of Chemistry
Humboldt Research Award

Prof JIANG Donglin was conferred the award for his pioneering work in the field of polymer chemistry and materials which are potentially important to society and the environment. The award honours international scientists whose work have had a significant impact on their own discipline and beyond. He was also appointed Provost’s Chair, which is awarded to faculty members who have achieved international recognition in their fields. 

Asst Prof Brandon MORINAKA
Department of Pharmacy
European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Global Investigator Network

Asst Prof Brandon MORINAKA was among the group leaders in Asia selected as new members of the EMBO Global Investigator Network. The network provides global investigators access to funding for networking and training activities.

Prof BAO Weizhu
Department of Mathematics
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) Fellow

Prof BAO Weizhu was recognised for his significant contributions in modelling and simulating Bose-Einstein condensation, and multiscale methods and analysis for highly oscillatory dispersive partial differential equations. SIAM Fellows are a core group of individuals whose research advances the fields of applied mathematics and computational science.

Prof LI Jialiang
Department of Statistics and Data Science
Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS) Fellow

Prof LI Jialiang was named an IMS Fellow for his contributions to nonparametrics, change point, personalised medicine, as well as for strong commitment to advancing statistical science through interdisciplinary research and professional service. The IMS is a leading international professional organisation of statisticians and probabilists.

Asst Prof KOH Ming Joo

Department of Chemistry

Asst Prof Jonathan SCARLETT

Department of Mathematics
MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 Asia Pacific List

Asst Prof KOH Ming Joo and Asst Prof Jonathan SCARLETT were identified by MIT Technology Review as among the most influential innovators in the Asia Pacific who are younger than 35. Asst Prof Koh was also named on the Talented 12 Class of 2022 by Chemical & Engineering News for his work on sustainable catalysis.  

Dr Zeehan JAAFAR
Department of Biological Sciences
SeaKeepers of the World Award

Dr Zeehan JAAFAR received the award from the International SeaKeepers Society. The award recognises individuals who demonstrate a commitment to scientific research and conservation of the oceans.

Dr HAN Zhe
Department of Pharmacy

FIP’s Initiative for Women in Science and Education (FIPWiSE) Rising Stars 

Dr HAN Zhe was selected as one of the FIPWiSE Rising Stars by the International Pharmaceutical Federation. This accolade highlights women in pharmaceutical science or pharmacy education who are pathfinders in their fields and rising career stars. ​

National

Singapore National Academy of Science (SNAS) Fellowship

Prof LIU Xiaogang
Department of Chemistry
Prof LU Yixin
Department of Chemistry
Prof ZHOU Weibiao
Department of Food Science and Technology
Prof BAO Weizhu
Department of Mathematics
Prof TOH Kim Chuan
Department of Mathematics

Prof LIU Xiaogang is recognised for developing luminescent nanocrystals for biolabelling and advanced X-ray imaging applications. Prof LU Yixin is honoured for his contributions to asymmetric catalysis, especially amino acid-based catalysts and related applications in organic synthesis. Prof ZHOU Weibiao is a renowned food scientist in the fields of food processing and food engineering. He was also appointed to the Cheng Tsang Man Professorship in Food Science and Technology in 2022. Prof BAO Weizhu is honoured for his contributions to modelling, analysis and computation via partial differential equations, and Prof TOH Kim Chuan for his contributions to the theory, practice and application of convex optimisation, especially semidefinite programming and conic programming. Prof Toh was also appointed Leo Tan Professor in Science in 2022.

Prof DING Jeak Ling
Department of Biological Sciences
Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame (SWHF)
Asst Prof Gloryn CHIA
Department of Pharmacy
L’Oréal For Women in Science Fellowship for Life Sciences
Asst Prof Yvonne GAO
Department of Physics
Young Scientist Award

Prof DING Jeak Ling was inducted into the SWHF, which recognises outstanding women of Singapore in all fields of endeavour.

Asst Prof Gloryn CHIA was awarded the Fellowship in recognition of her work which focuses on the development of next-generation personalised cancer vaccines targeting tumours. This initiative celebrates female scientific excellence and seeks to inspire more young females to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) careers.

Asst Prof Yvonne GAO received the award for her work on developing the hardware building blocks for quantum computers. Her research is critical for scaling up quantum devices while preserving their performance. This award recognises Singapore-based scientists aged 35 or under with potential to be world-class researchers in their fields.

University

Assoc Prof LU Jiong
Department of Chemistry
Prof GAN Wee Teck
Department of Mathematics
Prof Andrew WEE
Department of Physics

Assoc Prof LU Jiong received the NUS Young Researcher Award (2022) for solving bottleneck issues in the large-scale synthesis of atomically precise single-atom catalysts, paving the way for sustainable chemical and energy transformations in many industrial applications.

Prof GAN Wee Teck was appointed as a Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor for his impactful work on the Langlands programme and the theory of theta correspondence. He is known especially for formulating the Gan-Gross-Prasad conjecture.

Prof Andrew WEE was appointed as a Class of ‘62 Professor, which is awarded to Professors with substantial academic leaderships. His Surface Science Laboratory is recognised as one of the leading surface and nanoscale science groups in the international arena.   

Dean’s Chair appointees have achieved recognition in their respective fields.

Assoc Prof GE Shaozhong

Department of Chemistry

Assoc Prof GE Shaozhong studies transition metal-catalysed reactions of organic molecules.

Assoc Prof ZHANG Guodong
Department of Food Science and Technology

Assoc Prof ZHANG Guodong identified how triclosan increases the risk of colon inflammation and cancer in mice.

Assoc Prof Dilip RAGHAVAN
Department of Mathematics

Assoc Prof Dilip RAGHAVAN solved a longstanding open problem in the area of Infinite Ramsey Theory.

Assoc Prof Alexandre THIERY
Department of Statistics and Data Science

Assoc Prof Alexandre THIERY is well-known for his work on Markov chain Monte Carlo methods.

The Faculty actively engages top young academic talent as NUS Presidential Young Professors as part of our longstanding efforts to pursue excellence in science research.

Asst Prof QIU Yun Yan, Department of Chemistry

His research applies synthetic organic, polymer, macrocyclic and supramolecular chemistry to the design and synthesis of functional dynamic materials and catalysts for environmental, energy and nature-inspired biomedical applications.

Asst Prof Alvin CHUA, Department of Physics
(Joint appointment at Department of Mathematics)

His research solves inverse problems for the interpretation of gravitational-wave observations – in particular, the modelling of strongly gravitating astrophysical systems using general relativity and the analysis of noise-dominated data from interferometric detectors.

Asst Prof HO Wen Wei, Department of Physics

His research aims to predict and describe novel nonequilibrium many-body phenomena realised by new quantum technologies arising in the form of programmable quantum systems, as well as to develop applications in quantum information science with them. 

  • Asst Prof QIU Yun Yan

  • Asst Prof Alvin CHUA

  • Asst Prof HO Wen Wei

Shaping Future Talent

Shaping Future Society

Navigate chapters
CloseMenu

Menu

CloseMenu

Box Story

Vaulting to unicorn status

“Everyone and everything will (eventually) be technology-enabled. This ‘horizontal truth’ inspired me to start my own company in this space.”

Computational Biology alumna Ms Rajoshi GHOSH started out as a genomics researcher but discovered that she was not cut out for research. It was in working with entrepreneurs in Ghana, in an environment out of her comfort zone, that she found her true calling.

She co-founded Hasura in 2017 and launched its commercial offerings in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Its open source platform offers solutions that automate backend software development. Developers can now tap disparate sources of data more efficiently, to build and scale their applications (apps) easily. This leads to significant cost and time savings for businesses and faster time-to-market for their apps.

Hasura achieved unicorn status in February 2022.

CloseMenu

Box Story

Credit: CNA

A big future from small insects

“I envision a future where we harness the power of scientific research through insects to feed, power and heal people.”

To address food waste, Mr PHUA Jun Wei (Life Sciences, 2017) co-founded Insectta, which extracts biomaterials from the black soldier fly for use in various industries.

Insectta is the first company in Singapore to develop proprietary technology to extract lucrative substances such as chitosan, melanin and probiotics from the fly. Chitosan has anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties and is useful in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Melanin conducts electricity and can be used in organic semiconductors and supercapacitors.

The team is scaling up to produce its biomaterials on a larger scale.

CloseMenu

Box Story

Credit: Kit Yong

Delivering RAPID aquaculture diagnostics

“Our innovation enables farmers to reduce risks and losses and adopt sustainable farming practices.”

Mr Kit YONG (Life Sciences, 2018) witnessed how members of his extended family in the prawn farming business suffered huge losses as a result of prawn disease. To address this, he founded Forte Biotech to bring its Robust Accurate Prawn Infection Detector (RAPID) kit to rural farms. The onsite laboratory-grade molecular diagnostic test is simple, affordable and accurate, allowing farmers to identify pathogens and disease outbreaks early. 

Farmers can conduct tests regularly and spot diseases before symptoms appear. This enables them to take timely mitigative action to save their livestock and avoid losses. Kit’s team plans to reach out to more farms in Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Previous
Next
CloseMenu

Box Story

Visual sensing for a smarter world

“We aim to democratise 3D computer vision, enabling businesses to develop their own robotic applications.”

The adoption of autonomous mobile robots has increased recently. However, limitations remain, such as the lack of vision perception ability and cumbersome software integration.

To address these issues, Ms LOW Yin Yi (Life Sciences, 2019) co-founded Vilota Pte Ltd, which specialises in developing three dimensional (3D) vision technology solutions that are modular and reliable. It currently offers visual inertial odometry and depth-sensing algorithms that provide localised information for robotics autonomy.

Her team is developing a depth map for obstacle sensing, end user visualisation as well as an autonomous vision-based navigation system. They plan to venture into the autonomous mobile robot industry, and eventually, 3D environmental digitisation.   

CloseMenu

Box Story

Credit: Dr Marc van Loo / Safe Water Gardens

Life-saving water for villages around the world

“The definition of a sustainable business is simple – it’s a business where everybody wins.”

Cosmologist Dr Marc VAN LOO (Physics, 1994) fell in love with Indonesia and went on to open LooLa Adventure Resort in Bintan in 2000, which has since been recognised as a world leader in sustainability. LooLa’s team is also behind the Safe Water Garden (SWG) initiative which brings life-saving and affordable sanitation to rural homes. SWG was certified as part of Indonesia’s sanitation standards in 2019.

Dr van Loo and his partners have built almost 700 SWGs and transformed Bintan into the largest live sanitation research laboratory in the world. He plans to scale up and bring safe sanitation to all Indonesian villagers by 2028.

Loola received Singapore’s Best Sustainable Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) accolade (2016, 2017) and was the overall winner in the World Responsible Tourism Awards (2015).

CloseMenu

Box Story

Yu Wei (second from right)

Powering the food revolution

“Consumers want unique food choices that are safe, nutritious and sustainably produced. I am pleased to be at the forefront of food technology innovations, which help solve these challenges.”

When PANG Yu Fei, a Year 3 Food Science and Technology student who minors in Technopreneurship, took a shine to entrepreneurship, he had the opportunity to run not one, but two deep technology startups – Probicient and Xavoury Foods. 

At Probicient, the team successfully integrated probiotics into beverages using flavour, nutrition and advanced fermentation techniques. Through its probiotification-as-a-service initiative, it seeks to incorporate probiotics, which are important for gut health, into our daily diets. Xavoury Foods utilises patented fermentation technology to upcycle meat byproducts that contain nutrients, such as meat sawdust, into savoury food products with customised flavour and taste.   

CloseMenu

Box Story

Eliminating pests with biopesticides

“The greatest takeaway was the immense diversity that goes into transforming a theoretical concept to a useable biotechnology solution that helps people.”

Farms around the world wrestle with pest control. A potential solution came from a 10-member interdisciplinary team from Applied Mathematics, Biomedical Engineering, Computational Biology, Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Science and Statistics. The students took part in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition (2021), facing off against over 350 teams globally to become the first Southeast Asian team to emerge as a finalist.

For their project, ‘PRYSM’, they used synthetic biology techniques to cultivate yeast which can produce beta defensins, a human immune protein that is used to kill bacteria.  The result – a safe, environmentally friendly and cost-efficient biopesticide for farmers.

CloseMenu

Box Story

Keeping eSports players mentally strong

“Acknowledging distress, coupled with proper guidance and coping strategies from coaches and psychologists, can allow players to have successful and meaningful careers.”

Year 1 Life Sciences student Rosarita Ridhwan DE CRUZ, an avid player in mobile multiplayer online battle arena games, decided to bring her interests to the next level by participating at the inaugural Association of Pacific Rim Universities Student Esports Paper Competition and Awards (2021).

Her paper on the psychological impacts of eSports gaming bagged the top prize in the Health / Wellness category. It examines the benefits of eSports and stressors that could lead players to suffer mental health issues. Rosarita also won a scholarship prize and her paper was published in the International Journal of eSports (May 2022).  

CloseMenu

Box Story

Li Zhe (third from left)

Cocreating sustainability solutions

“I was thrilled to be able to apply my knowledge to address sustainability issues in the context of real-world business and policymaking.”

Year 2 Environmental Studies student LAW Li Zhe believes that fighting climate change is a collective responsibility. This conviction placed his team among the top five winners at Sustainability Exchange, an initiative by non-profit organisation EB Impact which seeks to advance the Singapore Green Plan through youth engagement.

His proposal, ‘Ecologue’, leverages technology to facilitate the joint creation of climate projects between businesses and citizens. By ‘democratising’ climate decisions, he hopes to generate more discussions and bring about a more participatory approach on climate and sustainability policies.  

Li Zhe is reading a Second Major in Data Science and Analytics and Minors in Economics and Geographical Information Systems.

Close

Advancing Knowledge
Driving impact and enterprise

Recognising excellence

Previous
Next
CloseMenu

Box Story

New bent-toed gecko species in Timor-Leste

“We have barely scratched the surface of Timor-Leste’s biodiversity. New discoveries can have profound impacts on conservation and policy-making.”

In August 2022, we led an expedition to Timor-Leste in collaboration with Conservation International and the government of Timor-Leste. The Museum’s herpetologist, Dr CHAN Kin Onn, discovered a new species of bent-toed gecko which was named Cyrtodactylus santana, in reference to the Nino Konis Santana National Park, in which the gecko was discovered.