Thematic Tracks

Biological Sciences

Structures in Biology

11 am – 12.30 pm
Lecture Theatre 20

Thematic Lecture 1
Imaging CRISPR working using cryo-EM by Dr Luo Min

In this lecture, we delve into the fascinating world of CRISPR, the revolutionary genome-editing tool, and explore how cutting-edge Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) technology enables us to witness CRISPR’s molecular mechanisms in action.

2pm – 5pm
Laboratory 5 (Computer laboratory)

Practical Masterclass 1
Visualising the Nobel Prize Star of CRISPR with Chimera by Dr Luo Min

In this practical session, students will delve into the complexities of CRISPR, the Nobel Prize-winning enzyme, utilising the Chimera software. They will acquire the ability to visualise the three-dimensional structures of CRISPR complexes at the atomic level, allowing them to unravel the structural elements responsible for its exceptional precision.

Through hands-on exercises and guided tutorials, students will become proficient in using Chimera to manipulate, analyse and visualise CRISPR models, thereby enhancing their skills in structural biology and computational visualisation.

Biotechnology in our Society

9 am – 10.30 am
Lecture Theatre 20

Thematic Lecture 2
Combating infectious diseases in the new era by Dr Tan Yong Zi

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has once again highlighted that the spectra of infectious diseases is always looming over human civilisation. This lecture will cover the cutting-edge scientific discoveries in the laboratory and the work done to score victories against our pathogenic foes.

10.30 am – 12:30 pm
Laboratory 1 (Teaching laboratory)

Practical Masterclass 2
Principles of PCR by Dr Tan Yong Zi

In this practical, students will get to try Polymerase Chain Reaction, the technique used to detect infections such as COVID-19.

2 pm – 4 pm
Laboratory 1 (Teaching laboratory)

Practical Masterclass 3
Protein purification of COVID-19 N protein by Dr Tan Yong Zi

In this practical, students will have the opportunity to purify the COVID-19 nucleocapsid protein using metal affinity purification methods. They will then assess the purity of the protein via SDS-PAGE, an electrophoresis method that allows protein separation by mass, and test it against a COVID-19 antigen test kit.

Translating the Sciences: Rare Diseases

11 am – 12.30 pm
Lecture Theatre 20

Thematic Lecture 3
Diagnosis and treatment of rare genetic diseases by Dr Xue Shifeng

A rare disease is one that affects less than 1 in 2,000 people. While individually rare, together they affect 3 – 6% of the world’s population. Rare diseases also offer a rare opportunity to understand the function of a gene in a human context. This lecture will cover the genetic diagnosis of these diseases and new therapeutic modalities such as gene therapy.

Biodiversity and the Environment

9 am – 10.30 am
Lecture Theatre 20

Thematic Lecture 4
Southeast Asian mangrove areas: Challenges and opportunities by Dr Theresa Su

Mangrove areas face continual decline in cover despite contributing disproportionately to ecosystem services such as resource provision, shoreline protection, important sources and sinks for nearshore terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The global valuation of these services is approximately US$1.5 billion per annum. Although mangroves occupy less than 0.5% of the global seabed, they are capable of storing more than 70% of blue carbon, which is three to five times more effective than green carbon sink services provided by terrestrial forests. In the face of climate change, conservation of existing mangrove areas is therefore paramount.

This session introduces the ecology of mangrove habitats, focusing on the challenges to, and opportunities for, management of mangrove areas in the region.

10.30 am – 5.30 pm
(inclusive of 2 hours lunch)
Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

 

Practical Masterclass 4
An outdoor classroom: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve by Dr Theresa Su and Dr Zeehan Jaafar

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is one of four gazetted nature reserves in Singapore. In addition to its rich native biodiversity, the wetlands are also recognised as a wintering and resting site for migratory birds annually. The rising and ebbing of tides bring in the necessary nutrients and resources for the organisms inhabiting this ecosystem. Once a 130-hectare park, Sungei Buloh has since expanded to 202ha, a continuum of mangroves, mudflats, ponds and forests.

Students will be introduced to the reserve and strategies for its management. They will then discuss conservation concepts that incorporate key themes from the lecture to the novel information they receive in the field.

Sustainability in an Urban Society

9 am – 10.30 am
Lecture Theatre 20

Thematic Lecture 5
Regenerative cities of the future by Prof Veerasekaran S/O P Arumugam

Nature-based solutions come in many forms but are almost always developed with interdisciplinary domain experts working together. Many of these solutions are inspired by nature and many are also developed using adaptive engineering methods. There is no right or wrong ideation. Innovative and provocative problem statements can inspire good concepts which can materialise into well thought-out answers to some of the more compelling issues faced by the world!

10.30 am – 5 pm
(inclusive of 2 hours lunch)
Research Centre on Sustainable Urban Farming (SUrF)  

Practical Masterclass 5
Facility visit: NUS’ Research Centre on Sustainable Urban Farming (SUrF) and other nature-based technology solutions by Prof Veerasekaran S/O P Arumugam

Students will get to tour facilities dedicated to smart farming solutions for both indoors and outdoors.

Chemistry

Chemistry at the Nanoscale

11 am – 12.30 pm
Lecture Theatre 21 or Lecture Theatre 31 

Thematic Lecture 1
Optical nanoparticles for imaging by Prof Liu Xiaogang

The lecture will cover optical nanoparticles, such as metal nanoparticles, quantum dots, upconversion nanomaterials and bioluminescent nanomaterials, their unique properties and potential applications. It will also delve into their use in various imaging modalities such as fluorescence imaging, multiplex imaging and molecular imaging, and highlight their advantages and versatility in visualising biological structures at the nanoscale. In addition, the discussion will expand to a broader range of applications beyond imaging, encompassing their role in biosensing, drug delivery, theranostics and other cutting-edge biomedical applications.

Students will gain insights into the evolving landscape of optical nanoparticles and their critical role in revolutionising biomedical imaging and diagnostics.

2 pm – 5 pm
Advanced Chemistry Laboratory

Practical Masterclass 1
Preparation and analysis of plasmonic nanoparticles by Dr Xu Hairuo

Plasmonic nanoparticles exhibit unique optical absorption and scattering properties that make them useful in applications such as photovoltaics and sensors.

In this practical masterclass, students will explore the synthesis and analysis of these nanoparticles, with a focus on gold and/or silver. They will also employ chemical synthesis approaches to produce these nanoparticles and subsequently characterise their optical absorption properties using UV-vis spectroscopy.

Advanced Chemical Instrumentation

9 am – 10.30 am
Lecture Theatre 31

 

Thematic Lecture 2
Probing molecules and materials with advance instruments by Assoc Prof Chin Wee Shong

In this lecture, several important instruments in spectroscopy, imaging and crystallography techniques used to probe molecular and material structures will be discussed. The objective is to provide students with some understanding of the concepts, to appreciate the applications of these techniques in some problem-solving case studies in chemistry.

10.30 am – 1 pm
Chemical, Molecular and Materials Analysis Centre (CMMAC) facilities / Advanced Chemistry Laboratory 

Practical Masterclass 2 (May be in groups)
Characterisation with SEM/TEM and pXRD by Dr Xu Hairuo

In this practical masterclass, nanoparticles, including those synthesised in the previous masterclass, will be characterised using various advanced materials characterisation techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and powder X-ray diffraction (pXRD).

Students will conduct hands-on experiments to examine the morphological and structural properties of several nanoparticle samples and draw insights into the particle shape, size and crystal structure of the analysed nanomaterials.

2.30 pm – 5 pm
Analytical Chemistry Teaching Laboratory  

Practical Masterclass 3 (May be in groups)
Separation and analysis of over-the-counter medicine pills using LC-MS by Dr Thyagarajan Saradha

In this practical masterclass, students will explore the chemical analysis of small molecule pharmaceuticals utilising the combination of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS). They will gain hands-on experience in the practical aspects of LC-MS, including sample preparation, instrument operation and data interpretation, as well as apply this powerful tandem technique to the separation, identification and quantification of paracetamol and caffeine in over-the-counter medicine pills. By the end of the class, students will have acquired a deeper understanding of the role of LC-MS in modern chemical analysis.

Medicinal Chemistry

11 am – 12.30 pm
Lecture Theatre 31

 

Thematic Lecture 3
The medicinal chemistry of therapeutic transition metal-containing complexes by Assoc Prof Ang Wee Han

Our understanding on the complex factors that underpin cancer development has improved significantly in the past decade. Today it is widely accepted that as a disease, cancer can be characterised in terms of specific hallmarks that normal cells need to acquire to transform into malignant cells.

For many years, platinum-based drugs, namely cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin, constituted important weaponry in an oncologist’s arsenal against cancer. However, due to limitations in classical platinum-based therapy arising from toxicity, side-effects and incidences of drug resistance, there has been renewed interest in developing other metallo-complexes as cancer drugs. This emerging area has grown to encompass other forms of therapy against a plethora of diseases.

This lecture will focus on the discovery of platinum drugs, their medicinal chemistry, our current understanding of their mechanisms of action as well as a new generation of anticancer platinum prodrug complexes. It will also cover how other transition metal-containing complexes are being harnessed to treat other diseases and why inorganic chemistry is becoming increasingly important for the design of new drugs.

Catalysis in Applications

9 am – 10.30 am
Lecture Theatre 31

 

Thematic Lecture 4
Catalysis in drug discovery and development by Asst Prof Zhu Ye

Catalysis stands as a cornerstone in the realm of drug discovery and development, revolutionising the way chemists synthesise new pharmaceutical compounds.

This lecture covers the intricate roles of catalysis in expediting drug discovery processes, from the initial stages of compound synthesis to the final stages of formulation. Students will gain insights into the latest advances in catalytic methodologies, including transition metal catalysis, organocatalysis and enzymatic catalysis, and their pivotal contributions to accelerating the discovery of biologically active molecules and enhancing reaction efficiency in drug development. This talk also spotlights emerging trends and the transformative potential of catalysis in driving sustainable approaches to meet evolving challenges in pharmaceutical research.

10.30 am – 5.30 pm
(inclusive of 2 hours lunch)
Synthesis Chemistry Teaching Laboratory 

Practical Masterclass 4
Greener organic synthesis, purification and characterisation by Dr Hoang Truong Giang

Cross-coupling is an important class of organic reactions. It is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, representing approximately a quarter of all reactions performed. In this practical session, students will conduct a cross-coupling experiment with a green chemistry approach. The session involves reaction setup and workup. Thereafter, students will purify the product and characterise it using spectroscopic techniques (1H NMR and IR). They will also learn standard organic synthesis techniques and the fundamentals of green chemistry.

Sustainability and Green Chemistry

9 am – 10:30 am
Lecture Theatre 31

 

Thematic Lecture 5
Sustainable chemical synthesis through base metal catalysis and radical chemistry by Assoc Prof Koh Ming Joo

Chemical catalysis is an indispensable tool to promote reactions that enable access to various classes of chemicals, ranging from small-molecule medicines to polymeric materials. Despite considerable advances made in this area, much of it depends on the use of exorbitant and scarce noble metals to prepare catalysts. As such precious metal-derived catalysts can only mediate a limited range of reactions, longer synthetic sequences are often needed to convert a starting material to the desired target product. This consumes energy, resources and time, and generates waste. This leads to more CO2 and other toxic emissions that contribute to climate change and other environmental problems.

To address these challenges, we focus on the research of sustainable catalysis and radical chemistry. The session will provide an overview of our efforts to transform cheap and abundant feedstock chemicals to value-added products with a lower environmental footprint.

10.30 am – 5 pm
(inclusive of 2 hours lunch)
General Chemistry Teaching Laboratory

Practical Masterclass 5
Biofuels and biopolymers by Dr Foo Maw Lin

As part of sustainability efforts, there is a move away from finite fossil fuel-based to bio-based feedstock by the chemical industry. Two key products of the chemical industry – fuels and plastics – are ubiquitous in daily life.

In this session, students will synthesise and characterise biofuels from vegetable oil and biopolymers from milk.

Physics Track

Understanding the Universe

11 am – 12.30 pm
Physics Conference Room

Thematic Lecture 1
Black holes by Assoc Prof Edward Teo

Einstein’s theory of general relativity predicts the existence of objects which have such a strong gravitational pull that nothing, not even light, can escape from them. Such objects are appropriately called black holes. This lecture will cover the historical development of the idea of black holes, the physics of these enigmatic objects and how they can be observed today.

2 pm – 5 pm
CSD Lab

Practical Masterclass 1
Gravitational waves by Asst Prof Alvin Chua

Gravitational waves are ripples in the curved fabric of spacetime. Over the past eight years, the observation of such waves from highly energetic astrophysical phenomena has grown from an unrealised prospect into one of the most active and important branches of astronomy. This workshop will provide a broad overview of gravitational-wave astronomy, along with introductory tutorials on the relativistic modelling of astrophysical sources and the statistical analysis of data from detectors.

Quantum Technologies

9 am – 10.30 am
Physics Conference Room

Thematic Lecture 2
What has your quantum mechanics course missed? by Prof Gong Jiangbin

Many students are inspired to pursue further studies in quantum science and quantum technologies. However, it is observed that our students need to fill in the gap between what they have learned from their undergraduate quantum mechanics course and what they are expected to know. This lecture will help our students to develop a better understanding of quantum mechanics fundamentals.

10.30 am – 12.30 pm
Centre for Quantum Technology (CQT)

Thematic Lecture / Practical Masterclass 2
Quantum communications by Assoc Prof Alexander Ling

In this lecture, we will explore the idea that qubits can be encoded in single photons and discuss how this can lead to interesting applications such as Quantum Key Distribution. Concepts such as polarisation and entanglement will be covered in this lecture!

2 pm – 4 pm
Centre for Quantum Technology (CQT)

CQT laboratory activities: Various quantum technologies by Assoc Prof Alexander Ling and Prof Christian Kurtsiefer

Following the earlier lectures, during this session, participants will have the opportunity to experience real quantum technologies in various CQT laboratories.
Physics of Molecular Motors

11 am – 12.30 pm
Physics Conference Room

Thematic Lecture 3
Physics of molecular motors by Assoc Prof Wang Zhisong

Can we shrink the cars running on our highways to the size of a single molecule for a new powerful tool to help today’s precision technology, nanotechnology, precision medicine and more? Such molecular motors are abundant in our body for countless biological functions, and man-made counterparts are vigorously pursued for technological applications, with the inventor of the first man-made molecular rotor Prof Ben Feringa recognised by the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

This lecture will introduce the physical foundation of molecular motors and also highlight some frontier developments and technological applications.

Nanotechnology

9 am – 10.30 am
Physics Conference Room

Thematic Lecture 4
Nanomaterials by Prof Sow Chorng Haur

Nanoscience is an exciting area of science that studies the world with objects that have very small dimension. Different scientists (physicist, chemist, biologist, material scientist, engineer etc.) study nanomaterials to better understand the nanoworld. We want to be able to manipulate and understand matter at the molecular level, to create artificial structures. This is because structures exhibit novel and significantly improved mechanical, chemical, electrical, optical and biological properties, due to their nanoscopic size. Whenever scientists and engineers push their understanding and control over matter to finer scales (nanoscale regime), they invariably discover qualitatively new phenomena and invent qualitatively new technologies.

This session will provide the audience an appreciation of the nanosized regime and address the following questions: (a) What is nanoscale? Why nanoscience? (b) What are some applications of nanotechnology? (c) How do you manipulate nanoscale objects? (d) How do you make structures out of nanomaterials? The talk will be accompanied by fun-filled demonstrations to illustrate the concepts discussed.

10:30 am – 5:30 pm
(inclusive of 2 hours lunch)
Nano Laboratory

Practical Masterclass 4
NanoLaboratory workshops by Prof Sow Chorng Haur

In this workshop, we will go through a few stations to explore the nanoworld in our research laboratory. Participants will get to experience the nanofabrication process using a focused laser beam, see the nanoworld with a scanning electron microscope, image the sample surface via an atomic force microscope, explore the fascinating fluorescence emitted by tiny objects via a fluorescence microscope, capture and manipulate tiny object using optical tweezers and study the raman/photoluminescence spectra emitted from excited samples.

Physics of Topology

9 am – 10.30 am
Physics Conference Room

 

Thematic lecture 5
Topological physics by Asst Prof Lee Ching Hua

In recent decades, topology has been a focal point in condensed matter research, first sparked off by the discovery of the quantum Hall effect over 40 years ago. The famed Kubo formula relates the directly measurable Hall conductivity with a mathematical topological invariant and is considered one of the most beautiful formulae in physics. In recent years, the scope of topological condensed matter has expanded to include the shape of the non-Hermitian energy bands in the complex plane, ushering new generations of states of matter.

This session will provide an overview of the evolution and frontiers of modern condensed matter topology, as well as some exciting new topics performed at NUS.

10:30 am – 5 pm
(inclusive of 2 hours lunch)
Laboratory

Practical Masterclass 5
Ultrafast detection of quantum materials by Asst Prof Li Xinwei
Imaging and spectroscopy of topological spin textures by Asst Prof Anjan Soumyanarayanan

Ultrafast detection of quantum materials

Quantum materials are fascinating solid-state systems where delicate microscopic interactions lead to a rich variety of exotic properties, such as superconductivity, magnetism, and novel electronic topologies. To gain insights into their underlying working principles, an indispensable tool is one that can “capture the shortest of moments.” In 2023, by giving this quote, the Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to ultrafast laser scientists, who invented the shortest laser pulses to date that can resolve electron dynamics occurring in materials with resolution as fine as one quadrillionth (10^-15^) of a second.

This session will give an overview of ultrafast laser spectroscopy techniques to detect electron dynamics in quantum materials. Basic working principles will be reviewed in the lecture, followed by laboratory demonstrations of standard experimental procedures, which will help establish the idea of how this emerging tool could tackle some of the most crucial scientific challenges in condensed matter physics and materials science.

Imaging and spectroscopy of topological spin textures

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) describes the relativistic interaction between the spin and momentum degrees of freedom of electrons and is central to the rich phenomena observed in condensed matter systems. In recent years, new phases of matter have emerged from the interplay between SOC, low dimensionality and topology – such as chiral spin textures and spin-polarised surface and interface states.

This masterclass will begin by presenting an overview of spin-topology, followed by prominent spin-textured electronic phases and their physical properties in practicable material systems. We will then introduce key microscopy techniques used to image spin-textures and spectroscopy techniques used to study their stability and excitations.

This will be followed by an overview of selected laboratory-based instruments, as well as a hands-on experimental procedures and tutorial to analyse and interpret the acquired data.

For any enquiries, please contact us at nus_ssi@nus.edu.sg.
Please indicate the respective thematic track you are interested in when writing to us.  

An event organised by National University of Singapore, Faculty of Science
Email: nus_ssi@nus.edu.sg