SCIENCEAn online publication for NUS Science students and alumni

December 2019

The ScienceBehind Our Scientists

“I am driven and inspired bythe fun of uncovering the

mystery of life.” Prof CHNG Shu Sin

Young Scientist Award 2018

Walter Shaw Young Investigator Award in Lipid Research 2019

Check Out!Two Life Sciences alumni received theprestigious NUS Outstanding YoungAlumni Award this year

LOOKING AHEAD TO A CAREER IN MEDICINENatasha Nabila MUHAMAD NASIR(Life Sciences, Class of 2018)

HELPING FAMILIES ONEND-OF-LIFE ISSUESKat NEO (Chemistry, Class of 2007)

A PLATFORM FOR PERSONALISEDNUTRITION AND MEDICINEDr LIM Seng Han (Pharmacy, Class of 2011)and Dr GOH Wei Jiang (Pharmacy, Class of 2012)

STUDENT STORIES Our students are increasingly tapping into their experiences and real-life issues to create winning innovations at various international hackathons.

ALUMNI STORIES

Research Highlights Prof TOH Kim Chuan Receives

President’s Science Award 2019

Emeritus Professorship Awards andInaugural Honorary Fellowship Award

Highly Cited Researchers 2019

New Food Science andTechnology Department

Science Communication and STEM Workshop in Hanoi

NUS Foodtech Challenge NUS - Grandes ÉcolesFrench Double DegreeProgramme 20th Anniversary

HIGHLIGHTS

Student Stories

International Hackathons

LIM Xuan Hui, Shanghai Makers Hackathon

FANG Wen, McKinsey Digital Challenge

FOO Tun Shien, Ericsson Innovation Awards

LOW Zi An, Mundipharma Cancer Care Challenge

Alumni Stories

Outstanding Young AlumniAward Winners

Looking Ahead to A Career in MedicineNatasha Nabila MUHAMAD NASIR

Helping Families on End-of-Life IssuesKat NEO

A Platform for Personalised Nutrition and MedicineDr LIM Seng Han and Dr GOH Wei Jiang

04 New Food Science and Technology Department

05 Science Communication and STEM Workshop in Hanoi

12 Summer Programmes Global Science Summer Programme NUS-Hokkaido University Summer Programmes

International Residential Summer Course

14 2nd Student Life Awards

14 AI Bootcamp: Predict the Future with AI

15 Science Student Awards

16 Science Alumni-Student Networking Evening

17 Industry-Student Engagement

17 Singapore Police Force Career Sharing Session

13 Student Community Projects Project Angel XXII: Heart Strings

Singapore Children’s Society Mentorship Programme

Appreciating Lives, Initiating Volunteerism Everyday (ALIVE!)

06 NUS Foodtech Challenge

07 NUS - Grandes Écoles French Double Degree Programme 20th Anniversary

DECEMBER 2019 ISSUEDECEM

BER 2019 ISSUE

29 Science Camps YES, CAPTains! camp Science Summer Camp NUS Physics camps

30 Department Enrichment Camps Statistics and Data Science Enrichment Camp Physics Enrichment Camp

31 Learning Journeys to NUS Science Department of Biological Sciences Workshops

Teachers’ Workshop DNA Workshop for Pre-University Students Crustacean Diversity and Dissection Workshop

32 Visit by Zhejiang University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology

33 NUS Chemistry Week

22 Dean’s Welcome Tea

22 Science Commencement

23-24 NUS Day of Service

25 Science Industry Day

25 Graduate Welcome Reception and Best Graduate Researcher Award

26 Science Safety Day

27 Faculty of Science 90th Anniversary NUS Mathematics Events NUS Pharmacy Last Lecture Series

28 Amgen Scholars Programme

28 Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum Events Launch of 200: a natural history exhibition Wallace & Ali Statue Launch

29OUTREACH

04HIGHLIGHTS

OUR STUDENTS AND ALUMNI 18ALUMNI G IVING DEPARTMENT EVENTS

19 The Science Behind Our Scientists Prof CHNG Shu Sin Young Scientist Award 2018, Walter Shaw Young Investigator Award in Lipid Research 2019

20 Prof TOH Kim Chuan Receives President’s Science Award 2019

20 Emeritus Professorship Awards and Inaugural Honorary Fellowship Award

21 Highly Cited Researchers 2019

19RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

12STUDENT L IFE

FACULTY EVENTS

34WHAT’S UP?

10

10

08

09

09 Con

tent

s08

Food Science and Technology Alumni Bursary

Goh Choo San Science Merit Scholarship

Food Science and Technology Alumni Bursary Page 18

EDITORIAL TEAMEditor JANICE QUAHWriters CLARISSA FONG

TAY KET LINGKASE TAN

With thanks to contributors from sections, departments, industry partners and student societies

Designer AHMAL SUKRIAdvisors PETER HO

SUSAN TANGOH SAY SONG

18

18

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE2 3

The Science Behind Our Scientists Page 19

Science Safety Day Page 26

Science Industry Day Page 25

22

27

NUS - Grandes Écoles French Double Degree Programme 20th Anniversary Page 7

New Food Science and Technology Department Page 4

International Hackathons Page 8Faculty of Science 90th Anniversary Page 27

Learning Journeys to NUS Science Page 31

For any enquiries, please email:corpcomms.science@nus.edu.sg

Dean’s Office, Faculty of ScienceBlock S16 Level 9, 6 Science Drive 2 S (117546)

Doubling ofundergraduate

intake

The only degree inSingapore certified by

top global scientificorganisation, the

International Union of Food Science and Technology

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

The NUS Food Science and Technology Programme (FST), Singapore’s first bachelor’s degreein this field, celebrated its 20th anniversary with a new milestone - its elevation to an academicdepartment.

This is timely, as the food industry is an important growth sector in Singapore’s economy.

To commemorate this milestone, FST organised several events. A Charity Golf event on 26 Marchraised over $430,000 for a new FST Alumni Bursary to help financially disadvantaged students.

A Gala Dinner on 8 August was attended by 260 FST staff, students, alumni and industry partners.

The department also hosted the Joint International Symposium on Food Science and Technology on 1 - 2 December, chaired by Prof YANG Hongshun, which was attended by 10 universities in Asia. The research topics shared ranged from food chemistry and analysis, to food microbiology and safety, food processing and engineering, food fermentation as well as human nutrition. 32 postgraduate and undergraduate students gave oral or poster presentations, and the event drew over 100 participants. The next symposium will be held in Kasetsart University in Thailand in 2020.

For the first time, the Faculty partnered with an ASEAN university - the Vietnam NationalUniversity-University of Science (VNU-HUS) - to organise a workshop from 7 to 9 November which covered developments in STEM education, strategies to raise interest in STEM, andpractical classroom pedagogy.

Prof NGUYEN Tien Giang, VNU-HUS’ Vice Rector, spoke of the pressing need to raise the quality of STEM education in Vietnam to support it’s economic development. Prof Leo TAN, the Faculty’s Director of Special Projects, shared on the development of STEM education from Singapore’s independence to date.

In a closing dialogue session, participants raised various topics, like making a lesson plan for interdisciplinary teaching; developing science demonstration equipment; and skills for effective STEM teaching.

NEW FOOD SCIENCE ANDTECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Science Communicationand STEM Workshop in Hanoi

Our Key Milestones

FST’s establishment in

1999 was an act of foresight

and gumption, as applied and

multidisciplinary

programmes were still

rather rare and novel then.

NUS President Prof TAN Eng Chye

Studentscholarships

and prizes set up from partners’

supportSecond major

in Food Science launched (2017)

Modules offeredin NUS Lifelong

Learners(NUS L3)

programme(2018)

High demandfor graduates

CourseworkMaster of

Scienceprogramme

(2018)

International recognitionof research Strong

industry andpublic sector

support

Over 130 university educators, high school teachers and private educational organisations from more than 30 Vietnam-based institutions attended.

The workshop is part of the Faculty’s inaugural STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)for University Educators in ASEAN Programme.

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE4 5

Prof Nguyen Tien Giang

Prof Leo Tan

HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

NUSFoodTechChallenge2019

NUS - GRANDES ÉCOLESFRENCH DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAMME20TH ANNIVERSARY

Seedling, our team from the Food Science and Technology (FST) Programme,emerged the winner in the inaugural NUS FoodTech Challenge from 10 to 17 July,which was themed Sustainable Protein, Beyond Soy.

The team walked away with $1,500 in cash, a $10,000 grant and three months of freeincubation support at NUS Enterprise. Their prototype combines environmentally-friendly sustainable protein and zero waste concepts which completely replaceplain f lour in baked goods and pastries.

Participants were tasked to propose and create prototypes of alternative proteins,under the mentorship of leading food technology companies. A total of 22 teams of students from universities and polytechnics developed ingenious food products, such as brownies using f lour made entirely from food processing byproducts (such as okara, spent coffee grounds and jackfruit seeds); vegan “pulled pork” from jackfruit etc.

The NUS-Grandes Écoles French Double Degree Programme (FDDP), which is offered exclusively at NUS andrenowned for its academic rigour and excellence, celebrated its 20th anniversary on 11 November with a forumbringing together academics, industry partners, FDDP alumni and students.

Prof TAN Eng Chye, NUS President and Mr Eric LABAYE, President of École Polytechnique and President of Institut Polytechnique de Paris, spoke on the changing landscape of higher education in Singapore and France, respectively.

Industry partners Thales Group and Total Oil Asia Pacific shared on developments in their respective sectors, while three alumni spoke of how FDDP shaped their career pathways.

The FDDP started in 1999 as a partnership between NUS and École Centrale Paris. Over the years, the collaboration expanded to six Grandes Écoles. Some 370 NUS and French students have graduated from the programme since it started.

NUS - GRANDES ÉCOLESFRENCH DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAMME

HISTORY& MILESTONES

The FDDP is a great testimony of the long-standing

and high level collaboration that France and Singapore enjoys.

Guest-of-HonourHis Excellency

Mr Marc ABENSOURAmbassador of

France to Singapore

Such collaborations with our international partners enable us to offer diverse and enriching education programmes that trulynurture our students as

global citizens of the future.

NUS PresidentProf TAN Eng Chye

The FDDP has very rigorous mathematical

foundations and ethics. Working alongside brilliant

students helped me to discover my potential.

AlumnaCHEONG Yu Jia

Data Scientist, BeeBryte(École Polytechnique 2015)

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE6 7

our students our alumni

Fang Wen (first from right)

LIM Xuan Hui, Year 3 Quantitative Finance, and his team members from NOC Shanghai emerged champions at the Shanghai Makers Hackathon under the Shanghai Science and Technology Festival held on 15 and 16 June.

He said, “We sought to address the social problem of the ‘phantom’ elderly who lead invisible lives in the community.”

The team devised a simple, easy-to-use dashboard for welfare organisations to track the elderly in their care. It pushes notifications to social workers to engage inactive seniors, with the hope of averting injuries or tragedies.

Their efforts also led to their winning the Young Technopreneur Award (2018). The team was one of 21 international and Chinese teams to compete in the hackathon.

LOW Zi An, Year 3 Life Sciences, and his team mate developed a rapid diagnostic liquid biopsy test kit for cancer that can be administered in a home setting. Based on Zinc Finger protein detection of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), the test kit relies on BRET (Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer) as the principal mechanism for ctDNA detection. The low-cost test kit is easy to use, and saves time and money. It can be modified to allow for the detection of multiple cancers at the same time, and its ease of use makes it suitable for home use. The test is also done ex vivo.

This innovative solution beat healthtechnology teams from around the world to become champions in the Mundipharma Cancer Care Challenge on 28 June. The Challenge seeks game-changing solutions harnessing technology to change the lives of cancer patients.

At the age of three, Natasha Nabila MUHAMAD NASIR still remembers seeing a doctor frequently for a mycoplasma infection. Her physician’s care comforted her and inspired her interest in medicine, especially as a pediatrician.

Today, 24-year old Natasha is on her way to achieving her dreams. The Life Sciences alumna is continuing her studies at the Duke-NUS Medical School to earn a Doctor in Medicine degree.

Coming from a humble background - her mother is a housewife and her father an aircraft technician - Natasha shares that her parents’ strong support is what fuels her pursuit of excellence.

This guiding principle has served her well. Natasha not only aced the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) examinations, she set a record for the highest score in Singapore with a staggering 294 points.

An enthusiastic volunteer at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance (Singapore), Natasha hopes that a future career in medicine will enable her to make a difference towards the healthcare scene in Singapore,especially for children.

FOO Tun Shien, Year 2 Environmental Studies, and his team mates were selected from over 2,000 entries worldwide as finalists in the global Ericsson Innovation Awards 2019 in Sweden on 11 December. Participants developed novel ideas to harness the power of water and underwater material environments to address global challenges.

The team created fully automated “smart” ocean vacuum robots, with seawater-powered batteries, to collect microplastics via manta-ray inspired filtering mechanisms that rely on satellite communication for positioning, cross-communication and autonomous movement.

Tun Shien said, “We are just getting started in taking this innovation to greater heights to create a positive impact on the environment.”

INTERNATIONAL HACKATHONSOur students are increasingly tapping into their experiences and real-lifeissues to create winning innovations at various international hackathons.

Destigmatising menopause

During a stint at the NUS Overseas Colleges Programme (NOC) Stockholm, FANG Wen, Year 3 Chemistry, and her team members emerged champions of theMcKinsey Digital Challenge at the Stockholm Tech Festival, Europe’s largest all-female hackathon, held on 7 and 8 September.

The team’s idea, Eggfree, is a business-to-business service solution that conducts experiential learning workshops at the workplace, to ‘normalise’ the topic of menopause by sparking conversations about it.

The team was inspired to create something novel that is applicable to women on a daily basis. Fang Wen said, “It was an eye-opening experience to be able to work on taboo topics like menopause. I met many others who are likewise trying to develop solutions to improve women’s lives.”

The team faced strong competition from more than 800 participants, but edged out other teams to take home the top prize!

Tracking well-being of elderly

Diagnostic biopsIES in a home setting

Cleaning the ocean of microplastics

Outstanding Young Alumni Award Winners

Outstanding Young Alumni Award WinnersTwo Life Sciences alumni received the prestigious award this year, doing the Faculty proud.Congratulations, Jingmei and Shamir!

Credit: Office of Alumni Relations Commemorative Booklet

Dr LI Jingmei (2006)Breast Cancer ResearcherGenome Institute of Singapore

Muhammad Shamir Bin AbdulRAHIM (2008) FounderVersaFleet

Jingmei studies an often-overlooked risk factor - breast density. Her research has shown that women with very dense breast tissue are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. This enables targeted early diagnoses and treatment of at risk women.

VersaFleet’s app digitalises andimproves the way supply chains manage their land transport vehicles. It has raised $2.8 million in funding and expanded to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and India.

UNESCO-L’Oréal InternationalFellowship (2014) Young Scientist Award, SingaporeNational Academy of Science (2017)Generation T List, Tatler (2018)Science Stars of East Asia, Nature (2018)Junior Chamber International TenOutstanding Young Persons (Singapore) (2019)

Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2016)Singapore Malay Chamber ofCommerce and Industry Member of ‘Future Cities’ SubCommittee (2016) on the Future Economy, andvarious national committees

Accolades Accolades

LOOKING AHEAD TO ACAREER IN MEDICINELOOKING AHEAD TO A CAREER IN MEDICINE

Low Zi An (fifth from right)

Lim Xuan Hui (first from left)

Foo Tun Shien (second from left)

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE8 9

GRIP PROJECTS: CRAFT HEALTH

our alumni

A PLATFORM FOR PERSONALISED NUTRITION AND MEDICINE

Helping Families onEnd-of-Life Issues

Craft Health, founded by Pharmacy alumni Dr GOH Wei Jiang and Dr LIM Seng Han, is one of two deep technologystartups from the inaugural batch of the new NUS’ Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP).

Craft Health markets a proprietary 3D printing (3DP) platform for personalised nutrition and medicine. Tablets of various combinations, shapes and geometries can be easily printed using their proprietary formulations and an in-house printer. Craft Health has also developed its own formulation database, including formulations for immediate, delayed and sustained release profiles, as well as custom-made solutions for 3D printing without heat or UV curing.

The idea was born in 2017 when both of them were Ph.D. studentshere.

Dr Goh said, “There is a growing demand for personalisedmedicine, especially amongst paediatric, elderly and somespecial patient groups. 3DP could address this gap, by combining and customising dif ferent medications andsupplements into a single daily pill. This helps patientswho struggle to keep track of their medication regime.” The Craft Health proprietary 3D printing platform is currentlypatent pending.

Topics like end-of-life decisions or incapacity often create uncomfortable emotions. Many people put off legacy planning as a result.

Chemistry alumna Kat NEO was driven to co-found Timeliss in 2017, a one-stop online legacy planning platform, after witnessing her mum’s passing. Timeliss has since garnered accolades, emerging amongst the winners in social innovation initiatives Singtel Future Makers (2018) and Modern Aging Singapore (2018).

Timeliss seeks to provide end-of-life information in an accessible and

affordable way. Its services include a tribute platform, life planning account, community and stories forum, and online information resources. By bringing together lawyers, medical / healthcare practitioners, estate planners, etc., Kat hopes that Timeliss can be the go-to portal enabling families to cohesively manage late-life matters.

Kat attributes her entrepreneurial grit to her experience as a new mother. “Being a ‘mumpreneur’ instils a strong sense of discipline and purpose, and makes me appreciate the little things in life.”

I hope to empower people so that they are better prepared for life’s unexpected events.

Kat NEOChemistry Alumna

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE10 11Dr Lim Seng Han (left) and Dr Goh Wei Jiang (right)

We showcase various aspects of ourexciting student life

LETS GO!

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE12 13

Medical Physics

l i f e l i f es t u d e n t s t u d e n t

SUMMERPROGRAMMES

Student Community Projects

18 international students and 73 NUS students gained subject knowledge incutting-edge scientific fields such as biotechnology and biotherapeutics, datascience and analytics, forensic science, and medical physics in this year’sprogramme, from 15 to 26 July. They also visited Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve to experience Singapore’s biodiversity, and gained insights into Tiong Bahru’s heritage in the specially organised cultural programme.

13 students from NUS and Hokkaido University participated in this six-week intensive programme from 10 June to 18 July, where they attended lectures and field trips in Hakodate and Singapore.

They visited the Hakodate Morning Market where they witnessed the auction process andexperienced firsthand how food preservation works, by canning their own fish. They also observed how a steam heater is used to sterilise canned products, with a high pressure liquid heater as an alternative.

22 students from NUS and Hokkaido Universityattended lectures and field trips in Sapporo from4 to 10 August, and in Singapore from 9 to 14 December,where they were introduced to the comparative studyof crop production in natural and controlled environments,from farmland to farm factories. They studied the use ofagriscience, agritechnology and agronomy to improvefield crop selection and production.

Guest lecturers Prof Paul TENG, Managing Director, National Institute of Education International (NIEI), and Senior Fellow and Adviser in Food Security, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), discussed food security in Singapore, while Mr Kevin FERNANDEZ, Research andAgronomy Manager, OLAM International, shared on the company’s global production andsustainability practices.

In Sapporo, the participants harvested their own potatoes and made waraji, traditional Japanese straw sandals, from rice straw. They also witnessed a live auction at Sapporo Centralwholesale market.

46 students immersed themselves in the research and learning experience of topics ranging from DNA to proteins expression, genes and genomes etc. during this intensive programme organised by the Department of Biological Sciences from 15 July to 2 August.

Through hands-on laboratory sessions, lectures and engaging quizzes, as well as guided tours to key research facilities and thought-provoking discussions on topics - such as the use of animal models for human diseases, and solving crimes with life sciences research - students gained exposure to modern biological knowledge and research techniques.

Fun activities were also organised, such as learning Korean pop dance routines, viewing dinosaur fossils at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, visiting Gardens by the Bay and Night Safari, and experiencing Singapore’s hawker food culture at Lau Pa Sat.

At ComCrop, Singapore’s urban farmingpioneer, students observed hydroponicsfarming to grow Japanese chye sim, basil and lettuce.

Temasek Polytechnic’s Aquaculture Innovation Centre gave students insights into aquaculture for marine life cultivation for food, as well as novel innovations like extracting chitin from crabs for haemostatic dressing,

and cleaning water with a biofloc waste management system.

The students also visited the Citizen Farm, a community farm that practises hydroponics farming, geoponics, mushroom farming and permaculture.

GLOBAL SCIENCESUMMER PROGRAMME (GSSP)

SINGAPORE CHILDREN’SSOCIETY MENTORSHIPPROGRAMME

NUS-HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY:SEAFOOD SUPPLY CHAINS IN JAPAN AND SINGAPORE

NUS-HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY:AGRI-SCIENCE IN JAPAN AND SINGAPORE

INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL SUMMER COURSE

Our diverse summer programmes enrich students’ learning experiences without disrupting their academic schedules.

During a visit to Ha Giang, Vietnam from 19 May to 13 June, the Science Club’s Project Angel XXII members worked with YESD, a social enterprise in Vietnam, to assist Nam Te Village residents and Thon Tha Village orphans. At Nam Te Village, they helped in kindergarten classes, and gave the local villagers a taste of Singaporean dishes and games. In Thon Tha Village, they conductedconfidence-building activities for the children.

Cheryl TAN, Year 3 Life Sciences, said, “It was heartwarming that the children were always eager to engage in our activities and interact with us. We hope the kindergarten we built will provide the children proper education from a young age.”

The Science Club’s Science VolunteerCorps (SVC) collaborated with theSingapore Children’s Society (SCS) toprovide a regular mentorship programmefor primary school children under SCS’ care. The programme had three main objectives – instilling emotional self-awareness, developing leadership and teamwork skills, and building self-confidence.

APPRECIATING LIVES, INITIATINGVOLUNTEERISM EVERYDAY (ALIVE!)

ALIVE! brought together more than 60 beneficiaries and 55 student volunteers, who bonded through traditional games and food that the elderly are familiar with from their childhood. Themed Reminisce, the event on 7 June sought to promote intergenerational bonding between seniors fromthe Caregiving Welfare Association, children from theSingapore Children’s Society, Young Women’sChristian Association, and Fei Yue Family ServiceCentre, and student volunteers.

Biotechnology and Biotherapeutics

Data Science and Analytics

Guided tours to the Tiong Bahru neighbourhoodForensic Science

Canning fish

An insightful trip to the Hakodate Morning Market

Attending Sado, a traditional tea ceremony, dressed in kimonos

This programme, jointly offered with HokkaidoUniversity, delves into sustainable seafood supply chains, from fishery and aquaculture to themarketplace, in Japan and Singapore.

Onuma Quasi National Park Making fish balls in thefood laboratory

Mud crabs are bred to meet consumer demand in Singapore

Fungi growing, and the soil that is made of coffee and saw dust

PROJECT ANGEL XXII:HEART STRINGS – MOULDING DREAMS, TOUCHING HEARTS

I got to apply what I have learnt in the Food Engineering module to a real-life setting.

Manfred KUYear 2 Food Science and Technology

The seniors got to step out of their daily routines at home to have meaningful interaction with the children, enabling them to better understand each other despite their age differences.

Caregiving Welfare Association Worker

Bustling Jurong Fishery Port at midnight as wholesalers sell freshly caught seafood to local

vendors

STUDENT LIFE STUDENT LIFE

2nd Student Life AwardsWe are proud of our students and student groups who made significant contributions to the NUS community beyond their studies. Here we highlight some students who received awards at the ceremony on 2 November.

Our students also participated in other award-winning projects, competitions and sporting activities, receiving accolades in CommunityEngagement, Community Service, Competitions(Non-Sports) and Competitions (Sports).

More information on the award recipients can be found here.

CHUA Cheng LingYear 2 Data Science and Analytics

President, NUS Students’ Science Club

Leadership (Distinction) Award

Cheng Ling’s vision, direction and networks helped the Science Club to strengthen relationships and build resources for their initiatives.

Project MerakiYouth Expedition Project (YEP)Food Science and Technology Society

Community Service (Merit) Award

In this inaugural project, students shared their food science-based knowledge to equip farmers in Laos with skills to improve the desirability and shelf-life of products. They also provided insights into converting food waste generated from unsold crops into useful, marketable products.

Science Student AwardSThe Faculty held our annual Science Student Awards on 23 September, to recognise students for outstanding performance in a particular field of study. 30 award recipients and Heads of Departments attended the event, together with benefactors whose generosity made the awards possible.

Awards and Awardees

L.E.G.O. (Loving. Enriching. Giving. Outreach.) WeekNUS Students’ Science Club

Community Engagement (Distinction) Award

L.E.G.O. Week saw over 400 staff andstudents participate in efforts to raiseawareness of fair treatment towards migrant workers.

Arthur Rajaratnam PrizeLAU Shi YunTAN Hong Kiat

CRISP AwardYEO Xin HaoProf TAN Wei Ling, Stella (Supervisor)

CHEN Jia Pern NevilleDr CHING Chee Leong(Supervisor)

Eusoff College MedalAmos LIM Boon Hao

Givaudan Food ExcellencePrizeLIEW Xin Hwa

Goh Teng Loon-Wong Kim Lo MedalLIM Angel

Kerry PrizeCHEW Ding Xiang

KH Roberts PrizeHanny Putri PRANATA

Lim Soo Peng Book PrizeWay TANLEE Ning Yuan

MSD Gold MedalWU Xinbang

NTUC MedalLIN Youzhi

Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher PrizeHE MenglanLIM Kang Rui GarrickNG Kai Ming NicholasMavis KANG Pei LinYAP Jit WuYEO Xi Jie

PJ Barlow Book PrizeLIM Churn Hian

Rachel Meyer Book PrizeMichelle KO Shi Min

Roche Singapore TechnicalOperations PrizeNG Shi JunLOW Zi AnCHEE En Yi, Sophia

Runme Shaw Book PrizeLOH Cheng NgeeLIM Kai Xin, Clarissa

Sembcorp Marine BookPrizeMOK Wai KeongREN YuhuaKANG Joon KiatHO Yong Jin, MerrickLIANG BoyuanTAN Hong Kiat

Singapore Institute ofFood Science andTechnology Prize andScholarshipTAN Xin Yi, Jolynn

Singapore NationalInstitute of Chemistry Book PrizeTAN Jun HaoNEO Neng Kai NigelPOH Yong RuiLOH Wen Jun JoshuaGlenn QUEKSEE Neng Yi Dominic

Singapore Prison Service Data Science and Analytics PrizeFONG Wei Jie

SIS Sugar PrizeNG Shi JunHO Wei Haw

Special Programme inMathematics Book PrizeANG Yan Sheng

Tan Siak Kew Gold MedalJoel TAN Wan RongGlenn QUEK

Tan Teck Chwee Book PrizeLIU ShiqiYAP Jit Wu

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE14 15

“Data science is an emerging field, and I am grateful for the support

that enables me to pursue my studies.”

FONG Wei JieYear 3 Data Science and Analytics

Inaugural Singapore Prison Service Data Science and Analytics Prize

“This prize strengthens my conviction to do my utmost best,

and to give my all in mylifelong learning journey.”

LOW Zi AnYear 3 Life Sciences

Roche SingaporeTechnical Operations Prize

“I enjoy experimental physics as I get to learn the theory behind

observed physical phenomena, and the experimental techniques.”

LAU Shi YunYear 4 Physics

Arthur Rajaratnam Prize

“The OURP provided invaluable out-of-classroom opportunities

for undergraduates to be mentored by leading faculty and

academics.”Garrick LIM

Fresh Chemistry graduateNUS Outstanding Undergraduate

Researcher Prize (OURP)

AI Bootcamp:Predict the Future with AI

Recognising the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep learning on businesses and industries, the collaborative AI Bootcamp with Terra AI on 29 July, 31 July and 2 August offered five hands-on laboratories where students could build their own deep learning models to address one of the most common real-world AI problems - demand forecasting. Students had the opportunity to create predictive AI models, grasp basic neural network techniques for predictive applications, and learn best practices in AI development.

STUDENT LIFE STUDENT LIFE

Science Alumni-StudentNetworking Evening21 alumni mentors across different industries, such as food and agritechnology, information and communications technology,pharmaceuticals, healthcare etc. joined 120 Science undergraduates, postgraduates and alumni at the event on 18 October.

The students gained useful insights from the alumni mentors, who shared on their personal and career journeys. They also picked up job tips at career consultation sessions with our Science Career Advisors.

Dr Turkay KONDAKCI (Ph.D. in Food Science andTechnology (2015)) (right), Senior Manager, GlobalFeedstock Processing, AgriProtein, shared on his role inoverseeing feed plant process development andusing research data and learnings to improve yield andbioconversion globally.

“I am now better informed of thedifferent options available to me.”

LIM Wee Siang IsaacYear 3

Statistics

Mr LAI Weichang (Physics (2010)) (left), who co-founded numerous startups including ManyTutor.com and Otaku House, brought the students through his entrepreneurship experience in various industries - including setting up an online network for tutors and a lifestyle retail brand specialising in anime-related gifts and novelties.

Mr Berwyn CHONG (Chemistry (2013)) (right), research specialist in Procter & Gamble, shared on his experiences working in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry.

Mr Bucky HUSSAIN (Life Sciences (2013)) (right), BusinessDevelopment Analyst at Google, delved into his role in buildingGoogle’s sales strategy to acquire new advertisers in the AsiaPacific.

The yearly event is organised by the Faculty and supported by the Centre for Future-ready Graduates (CFG).

Industry-StudentEngagemenT

Through industry engagement events covering diverse growth sectors, the Faculty hones our graduates’ industry-relevant skills to prepare them for the workplace of the future. Here we highlight recent events.

01October

03October

15October

24October

25October

21November

Speakers

Acquiring scientific success, through effective ways to plan experiments and break down daily tasks, and winning by thinking in terms of systems, not goals.

Insights into developments in the life sciences industry, namely thepharmaceutical, medical devices and diagnostics fields.

Applying data analytics skills to address real-world challenges and issues such as financial fraud, terrorism, the discovery of new medicines etc.

Transforming the healthcare industry with data analytics - from jobfunctions like the digitisation of medical records, to the creation ofemerging career opportunities, like predictive analytics for clinicaloperations and epidemiology.

Insights into the actuarial profession – what an actuary is, whatactuaries do, how to become an actuary, and why the actuarial profession is an attractive career.

Understanding bacterial stress responses to medical interventions such asantibiotic treatments, and the types of bacterial survival mechanisms which make them antibiotic-tolerant.

Dr Hugo SCHMIDTAssociateCambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education

Mr Kenny CHENPrincipal ConsultantOdgers Berndtson

Mr Bob CONGERAmbassadorCasualty Actuarial Society (CAS) International

Ms Celeste CHONGGeneral ManagerBeckman Coulter

Mr Ron KOZLOWSKIAmbassadorCAS AsiaMr Michael CHOU

Relations ManagerCAS International

Dr Omar ALIForward Deployed Engineer and Technical LeadPalantir Technologies

Ms Susan SONG HaotangAssociate ConsultantIQVIA

Dr Stephen KIDDSenior Lecturer in Microbiology and ImmunologySchool of Biological SciencesThe University of Adelaide

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DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE16 17

Singapore Police ForceCareer Sharing Session

“From the officers’ sharing, I now understand how their vocations are more than just a job.”

TAN Koh Wee Gavin YEAR 1

LIFE SCIENCES

On 11 October, four Singapore Police Force (SPF) officers - SUPT Shannon LIN (Chemistry 2009), DSP Elvis CHONG, DSP Leslie KANG (Physics 2000) and ASP Kevin LEE (Mathematics 2012) gave our students a peek into life as a police officer.

SUPT Lin gave an informative presentation on SPF’s career progression roadmap and scholarship opportunities for students. He also shared how the modules he took as a Science student in NUS helped him in his career. At the Q&A session, the officers shared about their experiences at SPF as well as important traits and qualities sought inprospective employees.

ALUMNI / GIVING

As part of the FST Programme’s 20th anniversary, a charity golf

event was held on 26 March, which raised over $430,000 to help

financially disadvantaged students reap the full benefits of the

Faculty’s holistic educational experience. Nine sub-named awards

were also set up.

At the Department of Chemistry’s 90th anniversary celebrations in conjunction with

NUS’ Bukit Timah Homecoming on 6 July, a Science Merit Scholarship was named

after Chemistry alumnus Mr GOH Choo San, an outstanding chemistry and

biochemistry student who achieved international acclaim as a dancer and

choreographer. His brother-in-law Mr Daniel TEO, a noted real estate developer and

philanthropist, together with his family, contributed generously towards the

scholarship.

Goh Choo San Science Merit Scholarship

Food Science and Technology (FST)Alumni Bursary

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE18 19Mr Daniel Teo (second from right)

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

THE SCIENCE BEHIND

OUR SCIENTISTSThe Faculty is at the forefront of cutting-edge scientific research.Our researchers are realising this vision in their various fields by breaking new ground and gaining acclaim for their work.In this column, our researchers share their achievements, the challenges and rewards of their work, and their plans moving forward.

P rof Chng’s work in bacterial lipid trafficking and membrane homeostasis has provided new insights into the fundamental principles of how bacterial cells assemble and maintain homeostasis of their outer

membranes. Prof Chng was the recipient of the 2019 Walter Shaw Young Investigator Award in Lipid Research – the first time it was awarded to an Asian scientist by the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – and the Faculty’s Young Scientist Award (2018). In 2019, his laboratory was featured in the “Future of Biochemistry: The International Issue” in the journal Biochemistry. Prof Chng has received numerous teaching awards from the University and Faculty.

My research focuses on understanding lipid transport in the context of outer membrane assembly in bacteria. I fell in love with thisresearch area in my second year of graduate school working with Prof Daniel KAHNE, when I began studying how lipopolysaccharides, a type of glycolipid, get transported across the bacterial cell envelope.

In August 2011, I started my own laboratory in NUS to study the molecular mechanisms of outer membrane assembly,specifically how Gram-negative bacteria (e.g. Escherichia coli or Salmonella) and mycobacteria(e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosis) transportphospholipids and mycolic acids to their cellsurfaces, respectively.

The outer membrane is the first point of interaction between these bacteria and their environments, and it is an effective barrier that makes Gram-negative bacteria resistantagainst many antibiotics currently used. More worryingly, many of these bacteria arebecoming resistant to even the few antibiotics that can resolve such infections. Theworld is running out of options to treat patients with infections caused by drug resistant bacteria, which spells major trouble for medical procedures suchas invasive surgery, transplants, and even C-sections, etc.

I hope to be able to translate knowledge gleaned from our work to combatbacterial infections and possibly, overcome the problem of antimicrobialresistance. Just as important, my research seeks to uncover the innerworkings of life itself. Biological membranes are the characteristic featureof all living matter, but currently, we do not know a lot on how they aremade and/or maintained.

Therefore, my laboratory uses the bacterial outer membrane as a modelto study membrane assembly. Our ultimate aim is to discover fundamentalknowledge on membrane assembly processes that can inform futuregenerations.

While lipids are tricky to work with, and understanding the specific processes of bacteriallipid transport takes a great deal of effort and time, I am greatly encouraged that our work in this field has gained recognition. I also take pride and joy in the achievements of my researchgroup members.

It would be great to have more scientists in Singapore focusing on the bacterial cell envelope. Collectively, our work could build up towards a thematic programme for bacterialcell surface and pathogenesis research. We are now organising such a programme,and will be calling this the BUG (as in bacteria) Centre for Advanced MolecularPathogenesis (or BUG-CAMP) programme, so stay tuned!

I am driven and inspired by the fun of uncovering the mystery of life. I

enjoy the process of generatinghypotheses, testing them, making sense of the results we get, and

finally figuring out how to tell the story. What’s more, I get to guide my

students through this thinkingprocess, which gives me great

satisfaction.

”Prof CHNG Shu Sin

Department of Chemistry

“

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

PROF TOH KIM CHUANRECEIVES PRESIDENT’SSCIENCE AWARD 2019Prof TOH Kim Chuan, Department ofMathematics, is internationally recognised for his work on computational optimisation. He received the prestigious President’s Science Award (2019) for his fundamental contributions to the theory, algorithms and applications of convex optimisation, especially the development of algorithms and software for semidefinite and conic programming. READ MORE

Emeritus Professorship Awards andInaugural Honorary Fellowship Award

Prof CHOU Loke Ming and Prof TAN Teck Koon from the Department of Biological Sciences (DBS) were appointed NUS Emeritus Professors in July. The Emeritus Professorship is awarded to professors on retirement in recognition of their sustained contributions to teaching, research and service to NUS.

Prof Chou turned his fascination with the sea into a 30-year career in marine ecology and conservation, gaining international recognition for his research expertise in coastal management and reef restoration. He also contributed actively as Director of the then new Bachelor of Environmental Studies programme and as a Management Committee member of the Masters in Environmental Management programme since its inception.

Prof Tan’s passion in teaching and research in fungal biology impacted the lives of many students. His belief, leadership and advocacy for a holistic education led to significant initiatives in student life and development that benefitted the wider NUS student community. These included programmes and setups for students with special needs, student residential life, career preparation, mental well-being, leadership training, and service learning.

DBS’ Prof LOH Chiang Shiong is the Faculty’s inaugural recipient of the NUS’ new Honorary Fellowship scheme, which recognises retired Associate Professors for their positive contributions at the University- and Faculty- level. Prof Loh is known for his research in plant tissue culture and is a multiple award-winner for teaching excellence.

Our professors were presented their awards at a ceremony held on 6 December in conjunction with DBS’ 70th anniversary, which was officiated by NUS President Prof TAN Eng Chye. The anniversary also featured a cake cutting ceremony, a reminiscent speech by Prof Tan Teck Koon, performances, table games, best dressed awards and lucky draw prizes.

Emeritus Professorship Awards | Read MoreHonorary Fellowship Award | Read More

Congratulations to our faculty members on receiving these prestigious accolades!

Our researchers are amongst the world’s most influential scientific minds, according to Clarivate Analytics’ 2019 Highly CitedResearchers report. We are proud of their research achievements, which have helped raise Singapore’s global standing in research excellence.

Cake cutting ceremony at DBS’ 70 th anniversar y dinner

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

HIGHLY CITEDRESEARCHERS

Prof Antonio HelioCASTRO NETO

NUS Centre for Advanced 2D Materials Department of Physics

Prof Vlatko VEDRALCentre for Quantum

Technologies Department of Physics

Prof JIANG Donglin Department of Chemistry

CHEMISTRY

Prof Barbaros ÖZYILMAZDepartment of Physics

CROSS-FIELD

Prof LIU XiaogangDepartment of Chemistry

CHEMISTRY

Prof Goki EDADepartment of Chemistry

and Department of Physics

MATERIALS SCIENCE

Prof LOH Kian Ping Department of Chemistry

CHEMISTRYMATERIALS SCIENCE

PHYSICS

PHYSICS

Prof CHEN WeiDepartment of Chemistry

and Department of Physics

CROSS-FIELD

PHYSICS

Prof Chou Loke Ming

Prof Loh Chiang Shiong

Prof Tan Teck Koon

Source: Web of Science

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE20 21

FACULTY EVENTSFACULTY EVENTS

Dean of Science Prof SHEN Zuowei welcomed close to 700 freshmen at the Dean’s Welcome Tea on 17 July. The freshmen gained an over view of the Faculty’s curriculum through informative

talks on our programme majors and modules. They were also brought through the NUS modular system and the new Module Registration System.

Prof Shen encouraged the freshmen to

embrace new ideas and challenges

Dean’sWelcome Tea

Academic talks by faculty members

Talks were also given on campus safety, industr y engagement and internship oppor tunities, as well as resources available at the Science librar y.

We hope to plant more seeds of giving and webelieve the spirit ofgiving will grow with time.

Mr Daniel CHIA (FST 2013)PresidentNUS FST Alumni Group

We hope our participants gained a deeper understanding of how consumerism and lifestyle habits can contribute to marine trash inSingapore.

EVBigLife Sciences Society

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE22 23

Science Commencement

Mr HOW Ti-HweiCountry PresidentAstraZenaca Singapore

“Define your success based on your professional achievements, and equally important, your relationships and health.”

“Learning does not stop after you get your degree…it continues when you step into the workplace.”

ANG Yan Sheng graduated withHonours (Highest Distinction) inMathematics. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department ofMathematics at MassachusettsInstitute of Technology.

“There are many challenges ahead, but none of them will beinsurmountable.”

Melvin TAN Jun Keong graduated with Honours (Highest Distinction) with a double degree in Statistics and Computer Science. He now works at Indeed, an employment-related search engine, as a software engineer.

“It is in uncharted territories that we experience the greatest growth.”

GOH Zhang-He graduated withHonours (Highest Distinction) in Pharmacy. He works at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) as a research engineer, and will start on his Ph.D. in 2020.

“As we strive towards greater heights, let us also remember how far we’ve come.”

Clive AW Cenxin graduated with Honours (Distinction) in Physics. He aspires to pursue further studies in the philosophy of science, while also contributing to science communication and education in Singapore.

“Remember the journey so far, to know where we stand and how we are to progress.”

HE Menglan graduated with Honours (Highest Distinction) in Life Sciences with a second major in Statistics. Menglan hopes to contribute to the field of healthcare. She is currently doing her MD-Ph.D. at Duke-NUS Medical School.

“The challenges and obstacles we encounter make us single-minded in achieving our dreams.”

Dr Mervin ANG Chunyi graduated with a Ph.D. in Chemistry. He currently works at the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology as a postdoctoral research associate in the development of nanosensors in plants.

“Dare to dream and don’t let anyone take that away from you.”

“We should learn, learn and learn in a lifelong process.”

“The people who helped you become a better person are those who will bring lasting impact to your life.”

Miss CHEW Kai HwaManaging Director Quantum Chemical Technologies (S) Pte Ltd

Emeritus ProfessorLouis CHENNUS

Prof NG Huck HuiExecutive DirectorA*STAR Graduate Academy

Executive DirectorGenome Institute of Singapore

Guest Speakers

Our four distinguished guest speakers imparted valuable life lessons, gleaned from their illustrious careers, to the graduates.

As our valedictorians start on a new chapter in their lives, they shared the rich lessons from their educational journey at NUS that they will bring to the future. Congratulations, Class of 2019!

1,278 Undergraduates

451Postgraduates

Class of 2019

Valedictorians

NUS Day

of ServiceFaculty, staff, students and alumni came together on7 September to help the community in various ways.

Distributing foodNUS President Prof TAN Eng Chye joined the NUS Food Science and Technology (FST) family and the Singapore Food Bank in collecting good-to-consume fruits and vegetables at Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre. The produce was distributed to Taman Jurong residents. About 40 FST faculty, staff, students, alumni and their familymembers participated.

Mangrove clean-up

The Environmental Biology Interest Group (EVBig), Life Sciences Society, led a clean-up effort at Sungei Pandan Mangrovesresulting in a whopping 214 kilograms of trash, which included 1,345 plastic pieces, 1,111 food wrappers, 835 plastic bottles and used sports items! Participants were joined by Prof TAN Eng Chye and NUS Office of Alumni Relations Director Mr Bernard TOH. The data on the trash collected will be sent to the International CoastalCleanup Singapore (ICCS), for formulating marine trashmanagement strategies.

CONTINUE FOR MORE NUS DAY OF SERVICE!

FACULTY EVENTS Faculty Events

SCIENCEINDUSTRYDAYScience Industry Day on 19 September was a two-part event that comprised industry talks and anindustry fair that brought together employers from various sectors who provided career advice, andshowcased job opportunities,internships and other career options for Science students and graduates.The industry talks focused on the emerging areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Disruption and Future Food.

Mr Andy NAYLOR, Head of Digital Strategy and Transformation Asia Pacific, Merck Life Science, spoke on how Merck taps on emerging technologies to create value. SGInnovate organised a fireside chat with Mr LEE Jin, Head of Delivery, Taiger Singapore, and Mr Will HANSCHELL, Co-Founder, Pencil, to discuss AI: Disruption or Opportunity?

Dr WU Yuan Sheng, Director, National Centre for Food Science, Singapore Food Agency, shared on the food safety regulatory system, and Mr Anton WIBOWO, Chief Executive Officer, Trendlines Agrifood Innovation Centre, discussed the science and technology of agriculture and the food supply chain.

The event was supported by NUS’ Centre for Future-ready Graduates (CFG).

Graduate Welcome Reception andBest Graduate Researcher AwardThis annual event, held on 7 August, welcomed new graduate students in the Faculty and recognised the research excellence of current graduate students.

Vice Dean of Graduate Programmes Prof LU Yixin’s welcome speech coveredgraduation requirements, safety and disciplinary matters, and an overview ofNUS’ and the Faculty’s counselling and support services.

Mr TEO Wei Jie, Department of Chemistry, was presented the Top Graduate Researcher prize for his research, which focused on cobalt-catalysedhydrosilylation of alkynes. Posters depicting the winners’ research topicswere displayed. The winners each received a certificate and cash prize.

This followed with talks by guest speakers Dr Magdeline NG from NUS’ Science Library; Dr Gwendeline WONG from the Centre for Future-ready Graduates; and Ms CHANG Yuqi from the Graduate Students’ Society.

It was an informative event, and Ilearnt about skills in demand by interacting with participatingcompanies.

Niveditha NERELLAYear 1Data Science and Analytics

Dr Magdeline Ng Ms CHANG YuqiDr Gwendeline Wong

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE24 25

NUS Day of

Service

A Quantum of ScienceSome 40 faculty, staff and students from the Faculty’s Young Educators in Science and Special Programme in Science, and the Centre for Quantum Technologies organised a science show-and-tell session for the public at Science Centre Singapore (SCS). The session featured demonstrations such as magnetic levitation of superconductors, electron diffraction and scanning tunnelling microscopy. This was held in conjunction with “Quantum: The Exhibition” at SCS.

L.E.G.O Week: Day of ServiceStudents and volunteers collaborated with Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) to bring 46 migrant workers on an excursion to Gardens by the Bay. Held as part of the NUS Students’ Science Club’s annual L.E.G.O. (Loving. Enriching. Giving. Outreach.) Week, students carried out daily booth activities before the excursion, based on the themes of Assumptions, Empathy, Appreciation, Equality and Support.

Helping wildlifeAbout 24 NUS Forensic Science faculty, staff, students and alumni and volunteers from other faculties, visited the ACRES Wildlife Rescue Centre to help with their wildlife rescueoutreach activities.

It was an amazing opportunity to be able to fire up public interest in science through exciting demonstrations.

NG Mei TingYear 2Statistics

It was very meaningful to mingle with the migrantworkers and to get to know them. I realised thatSingapore is very fortunate to have them.

Colin NG ChenyuYear 2Data Science and AnalyticsVice President (Relations)NUS Students’ Science Club

The safety rubber feature we attached to the tortoise enclosures last year are still in use. I enjoyed sewing bats and penguin toys to raise funds for ACRES’ animal protection programmes.

LIM Yan Ping(Life Sciences, Class of 2012)

Winners of the Best Graduate Researcher Award 2019 with Prof Lu Yixin and Prof Zhao Yu, Assistant Dean (Graduate Programmes). From left to right: Mr Zeng Xianli (Statistics and Applied Probability), Mr Lam Weng Ngai (Biological Sciences), Prof Lu, Mr Teo Wei Jie (Chemistry), Prof Zhao, Ms Feng Yue (Mathematics), Ms Stella Seah Lin Li (Physics), and Mr Lum Zheng Kang (Pharmacy).

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE26 27

E V E N T S E V E N T SF A C U LT Y D E PA R T M E N T

ScienceSafetyDayThemed Cultivating a HealthyLifestyle for a Safe Workplace, Safety Day on 25 September sought to create safety and health awareness amongstfaculty members, staff and students, through a programme of exciting activities including talks, safety competitions and a carnival.

Our industr y sponsors andsupporters, namely Esco Micro

Pte Ltd, PDS International Pte Ltd, and Merck & Co., showcased

their laborator y and safetyproducts at the carnival.

Prof LU Yixin, Vice Dean for Graduate Studies and Safety, kickstarted the event with a welcome address.

Prof Jayaraman SIVAR AMAN, Safety Chair,Department of Biological Sciences, discussed the practical aspects of cultivating a safety culture at the workplace.

Participants took part in games such as “Wheel of Safety”, “Know Your GHS”(Globally Harmonised System ofClassif ication and Labelling of Chemicals) and “Steady-Ping Safe”, which tested their safety knowledge.

Participants also attended a series of health and wellness talks over two weeks, on dif ferent topics like orthopaedics, suicide prevention and stress management.

Dr Patrick TAN, Director, NUS University Health Centre, gave insights on effective stress management.

The Department of Pharmacy received the Best Performing Department award for laborator y safety.

FACULT Y O F SCIENCE90 T H ANNIVERSARYHere we highlight some of our departments’ celebratory events for the90th anniversary in 2019.

NUS Mathematics Events

The Department of Mathematics organised several commemorative activities in March, including a public lecture by Emeritus Professor Louis CHEN on rare events; a celebratory reception at the UniversityCultural Centre where colleagues, ex-colleagues and alumni were treated to the opening show of the NUS Arts Festival 2019: A Disappearing Number; and a 90th anniversary Distinguished Lecture series by Prof David VOGAN of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Prof Jean-Bernard LASSERRE of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. The department also collaborated with the NUSCentre For The Arts to organise Singapore’s first mathematics-themed arts festival, which uncovered andcelebrated the infinite possibilities where arts and mathematics meet.

NUS Pharmacy Last Lecture Series

The Department of Pharmacy organised a three-part series of Last Lecture, a hypothetical “final talk” where academics are asked to reflect on what matters most to them.

Last lecture, 7 December - Prof Lita CHEW, Chief Pharmacist, Ministry of Health and Head of Pharmacy Department, National Cancer Centre Singapore, delved into stories on her personal journey from her humble beginnings to where she is today, drawing parallels from the poem Ithaka by Constantine P. CAVAFY.

Second lecture, 17 August -Drawing on his experience with leprosy rehabilitation work in Yunnan, China, Dr TAN Lai Yong, College of Alice & Peter Tan and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, shared on the pitfalls in a society where people are accustomed to suppressing pain, and facing it only when it affects daily life.

First lecture, 23 May - Prof LEE Chuen Neng, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Faculty of Engineering, cited his rich travel experiences as an allegory of life to illustrate points such as breaking free out of comfort zones, staying curious and appreciating beauty.

Lecture

Lecture

Lecture

At the lecture, we usedtennis balls and learnt the

carbon structure in diamond and graphite. It was easier to

understand and was fun.

Minseo LEECanadian International School

Department EVENTS

Amgen Scholars Programme

LEE KONG CHIAN NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM(LKCNHM) EVENTS

NUS Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical Science students, selected from more than 500 outstanding applicants globally, were among the first to participate in the prestigious Amgen Scholars programme.

They had a unique opportunity to engage in scientific discovery under the guidance of top biomedical research scientists. This culminated in a symposium on 3 and 4 August where they presented their research projects and met with other scholars and leading scientists from industry and academics. They also toured Amgen’s manufacturing facilities in Singapore.

In 2018, NUS became an Amgen Scholar host institution, joining a list of distinguished host institutions worldwide partnering the Amgen Foundation to advance excellence in science education. The inaugural programme was held in NUS from 3 June to 2 August.

On 3 June, as part of Singapore’s Bicentennial celebrations, LKCNHM launched an exhibition documenting the past 200 years of Singapore’s natural history. NUS President Prof TAN Eng Chye presented Guest of Honour, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Ms Grace FU a thematic book charting 200 events in Singapore’s history. An 18K gold plated medallion coin engraved with the portraits of renowned naturalist Alfred Russel WALLACE, and his assistant Ali, was specially designed for the exhibition, which runs until June 2020.

A statue of British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and his assistant Ali was unveiled on 30 August. The statue celebrates Wallace and Ali’s explorations in the Malay Archipelago, of which Singapore is a part of. Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Mr TEO Chee Hean was the Guest of Honour.

Launch of 200: a natural history exhibition Wallace & Ali Statue Launch

“I got to interact with distinguishedscientists as well as peers from around the world.”

YANG Yiqing, Year 4 Life Sciences, wasmentored by Yong Loo Lin School ofMedicine’s Prof SHEN Han-Ming on novel regulatory mechanisms in control ofmitophagy.

“I gained valuable research experience related to molecular genetics research.”

Alanna WONG, Year 2 PharmaceuticalScience, was mentored by Department of Biological Sciences’ Prof GE Ruowenon how an anti-angiogenic protein affectscancer metastasis.

“I discovered the importance of diversity – the problems facing today’s world are not domain-specific. They need differentdisciplines to come together to create a solution.”

Rahul KUMAR THAKUR, Year 4 Bioengineering student, Birla Institute of Technology, wasmentored by Department of Biological Sciences’ Prof GONG Zhiyuan, where he investigated tumour cell transdifferentiation and liver cancer, using a zebrafish model.

OUTREACH

Science Summer Camp

NUS Physics camps

Science CampsYES, CAPTains! camp As part of the NUS-Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) Science In3 initiative, the Faculty’s Young Educators in Science (YES) worked with the College of Alice and Peter Tan to launch the inaugural YES, CAPTains! camp, held from 2 to 4 June, for 30 CDAC secondary school student beneficiaries. YES members designed a range of hands-on workshops, cast in the format of a mathematics and science quest, for the participants. The camp also allowed the beneficiaries to experience college and dormitory life.

From 4 to 9 July, about 120 participants attended workshops and lectures on topics such as cryptography, smartphone microscopy, forensic science, three-dimensional printing, and more. They also learnt about science concepts through exciting experiments at the Science Demonstration Laboratory.

The Department of Physics held an extended Specialised Workshop from 10 to 12 July,where 27 international high school students had the opportunity to engage in hands-onactivities such as laser cutting, identifying unknown samples with various identificationtools, trying out Olympiad experiments and stargazing. They were also shown thedepartment’s facilities.

The Department of Physics held three camps, namely the Physics Immersion Camp from 3 to 4 June, Physics Challenge Camp from 14 to 24 July, and Physics Discovery Camp from 15 to 22 August. Participants attended lectures, watched live demonstrations, engaged in hands-on activities and toured various research laboratories.

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE28 29

OUTREACH OUTREACH

DepartmentEnrichment Camps

Every year, our departments organise enrichment camps for secondary school and junior college students to share on their academic programmes and real-world applications.

Statistics and Data ScienceEnrichMENT CAMP

TEACHERS’ WORKSHOP

DNA WORKSHOP FORPRE-UNIVERSIT Y STUDENTS

CRUSTACEAN DIVERSIT YAND DISSECTION WORKSHOP

Physics Enrichment Camp

Over 80 secondary school and junior college students attended the camp on 7 June. On top of programme talks, students were treated to interesting lectures on probabilistic decision making through a climate game. They also learnt through hands-on activities about a complex data processing pipeline - from data collection to visualisation, and analysis - by feeding their heart rate data under rest conditions, and after mental and physical exertion, through an Arduino microprocessor.

Over 260 secondary school and 100 junior college students heard about thelatest research findings in quantum technologies, biophysics and two-dimensional materials during the camp from 11 to 14 June. They also witnessed physics in action through interesting demonstrations, and gained exposure to sophisticated research techniques using instruments such as the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Dif fractometer (XRD).

LEARNING JOURNEYS TO NUS SCIENCE

15 science teachers from 12 secondary schools and three pre-tertiary schools gained better understanding of the concepts of evolution,biodiversity, conservation and sustainability at this two-day workshop, from 6 to 7 June.

They attended lectures and hands-on laboratory sessions covering areas ranging from tropical biodiversity and conservation, and plant biodiversity, to specialised topics like evolution, and human impacts and sustainability.

52 students from four junior colleges and seven students from the NPS and Global Indian International Schools gained insights into molecular biology, as well as better understanding of the immense work behind some impactful discoveries reported in textbooks.

The participants also undertook hands-on laboratory work to extract and separate DNA, and learnt to analyse their results.

The workshop on 3 June was jointly organised with the 46th NUS Life Sciences Society, and supported by the NUS Young Educators in Science (Life Sciences Focus Group).

It was an intriguing and informative experience for 60 Eunoia Junior College students who attended this workshop on 3 June.

They learnt about basic crustacean biology, anatomy as well as adaptations. They also tried their hand at dissecting prawn and crab specimens to study their anatomies, and were able to relate thecrustaceans’ forms to their functions through the show-and-tell segment.

Prof Huang Danwei shared on the mechanism of evolution

Dr Amy Choong brought the participants through topical conservation and plant biodiversity

Teaching assistants showed how to operate equipment to extract DNA

A Life Sciences Society member discussed the processes of genomic DNA extraction

Department of BiologicalSciences Workshops

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE30 31

OUTREACH OUTREACH

DECEMBER 2019 | | OMNISCIENCE32 33

Visits by Zhejiang University andHuazhong University of Science and Technology

The Department of Chemistry hosted 22 students and two staff from Zhejiang University on 22 August.Prof ANG Wee Han, Deputy Head (Administration and Student Life), gave an overview of the department and its programmes, Prof JIANG Donglin’s research talk covered Covalent Organic Frameworks (COFs) and Dr FOO Maw Lin gave a sample class on energy resources. This was followed by a visit to the materials chemistry research laboratories and a campus tour.

A delegation of three staff and 14 students led by Prof LU Jintao, School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, visited the Department of Physics from 27 to 29 August. They had the opportunity to experience student life in NUS by attending lectures and guided tours of laboratories and research centres, as well as meeting Physics undergraduates.

NUS Chemistry WeekSome 70 secondary students were challenged to visualise and explore how chemistry can be harnessed to address current and new challenges in a climate-impacted world at the Chemistry•Communication Challenge, based on the theme Chemistry Solutions for a Sustainable Future. The Raffles Institution Team beat 22 teams to emerge champions.

This competition was a culmination of the week-long biennial Chemistry Week from 1 to 7 June, which also featured chemistry camps and workshops. It drew nearly 200 students from various schools in Singapore.

The Chemistry Game Show run by the Chemical Sciences Society comprised an interactive game where teams of three participants raced to answer chemistry-related quiz questions at various stations.

Participants of the Chemistry Workshop for Teachers, themed Colourful Chemistry in Classrooms, used materials from everyday life such as colourful vegetables, eggs and vinegar,in classroom teaching and experiments.

At the Chemistry Day Camp, a one-day non-residential camp, students immersed themselves in chemistry through hands-on laboratoryactivities and demonstrations.

Junior college students learnt about thesynthesis of banana oil at the half-dayEsterification workshop.

| OMNISCIENCE34

Date Event

Check out the events from December 2019 to May 2020!

What’s Up?

13 December 2019 NUS-MRS Workshop on Functional Materials by NUS Chemistry

26 December 2019 Annular Solar Eclipse by NUS Physics

9 January 2020 Visit by Nan Hua High School to NUS Biological Sciences

13 January 2020 Visit by Dalian University of Technology to NUS Chemistry

14 January 2020 Visit by Nanyang Polytechnic to NUS Chemistry

17 January 2020 IoT Datathon 3.0 Finale and Inaugural Data Science Fair

17 January 2020 NUS Chemistry Award Ceremony and Appreciation Lunch

29 January - 5 February 2020 NUS Physics Winter Challenge Camp 2020

12 February 2020 Oppenheim Lecture 2020

21 February 2020 Science Day by NUS Students’ Science Club

21 February 2020 NUS-ACS Undergraduate Research Symposium and Chemistry Industrial Day

March 2020 NUS Open Day 2020

11 March 2020 NUS Statistics Alumni Appreciation Dinner

Mid-April 2020 Department Engagement Activities

Mid-May 2020 Science Open House 2020

30 May 2020 14th Singapore National Crystal Growing Challenge by NUS Chemistry