september - october 2013€¦ · also adopted the lions befrienders service association as its...

September - October 2013

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© Copyright 2013 Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore. All Rights Reserved.

Dean’s OfficeFaculty of ScienceBlock S16 Level 96 Science Drive 2, S(117546)All information is correct at the time of circulation. Faculty of Science reserves the right to make changes and modifications to the contributions submitted without prior notice. The views and opinions expressed by individual contributors do not represent the positions of Faculty of Science, NUS.

DeanProfessor Andrew Wee aDvisor Priscilla Soh

eDitorK. DassEmail: [email protected]

Designer James Wee

Website: http://www.science.nus.edu.sg/about-fos/aboutfos-overview/publications/24-about-fos/318-omniscience

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Prime

Science

the Faculty of Science (FoS) will offer three online modules come January

2014 in Mathematics, Physics and Life Sciences to eligible national servicemen (NSmen) offered a place in NUS and matriculating in July next year. NSmen can choose to take any of the three online modules while they are still serving national service and waiting for university admission. Three Science modules will be offered initially as part of NUS’ push to combine online learning with classroom teaching. This will help NSmen to get in touch with academia after being away for two or more years.

Asst Dean Undergraduate Programmes, Dr Ng Kah Loon explained that the online modules are typically short video lectures and quizzes to gauge if the students had understood the lesson. The modules are hosted on Coursera, a key provider of massive open online courses (MOOCs) which allow students to communicate with the tutors, just like chatting online. The online module is a holistic approach,

identical to the actual module with assessment components tacked to it before the actual examination.

Course structure For a start, FoS will offer two bridging modules in Mathematics and Life Sciences and one module in Physics. For the first three months, the course will be conducted online, allowing the incoming freshmen to learn in their free time. For the next three months, online lectures will continue with classroom lectures and laboratory sessions with professors and coursemates over weekends. At the end of the course, they will be examined in the same way as those who took the course in the traditional way.

Compared to traditional classes, preparation for online lectures demands a lot more effort, expressed Assoc Prof Chung Keng Yeow and Dr Yeo Ye, Senior Lecturers with the Department of Physics. For instance,

before each recording of an online lecture, a script has to be prepared and lecture slides modified to better suit this mode of delivery. A normal 3-hour online lecture would demand 36-hours of recording alone. More time has to be spent on editing these recordings. Besides, there are other preparations such as video demonstrations, which have to be produced in place of live lecture demonstrations. Extra effort also goes into preparing quizzes to ensure students understand the lesson before proceeding further.

Dr Seow Teck Keong, a Senior Lecturer with the Department of Biological Sciences said that preparations for the online lectures require a myriad of tasks to be performed simultaneously. The tutor has to take a look at the syllabus and decide how to best present this content online, considering the average attention devoted to viewing an online lecture is only about 10 minutes. Hence, a traditional 2-hour lecture has to be broken down into several segments. This includes the recording of the lectures while annotating the slides at the same time. Concurrently, the lecturer has to follow a prepared script and keep his eyes on the camera.

Here is a brief description of the three online modules that the Faculty will be offering in January 2014.

Mathematics (Ma1301FC) This is a bridging module for students without a pass in ‘A’-level or H2 Mathematics. Its aim is to equip students with appropriate Mathematical knowledge and skills to prepare them for further study in Mathematics-related disciplines. At the end of the course, students are expected to attain a level of proficiency in algebra and calculus equivalent to the GCE Advanced Level. The online advantage is that students can repeat the lesson as many times as they wish until they gain a clear understanding of the subject. The Mathematics modules are taught by Dr Wang Fei.

Life sciences (LsM1301FC) This General Biology module is a bridging module for students who are interested in Life Sciences but have not passed ‘A’-Level or H2 Biology. The module may also be read as a breadth module by any other students who would like to have some knowledge on basic Biology so that they may understand what happens around them from a biological perspective. Students who read this module will be expected to watch the lectures which will be presented online via the Coursera platform. They are also expected to be physically present for at least 20-hours of face-to-face sessions with the tutors. The face-to-face sittings include hands-on practical sessions in the laboratory, tutorial classes and possibly field trips in Singapore.

Physics (PC1431FC) PC1431FC that covers both mechanics and thermodynamics is a compulsory module for most Engineering students. The module is designed to provide a clear and logical introduction to the concepts and principles of mechanics and thermodynamics with illustrations based on applications in the real world. The topics covered include, motion in one dimension and two dimensions, Newton’s laws, work and energy, linear momentum and conservation, rotational kinematics and dynamics, temperature and the zeroth law, work, heat, internal energy and first law of thermodynamics and entropy, and the second law of thermodynamics.

In summary, this mode of learning allows students more time to study at their own pace, helping NSmen in their transition into the academic environment.

“NSmen can choose to take any of the three online modules while they are still serving national service and waiting for university admission.”

The Science online modules will provide eligible NSmen the flexibility of learning at their own timing. The modules combine the effectiveness of face-to-face tutoring with the convenience of an online service. onLine MoDuLes





Designer James Wee




science orientation Week (soW)Science Orientation Week (SOW) was held from 30 July to 3 August. With a camp size of 360 freshmen, SOW provided everyone an opportunity to form lasting bonds and orientate themselves around the campus. Such tours helped to get incoming students acclimatised to the school and the respective departments at the same time. SOW provided a variety of fun-filled interactive activities that kept the freshmen on their feet. The camp also conducted a Centralised Online Registration System (CORS) briefing and CORS bidding session, where

seniors gave advice and helped to answer questions that were raised by the freshmen.

nussu Flag Day NUSSU Flag Day was held on 6 August. Besides facilitating the actual Flag Day, the committee initiated many solutions to support the needy. These include Old Items Collection (OIC) campaign, fund raising, visits to multiple beneficiaries and the LEGO week. The Science RAG and Flag committee also adopted the Lions Befrienders Service Association as its long-term beneficiary. As a result of the students’ diligence, the Faculty raised a commendable amount of $32,237 and clinched a Silver Award for their effort.

Science King & Queen 2013. Group photo taken at Intercontinental Hotel Singapore.

StudentS

the transition from pre-university or national service to university can be a daunting process for many freshmen. With new course mates, and a much different academic world than

students may be used to; it is easy for them to feel lost and confused. One-way to ease the tension is for students to attend a freshman orientation, which consists of a number of fun activities to get students accustomed to their new friends and surroundings.

science Camp (sCaMP) 2013Science Camp (SCAMP) 2013 held from 17 to 21 June this year, attracted 192 freshmen. The seniors developed games similar to popular game shows such as Running Man, The Amazing Race and Ninja Warrior. Despite the haze that hit Singapore during the first two days of camp, the mood and enthusiasm of the students were not affected. The freshmen were just hungry for more information from the seniors. The organisers ensured the safety of the participants was not compromised at any point. Together, the camp achieved its objective of reaching out to the freshmen and the students who enjoyed the five days tremendously.

nussu rag Day For the first time, on 7 August, the NUSSU RAG Day was held in UTown Green and Stephen Riady Centre. As part of Science RAG tradition, all the dancers were freshmen. This allows the students to quickly integrate into the Science community as they are urged to work as a team, display their creativity, and keep the memories of RAG 2013. This year, Science RAG was voted the Most Environmentally Friendly Float and won the Gold Banding.

science Dinner & Dance 2013The Freshmen Orientation Project (FOP) ended with a Science Bash on 17 August at Zouk, with an exceptional turnout of 420 students and supporters.

The Science Dinner and Dance was held on 24 August at the Intercontinental Hotel Singapore. To signify the end of an incredible journey for everyone, and to end another FOP season for seniors and freshmen alike. The evening was memorable as it witnessed the crowning of the next Science King and Queen. After much deliberation, freshmen Suen Ao Siang and Brenda Goh emerged the newly crowned Science King and Queen 2013.

Infos by: Tan Jun Kai

Group photo taken on RAG Day 2013 - Faculty of Science.

Group photo taken at Zouk.

The Freshmen Orientation team adopted the word ‘FOCUS’, which stands for ‘Freshmen Orientation Creating United Science’ this year.

FOP2013 Freshmen Orientation Projects





Designer James Wee




StudentS

to instil volunteerism in students is the objective of the Science Volunteer Corps (SVC). In its 13th

year running, ALIVE!, SVC’s annual event has shaped the Faculty by its voluntary efforts in providing physical assistance to the needy, organising events to bring some cheer to the elderly, caring for the poor, raising funds for the destitute, reaching out to the disadvantaged, disabled or terminally ill, providing education to children and simply showing concern for humans. If you are not aware, all these are being done by the undergraduates at the Faculty of Science (FoS). This year, ALIVE! organised a two-day event to encourage voluntarism among undergraduates and a carnival to bring some cheer to the beneficiaries. 80 student volunteers who participated on both days, made efforts to reach out to students by conducting fun training sessions. On the first day, four workshops were organised to equip volunteers with some knowledge and skills that could be used in any community service projects. ALIVE! also collaborated with the NUS Enablers to conduct basic wheelchair handling workshop. Volunteers experienced sitting in a wheelchair in order to better

understand the difficulties of the handicap and learn to appreciate the ability to walk. NUS Office of Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) also conducted CPR/AED familiarisation training. The undergraduates also taught volunteers in basic balloon sculpting and basic conversational dialects in Hokkien and Cantonese to enable helpers to better interact with the elderly beneficiaries. On the second day, a carnival was held at University-Town, Stephen Riady Centre Atrium. Two beneficiaries of Science Club, the Caregiver Welfare Association and Club Rainbow were invited to the event. Volunteers and beneficiaries were both paired up before going through the various game booths together and win prizes. The Science Demo Lab also displayed several interesting and interactive Science experiments that fascinated both the young and old. The event was an eye-opener for many students who never knew how they could help someone in need with these simple skills or provide CPR and literally safe a human life. Such modest trainings can go a long way and undergraduates are encouraged to reach SVC for more details.

Infos by: Elgin Ting





Designer James Wee

makes significant efforts to reach out to students

“The event was an eye-opener for many students who never knew how they could help someone in need ... ”

ALIVE!13




StudentSProject angel Xv partners with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Malaysia

P roject Angel is an Overseas Community Service Learning project under the NUS Students’ Science Club. The Club members

have travelled to several developing countries such as China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Myanmar, Laos and Nepal to put their skills to good use. They have participated in several re-building works and re-development projects in these countries, from setting up of computer facilities to maintenance work for schools and orphanages. This year, members visited Malaysia to help a local community.

Project Angel XV headed to Kampung Mangkuk in Setiu, Terengganu, Malaysia, for both conservation and humanitarian works, with emphasis on ecotourism. The team partnered with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Malaysia on this project. WWF-Malaysia focuses on wildlife conservation and works closely with local communities to improve their livelihoods while enabling their participation in environmental conservation. The team hopes to provide assistance to the community of Kampung Mangkuk and be the catalyst to the long term plans they have together with WWF-Malaysia.

ConservationThe team, under the supervision of WWF-Malaysia’s Setiu Wetlands Project, repaired a mangrove nursery along Setiu River that was wrecked during a recent monsoon season. They also managed to replant mangrove seedlings along the river bank to alleviate the flooding problem in the long term. Part of the seedlings replanted were donations from members of the NUS Faculty of Science through the team’s ‘Adopt-a-Seedling’ fundraising activity.Under WWF-Malaysia’s Turtles & Terrapins Project, the team assisted to set up a mini gallery at Penarik Inn (a visitors’ Inn at Setiu) to educate visitors. They also helped with turtle nest excavation, hatchlings release and patrolling the beach at night to ward-off turtle eggs poachers.

Project Angel XV headed to Kampung Mangkuk in Setiu, Terengganu, Malaysia, for both conservational and humanitarian works, with the emphasis on ecotourism.

raising awarenessThough the students were visiting the location for the first time, they managed to raise awareness of the importance of environmental conservation at Setiu, through English lessons, interaction with village children and mural paintings in school. They taught and encouraged the villagers on recycling as a common practice in the community through the setting up of a recycling collection center in the village.

CommunityThe team also took the opportunity to refurbish the Pink House as an information and activity center for the PEWANIS (Setiu Women Entrepreneurs), with a mini studying room for the village children. They also assisted the villagers to construct a toilet for a local family and a storeroom for the Pink House.

Prior to the overseas trip, the team of 20 Science student volunteers together with the Nature Society (Singapore) (NSS) embarked on a study on horseshoe crabs at the Kranji mudflats. Through working on the muddy substrates as well as handling the protected species, the pre-trip local volunteering activity contributed to preparing the team members for their overseas mission.

Upon returning to Singapore, the team conducted a sharing session and cleaned-up the Pasir Ris Beach with the Green Club students from Anchor Green Primary School. Through these activities the team hoped to inspire other students to be the future ‘movers’ in the society and guardians of their own environment.

Project Angel XV was made possible with the support and sponsorship of the Faculty of Science’s Science Student Overseas Exposure Fund, National Youth Council’s Youth Expedition Project and the Ministry of Tourism Malaysia (Terengganu).

Project Angel XV sets off to Setiu for their angels’ mission from 21 to 31 May 2013.

Transporting mangrove seedlings to the replanting site along Setiu River.

Horseshoe crab survey with Nature Society (Singapore) at the Kranji Mudflats.

The schoolchildren’s curiosity and enthusiasm in learning put a smile on our faces

Spreading the message of environmental conservation through mural paintings at a local primary school in Kampung Mangkuk.

Infos by: Erika Ivana Halim





Designer James Wee




alumni/FriendS

Commencement is a university-wide event held annually in July. This year, 10,282 students received their degrees in the course of 23 ceremonies held at the NUS University Cultural Centre. 1,299 students from the Faculty

of Science (FoS) were conferred their Bachelor degrees and 433 postgraduates were conferred their Masters or Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The event marks a significant milestone in the lives of the graduates as they take the first step to leave the school environment and move into the working world to embark a career or to take on new challenges in their profession.

FoS had the privilege of having four distinguished Commencement Speakers over the four ceremonies held from 14 to 15 July. They were Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of A*STAR, Mr Lam Pin Woon, Director, Allswell Trading Pte Ltd, Mr Koh Poh Tiong, Chairman and Senior Advisor, Ezra Holding Ltd, and Director and Advisor to the Board, Fraser and Neave Ltd and Ms Ong Toon Hui, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Social and Family Development.

Speaking at the second Science commencement ceremony, Mr Lam Pin Woon said that he is confident that the graduates’ well-rounded NUS training coupled with the right attributes will put them in good stead to achieve their goals in life. He went on to share his interesting career path with the graduating students and

Commencement2013

highlighted his three attributes to success as, ‘Be Fearless, Be Humble and Be Happy’. He said, “Get out of your comfort zone and never let the fear of failure hold you back. And should you stumble, pick yourself up, keep your spirits high and press on.” His message got many students thinking as Mr Lam painted a very realistic picture of the working world that could be both the rosy and scary at times.

At the third commencement ceremony, Mr Koh Poh Tiong said that as a young executive, he had the privilege of sitting beside the late Mr David Marshall at a dinner. Mr Marshall was the first Chief Minister of Singapore and a top criminal lawyer then. When Mr Marshall was asked about his success, he said, “Apart from working very, very hard, we must also find our best time and most conducive location and environment to think and to work most effectively.” Mr Koh then emulated him by getting up very early and spend quality time working, thinking and planning his work. Mr Koh said, “So, find a quiet place to think every day, and embrace the silence and stillness in this rather noisy and fast-paced world.”

At the end of his message, Mr Koh summarised his key thoughts to the students saying, “It starts with a disciplined focus on the purpose you want to have for your life. It calls for a reflective life where you prepare hard for it. It demands that you hold on to values that count – values like humility, integrity, graciousness, kindness, generosity and hard work. In developing such a life, you will need mentors who will help you reach your potential, and you will leave behind a legacy of helping others that will outlast your own life on earth.”

(Left) Mr Lim Chuan Poh Chairman, A*STAR

(Right) Ms Ong Toon Hui Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Social and Family Development

(Center) Mr Koh Poh Tiong Chairman and Senior Advisor, Ezra Holding Ltd, and Director and Advisor to the Board, Fraser and Neave Ltd

(Center) Mr Lam Pin Woon Director, Allswell Trading Pte Ltd

1,299 students from the Faculty of Science (FoS) were conferred their Bachelor degrees and 433 postgraduates were conferred their Masters or Doctor of Philosophy degrees.





Designer James Wee




alumni/FriendS

the Faculty of Science (FoS) recognises that we have a large number of outstanding

undergraduates who have achieved above and beyond to make a difference. The Science Students’ Award is one way to recognise these outstanding individuals for their academic achievements.

At the Science Students’ Award Ceremony this year, more than 40 students received their medals and prizes for their academic excellence during the Academic Year 2011/2012.

On 28 August 2013, in LT 31, the Faculty was pleased to have the presence of the generous donors of respective awards gracing the ceremony. The donors also gave prizes away to the winners. The list of benefactors and corporations included, Ms Linda Seah and Ms Leslie Martin from Baxter Healthcare (Asia) Pte Ltd, Mr Benjamin Lim representing Mr Lim Soo Peng, Dr Leong Lai Peng from the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry, Ms Sharen Tan from MSD International GmbH (Singapore Branch), Ms Seow Yi Xin representing Food Science and Technology Alumni, Dr Low Mei Yin from Givaudan Singapore Pte Ltd, Mr Samuel Chen from KH Roberts Pte Ltd, Mr Koh Boon Liang from Singapore Institute of Food Science and Technology and Mr Olsen Ong from SIS ’88 Pte Ltd.

Science Students’ Award 2013

2013 awards recipientsThe awards listed below have been made available through gifts from the generosity of alumni and friends of the FoS. Students recognised at this year’s Science Students’ Awards Ceremony are:

Baxter academic excellence PrizeAmelia Ng Jing Jing

Loh Guek Leng

Hong Yi Shuen

Lim soo Peng Book PrizeCao Yiqun

Johan Gunardi

singapore national institute of Chemistry Book PrizeOng Jie Ming

Valerie Chu De Zhi

Lim Shi Ping

schering Plough gold MedalAng Shi Jun

PJB Book PrizeLiew Yong Yew Tony

givaudan Food excellence PrizeTay Geng Yu

KH roberts PrizeZhang Jiyuan

siFst-nus Best student award cum siFst scholarshipPhebe Lim Lixuan

navjot sodhi PrizeSoh Yi Hui

sMP Book PrizeLuo Yusheng

sis sugar PrizeStephanus Lie

tan siak Kew gold MedalSun Qingwei

singapore economic review Book PrizeLiu Chunchun

runme shaw Book PrizeTan Wei Yu

Low Li Si

tan teck Chwee Book PrizeLim Yi Yong

Luo Yusheng

Jurong shipyard Book PrizeJoel Ong Jia Mian

Lee Yuan Zhe

Ng Kia Boon

Tan Ying Zhe Ernest

Raymond Santoso

Teo Meng How

CrisP awardLe Anh Phuong

Assoc Prof Yip Wai Cheong, George

Png Yi Tian

Dr Seow See Voon

goh teng Loon-Wong Kim Lo MedalLeow Lai Hock

ourP Faculty WinnerWong Fang Cheng

Poh Si Bei

science undergraduate Journal (sem 1)Gan Huat Chai Jaren

Tong Wan Yan

Quek You Xing Jonathan

science undergraduate Journal (sem 2)Darrell Lim Ting Xuan

Wong Zheng Hao Samuel

Ong Jit Sheng Jonathan

arthur rajaratnam PrizeEdwin Tan Yu Hang

Ng Kia Boon

raffles PrizeWu Bokai

Department heads and professors who mentored several award winners were also present at the event. The awards are given away annually to honour students who have performed exceedingly well in their respective fields of studies.

FoS awards a variety of honors to students who have demonstrated academic excellence.





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(from left) Dr Leong Lai Peng presenting the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry Book Prize to a winner.

(from left) Ms Linda Seah from Baxter Healthcare (Asia) Pte Ltd with the winning and Assoc Prof Chui Wai Keung.




alumni/FriendS

reminisce your campus moments once again with your professors, classmates and family members

at the same campus grounds.

Science on Saturday is a special series of activities organised by the Faculty of Science (FoS) to recall campus moments of experiments, lectures, demonstrations and bonding with classmates and professors. It was a fun-packed occasion over three Saturdays in June where some of our science alumni returned with their families to recollect their campus moments by attending lectures and getting their hands on laboratory work once again.

Some academic staffs as well as professors were present to welcome the ex-students and their families. Alumni were excited to meet their course mates and professors, as there was so much to share and family members introduce. It was a gathering of alumni and friends at lecture theaters and research laboratories.

Science on Saturday is a great opportunity to refresh your Science knowledge and attend lectures delivered by professors. It was organised in a manner to bring alumni back to their campus moments with Science experiments and demonstrations all over again. It’s also a good place to get the list of your cohort from FoS which could lead to a class reunion.

Science on Saturday

Some exciting activities over the three Saturdays were,

introduction to the nanoWorld was conducted by Assoc Prof Sow Chorng Haur from the Department of Physics. This lecture gave the audience an appreciation of the nanosized regime and scientists’ fascination in the field of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

science of Cooking and Molecular gastronomy was led by Dr Linda Sellou from the Department of Chemistry. It revealed that cooking involved more science than many people realised. The demonstrations showed how physical and chemical transformation of food ingredients that occur while cooking may lead to better kitchen performances.

Zoological explorations in Singapore was addressed by Mr N. Sivasothi, a.k.a. ‘Otterman’ from the Department of Biological Sciences. Zoological explorations in Singapore by NUS staff and student researchers, along with an active natural history community, continue to raise the awareness of urban citizenry and address conservation challenges through a variety of avenues.

Myths and Facts surrounding Foods was an interesting topic shared by Dr. Leong Lai Peng, from the Food Science &Technology Programme, Department of Chemistry. The session on myths and facts surrounding foods required audience to resolve a rumor that was circulated on the internet. Later, demonstrations revealed how science can analyse tricky statements and claims.

tour of alpha Biofuels demonstrated how biodiesel is made from used cooking oil on a large-scale. During the tour, visitors caught a glimpse of the daily operations such as a state-of-the-art biodiesel micro-refinery and coffee grounds drying facility. This was complemented with a highly entertaining and educational multimedia presentation that covered a wide range of environmental issues with depth on the biofuels industry in Singapore.

Discovering Zoology – Form and Function in animal Life was a contribution by the Raffles Museum Toddycats, students and volunteers of the Department of Biological Sciences. The session established the intricacies of form and function in animals through specimen collection by the Department of Biological Sciences and the roving exhibition collection of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research.

Science on Saturday was organised by the Faculty of Science (FoS) to recollect alumni’s campus moments of experiments, lectures,

demonstrations and bonding with classmates and professors.

Science on Saturday is a great opportunity to refresh your Science knowledge and attend lectures delivered by professors.





Designer James Wee




reSearch

Tropical

Fruit Wine tons of fruits go to waste daily due

to inappropriate human handling. At the central refuse bin in wet

markets or hawker centres, fruits are thrown away in buckets for many reasons. No one really cares about the laborious farming and harvesting that brought the fruits to the table.

Asst Prof Liu Shao Quan from the Department of Chemistry, Food Science and Technology Programme and his two graduate students, Dr Christine Lee and Ms Fransisca Taniasuri discovered a delightful way to reduce this fruit wastage. The idea developed as they realised large quantities of papayas are wasted due to factors such as rapid post-harvest deterioration, high heat and humidity, poor handling, poor storage procedures and microbial infestation.

The team decided to explore papaya wine research five years ago and durian wine about three years ago. The students embraced the traditional wine fermentation process but did away with the use of sulphur dioxide. This means that chemical treatment is reduced greatly. Instead, they used different inoculation strategies and introduced yeast species such as Saccharomyces and Williopsis. The result was papaya wines with alcohol

content from 1.6 to 5.4 percent. The wines also possess unique characteristics and aroma profiles.

As for the king of the fruits, they applied three treatments on the durian, namely alcoholic fermentation, simultaneous alcoholic-malolactic fermentation, and sequential alcoholic-malolactic fermentation. The result was durian wine with alcohol content of about 6 percent and almost without the fruit’s strong pungent smell.

And if you are afraid of mixing durian with alcohol which may cause a health or safety problem, Dr Liu explained that a recent study has shown that it is the sulphur compounds in the durian that may cause the potential fatal incident. After fermentation, the sulphur compounds are reduced significantly to trace levels and hence, there should not be any possible safety issues.

The team intends to commercialise the products by collaborating with industry players in due time. Both Dr Christine Lee and Fransisca Taniasuri are now employed by Singapore-based company Aztech to further develop and commercialise tropical fruit wines.

“The wines also possess unique characteristics and

aroma profiles. ”

Student researchers from the Food Science & Technology Programme and their supervisor have successfully produced wines made from papayas and durians. They hope that their inventions will provide consumers with alternative beverage options, and help reduce the wastage of the tropical fruits which become overripe in the hot climate.





Designer James Wee




reSearch

t ropical forests – home to half of all species on the planet - are quickly being chopped down and

cut into small pieces to make way for oil palm plantations, soybean fields and suburban neighbourhoods. After the onslaught, the forest increasingly persists as small fragments, like islands within a sea of agriculture and urban development, where species gradually disappear over time. Just how many species are lost and how quickly they vanish is a key question that will give us a measure of how rapidly we must restore forest connectivity to preserve biodiversity.

According to new research published in Science, small fragments may be more vulnerable to biodiversity loss than previously thought.

The study was led by Mr Luke Gibson, a PhD candidate at the Department of Biological Sciences, and involved an international team including his supervisor, Asst Prof David Bickford, Dr Antony Lynam of Wildlife Conservation Society, Prof David Woodruff of UC San Diego, and others from Australia, Canada and Thailand.

In a large reservoir in southern Thailand, they surveyed forest islands – former hilltops within a contiguous block of forest. Just 25 years after isolation, they found that an entire group of animals had vanished. Using traps, they found a diverse group of small mammals in the forest surrounding the reservoir - animals that play an important role in the ecosystem by acting as seed dispersers. However, native small mammals are on the verge of extinction across the entire reservoir archipelago with, on average, less

Forest islands in Chiew Larn Reservoir – Surveys of these islands by Gibson and colleagues show that extinctions in forest fragments can occur much more rap-idly than previously thought. Photo: Antony Lynam

Chiew Larn Reservoir is surrounded by Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary and Khao Sok National Park. Photo: An-tony Lynam

Image: Antony Lynam, Brett Schefferst, Luke Gibson

than one individual persisting on each island. Instead, they found high densities of the Malayan field rat, an invasive species which has apparently contributed to the decline of native species.

The extreme settings of their study system - where fragments are very small, surrounded by an unfriendly environment and overrun by invasive species, are common throughout tropical landscapes and will become more so with growing populations and rising demands for food. Their results show that we have a very narrow window to reverse these trends. This is something humans can do by protecting the remaining large tract of forest areas and promptly reinstate forest connectivity in highly fragmented landscapes. The fate of tropical biodiversity depends on our efforts today.

The fate of tropical biodiversity depends on our efforts today.

Wildlife face ‘Armageddon’ as forests shrink

Recent research reveal that dramatic extinctions can quickly follow forest fragmentation as wildlife and humans battle for the same space.

Luke Gibson releasing a moonrat (Echinosorex gymnura) from a cage trap. Brett Scheffers





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a PhD candidate from the Department of Chemistry, Mr Ramakrishna Mallampati

noticed that many existing water purification methods such as reverse osmosis are difficult and costly to set up. Such techniques may not be accessible in many countries and may need a series of techniques (e.g. use of sand filtration, flocculation, carbon adsorbents) to work together to remove pollutants. He explained that various pollutants such as dyes, pesticides, anions, toxic

metals, bacteria and particles cause water pollution. To remove such impurities in contaminated water, several steps are required.

His research objective is to remove all pollutants simultaneously by using a single absorbent, explained his supervisor Assoc Prof Suresh Valiyaveettil. He said that tomato peel is an effective absorbent and Ramakrishna’s two-year study revealed that it can successfully remove contaminants including dissolved organic and inorganic chemicals, dyes and pesticides.

Mr Ramakrishna said that tomato and apple peels are readily available around the world throughout all seasons. The peels are low-cost, affordable and easy to handle. They are also non-toxic, biodegradable and show fast absorption of many pollutants from water. In addition, the different functional groups on the surface of the peels help to interact with a range of pollutants and facilitate the adsorption and removal.

As a rough measure, peels from eight to ten tomatoes can remove heavy metal ions from a litre of contaminated water in just one hour. This development is the world’s first water treatment technique using apple and tomato peels.

The researchers felt that this easy purification technique caters best for economically and technologically disadvantaged people residing in remote villages with little electricity or resources to set up a water purification plant.

Both Mr Ramakrishna and Assoc Prof Valiyaveettil are collaborating with a few groups to fine-tune the purification technology. They also hope to work with non-governmental organisations to share their research findings and knowledge to benefit rural dwellers globally.

(from right) Assoc Prof Valiyaveettil and Mr Ramakrishna with other team members

who assisted in the research

Ramakrishna’s two-year study revealed that it can successfully remove contaminants including dissolved organic and inorganic chemicals, dyes and pesticides.

World’s first water purification using tomato & apple peels A low-cost method of water treatment has been developed by using fruit peels to remove various types of pollutants and it is designed to benefit people who have no access to clean water.





Designer James Wee




dePartmentProf Bao Weizhu wins

10th Feng Kang Prize in scientific Computing by the Chinese society of Computational Mathematics

Singapore plays host for the first time in this academic competition, which saw its students scoring its best results ever – four gold medals and an overall top gold.

Prof Bao Weizhu, winner of the 10th Feng Kang Prize in Scientific Computing.

Prof Bao Weizhu from the Department of Mathematics has been awarded the 10th Feng

Kang Prize in Scientific Computing. He is the inaugural recipient from NUS to be awarded the Prize for Scientific Computing by the Chinese Society of Computational Mathematics for his significant contributions in Numerical methods and mathematical analysis for Bose-Einstein condensation and numerical analysis of the Schrödinger equation. Prof Bao Weizhu has made significant contributions to computational and applied mathematics, especially in the areas of Bose-Einstein condensation, solid-state dewetting problems, computational fluid dynamics, wave motion in quantum and plasma physics and combustion. His work on numerical methods and mathematical analysis for ground states and dynamics of Bose-Einstein condensation has been published in top journals in computational and applied mathematics and physics. Prof Bao has been invited to give a presentation at the International Congress of Mathematics (ICM) 2014

to be held in Seoul, South Korea. The invitation is an immense honour that is widely acclaimed by the mathematical community as a mark of excellence and recognition of a world-class mathematician. The Feng Kang Prize in Scientific Computing honours young Chinese scientists (before the age of 45) in China and abroad for significant contributions in scientific computing. Winners are rewarded with a premium of 20,000 Chinese Yuan each (approximately S$4,000). Since 1995, the award has been presented biennially with at most three receipts each time and has honoured young Chinese mathematicians in China and abroad for their significant contributions in the broad areas of scientific computing. The Feng Kang Prize is dedicated to the memory of the late Prof Feng Kang (1920 – 1993), the founder and pioneer of Chinese computational mathematics. He was a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as the founding director of the Computing Centre of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Prof Bao Weizhu has made significant contributions to computational and applied mathematics,

especially in the areas of Bose-Einstein condensation, solid-state dewetting problems, computational fluid dynamics, wave motion in quantum and plasma physics, combustion, etc.





Designer James Wee




dePartment

singapore’s highest science honours were given out on 25 September 2013 at the President’s Science and Technology Awards, which took place at Gardens By

The Bay. Outstanding individuals and teams were noted for their achievements and contributions to research and development in Singapore.

Among the eight top research scientists and engineers who received the awards from President Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam was Prof Yu Hao from the Department of Biological Sciences for his outstanding research in plant functional genomics and its biotechnological applications to economically important crops.

In the last decade, Prof Yu has dedicated his work to uncover the molecular genetic mechanisms of plant reproductive development with a focus on flowering time control, floral organ development and phytohormone signalling. Flowering plants are the most diverse and ecologically successful group of organisms on earth. They reproduce in an unpredictable environment by generating flowers that contain reproductive organs. As this reproductive process determines yield in crop plants and affects the survival of plant varieties that are adapted to changing environment and climatic conditions, Prof Yu’s research on plant reproductive development provides important solutions to vital problems relevant to our daily life, such as the supply of food, medicine, and bioenergy.

Benefits of the researchProf Yu explains that the fundamental research provides conceptual advances in understanding how plants respond to various environmental stimuli and developmental cues to determine when they should flower, how the shoot apical meristems of flowering plants are eventually differentiated into different floral organs, and how phytohormones mediate plant growth and defence to secure a successful reproductive development.

In addition to the significant contribution of these findings to plant biology, many of these findings also provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms of cognate developmental and cellular programs in other eukaryotic systems.

Based on the breakthrough discoveries in the model plant Arabidopsis, his research group is also creating novel and high-value varieties with desirable flower traits and seed yield for economically important crops such as rice, orchid and oil palm.

Challenges in researchProf Yu said that many of these studies are tedious and time-consuming. Hence, full dedication from the researcher is of utmost importance to see successful results.

He hopes that integration of new technologies such as deep-sequencing, bio-imaging and genome-editing tools will open up new avenues in understanding plant development better.

going forwardProf Yu said that their research has significantly increased the basic understanding of plant reproductive development and general mechanisms of gene regulation. These have been well recognised by their international colleagues. Going forward, “We are making efforts in biotechnological application, which is a key area for Singapore’s economic development. Now we are applying our findings to several crops, such as rice, oil palm and orchid in terms of improving economically important traits such as flowering time and seed yield,” added Prof Yu.

Prof Yu’s research has gained international recognition and have been published in many prestigious journals. The research materials generated in his lab have been distributed to over 60 labs in more than 18 countries. He has been invited to serve as an Editorial Board member for international refereed journals published by 7 publishers, including reputable ones published by PLoS, Springer and Oxford University Press. He was invited as reviewer for 36 international refereed journals, including Science and Nature Genetics, and also as reviewer for 11 foreign and local grant agencies.

He was the recipient of Singapore National Academy of Science Young Scientist Award (2006), NUS Young Researcher Award (2007), Singapore Youth Award for Science and Technology (2007), Dean’s Chair Professorship in Faculty of Science, NUS (2011) and Outstanding Scientist Award in Faculty of Science, NUS (2011).

President’s science and technology awards

We are making efforts in biotechnological application, which is a key area for Singapore economic development. Now we are applying our findings to several crops, such as rice, oil palm and orchid in terms of improving economically important traits such as flowering time and seed yield.





Designer James Wee

Prof Yu Hao from the Department of Biological Sciences




dePartment

the Department of Mathematics in NUS is proud and pleased to report that four of its faculty members have been invited to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) 2014 to be held in Seoul, South Korea.

The International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) is the largest international congress in the mathematics community. Its long and illustrious history stretches back for more than a century. It is held once every four years under the auspices of the International Mathematical Union (IMU). Four of the top prizes in mathematics: the Fields Medals, the Nevanlinna Prize, the Gauss Prize and the Chern Medal, are awarded during the opening ceremony on the first day of the congress. With thousands of participants and the announcements of the prestigious prizes, every ICM is the focus of the mathematical world and a highlight on the mathematical calendar. The selection process for invited speakers to ICM is extremely rigorous. Nominations received worldwide are channeled to selection committees for individual sub-disciplines comprising of preeminent experts in the whole world. In each sub-discipline, only a handful of mathematicians are invited to give 45-minute presentations. To be an ICM invited speaker is to be recognised by one’s peers to be among the top experts in one’s own discipline. It is a singular honour that is widely acclaimed by the mathematical community as a mark of excellence. With such stringent selection criteria, it is a significant recognition of the quality of a mathematics department to have multiple invited speakers at the same ICM.

All four invited professors have made significant contributions to their areas of expertise.

Prof Bao Weizhu works in computation and applied mathematics, especially in the area of Bose-Einstein condensation. Prof Bao has been awarded the 10th Feng Kang Prize for Scientific Computing by the Chinese Society of Computational Mathematics.

Prof gan Wee teck’s principal areas of research are representation theory and number theory, especially their interconnections as exemplified by the Langlands program. Prof Gan is a past recipient of the American Mathematics Society Centennial Fellowship (2002-2003) and the Sloan Research Fellowship (2003-2005).

Prof shen Weixiao works in the area of dynamical systems. Prof Shen received the prestigious S. S. Chern Prize from the Chinese Mathematical Society in 2009, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the field of mathematics.

Prof Yu shih-Hsien’s research focus is on quantitative and qualitative theories for conservation laws and the Boltzmann equation. He is recognised as one of the leading experts in this field. The invitations affirm their places as leading members of their respective research areas. In the department’s history, Prof Shen Zuowei, current Head of the Department, was the first mathematician from the Faculty of Science (FoS) to be awarded this recognition when he was invited to speak at the last ICM in 2010. Having four invited ICM speakers in the same year puts the NUS Mathematics Department at the forefront of the mathematical community in the world and brings great honor and recognition to the department and the university. This marks a new milestone in the history of NUS and the Department of Mathematics.

An unprecedented high number of invitations to speak at the top mathematics congress ranks NUS Department of Mathematics together with the best of its peers internationally. This achievement highlights the quality of our mathematics professors, and justifies the department’s prudent recruitment and retention strategies over the past decade.

International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) 2014

Infos by: Assoc Prof Denny H. Leung





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The invited speakers from left are Prof Gan Wee Teck, Prof Shen Weixiao, Prof Yu Shih-Hsien and Prof Bao Weizhu.




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