There are 3 laboratories under the Biological and Chemical Processes Group:

• Biological Lab (N3-01b-07) 
• Biological Process Lab (N3.1-B3Ma-01)
• Chemical Lab (N3.1-B3b-04) 

Research Projects

Benign Surrogates for Tracing the Environmental Transmission Routes of Multi-drug Resistant (MDR) Bacteria and Norovirus in Health-care Settings
In collaboration with TTSH to investigate the environmental transmission routes and dynamics of MDR bacterial and Norovirus in health-care settings. Provide foundation for future development of infection control strategies. 

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Wan Man Pun

Development of RPE-photoreceptors complex for investigation of age-related macular degeneration
A collaboration project with National Healthcare Group to create retina tissue complexes using advance biofabrication techniques

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yeong Wai Yee

Biofabrication of Human Skin
This project aim to incorporate melanocytes within the printed tissue constructs to fabricate pigmented skin substitute that matches the patient’s skin color.

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yeong Wai Yee

Biofabrication of Cardiovascular Tissue
The use of computer assisted technology allows controlled deposition and cells and biomaterials. In this study, extrusion-based bioprinting will be used as the primary mode of building the construct.

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yeong Wai Yee

Biomolecular mediated computer
Conventional silicon-based computing, which has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent decades, is pushing against its practical limits. Biomolecular mediated computing could help take the digital era to the next level. 

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Shu Jian Jun

There is 1 NTU research institute in the Biomedical Devices Group:

• Nanyang Institute of Technology in Health and Medicine (NITHM)

Research Projects

Cancer-detecting Bra
Dense breast tissue presents a higher risk of breast cancer developing than breast tissue with low density. This denser tissue is related to higher rates of false positive and false negative results from mammography or ultrasound, leading to unnecessary breast biopsy surgeries or failure to detect abnormal tissue. This project with Cyrcadia Health, Inc. developed an original device that has achieved FDA 510K clearance with 650 patients and the on-going final 173 BI-RADS 4/5 patient trail at JamesCare Comprehensive Breast Center in Ohio State University and The El Camino Hospital in Silicon Valley is positively tested and is being commercialized for product release in 2015. 

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Ng Yin Kwee, Eddie

Biodegradable Shape Memory Foam Plug for Temporary Endovascular Embolization in Interventional Radiology
To develop a temporary embolization.

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Huang Weimin

Multiphysics Modeling of Smart Hydrogel in BioMEMS
So far the six multiphysics models have been developed theoretically for simulation of the fundamental mechanism and performance of the smart hydrogels responsive to the six kinds of external stimuli in environment solutions respectively. They include (1) solution pH, (2) externally applied electric field, (3) pH coupled with electric field, (4) temperature, (5) glucose/carbohydrates, and (6) salt concentration/ionic strength. All the six models are based on the laws of mass and momentum conservations, and include the effects of multiphases (the 3-D solid polymeric matrix network, interstitial fluid and ion species) simultaneously and chemo-electro-mechanical coupled multi-fields. Computational domains are defined as covering both the smart hydrogel and surrounding solution, in which the moving interfaces between the hydrogel and solution are modeled approximately and the boundary conditions are imposed on solution edges. The work has been extended to transient simulation of controlled drug release from micro-hydrogel particles. 

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Li Hua

Multiphysics Modeling of Moving Deformable Cells in Microscale Hydrodynamic and/or Electric Fields
A two-fluid model is developed for flow characteristics of cell suspending in a fluid, considering the interaction between cell and hydrodynamic field, identified by the membrane mechanical force, in which the cell membrane is treated as an incompressible and elastic shell with a uniform thickness and allowed to undergo the stretching and bending deformation; the interaction between the cell and electric field, identified by the dielectrophoresis (DEP) force due to the cell polarization through the Maxwell stress tensor (MST) approach; and the interaction between the two cells, identified by the intercellular interaction force behaving as a weak attractive force at far distance but a strong repulsive force at near distance through the Morse potential model. 

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Li Hua

Developing Functionally Graded Titanium Based Implants for Biomedical Applications:
This project aims to develop functionally graded implants from titanium based alloy for biomedical applications

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yeong Wai Yee

H-Man - Refinement and Clinical Evaluation of a novel, portable, inexpensive planar robot for arm rehabilitation after stroke
The primary aim is to assess to what extent our H-Man is suitable for rehabilitation purposes using a feasibility pilot clinical trial design involving stroke survivors. 

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Domenico Campolo

Reconstruction of a heart valve : Single Point Attached Commissiure
This project was funded by BMRC in 2005. Extensive large animal trials were successfully carried out using a patented valve mold ( Single Point attached Commissure ). Currently in Lucknow , India’s Sanjay Gandhi PostGraduate Institute of Medical Science is using the valve mold officially for clinical trials. 

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yeo Joon Hock

A new bi-leaflet valve reconstruction for right ventricular outflow tract.
This is a joint project with KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital currently funded by NMRC starting March 2016 for 3 years. The objective is to design a bi-leaflet valve for small conduit for pediatric application. The novelty of this bi-leaflet valve design is that is will continue to serve its purpose as the conduit enlarges as the child grows. The purpose is to delay an imminent re-operation

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yeo Joon Hock

Mitral Valve reconstruction
Similar methodology in creating a valve mold for reconstruction of the aortic valve will be applied to mitral valve reconstruction. With availability of 3D CT scan images and conversion algorithm into STL files, the objective of this project is to develop a customized Mitral Valve mold and using treated tissue to reconstruct a replacement mitral valve

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yeo Joon Hock

A scientific approach towards TCM tongue imaging and processing
Former FYP student Tan YiHui developed an algorithm for color correction and processing. Prof Yeo and Yihui has started a company in color correction and processing for application such as in TCM tongue imaging and cosmetic industry

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yeo Joon Hock

Develop a Droplet-Based Assay Platform for Rapid Sample-to-Answer Diagnostics
Early and rapid detection of pathogen-related diseases is a critical task for pandemic control and treatment. This project aims to develop a self-contained droplet immunoassay platform for bedside diagnostics with sample-to-answer capability. 

Principal Investigator: Assistant Professor Zhang Yi

Microfluidic approaches for point-of-care immune and vascular health profiling in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Development of novel microfluidics devices and biomarkers for real-time risk stratification and precision medicine approaches in diabetes. 

Principal Investigator: Assistant Professor Hou Han Wei

Blood vessel-on-a-chip: A biomimetic model to study the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D in atherosclerosis
Development of microengineered organ-on-chip technologies to investigate how vitamin D influences vascular inflammation and monocyte functions in atherosclerosis. 

Principal Investigator: Assistant Professor Hou Han Wei

Research Projects

Model Development and Evaluation for Automatic Table Tennis Coaching

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Chou Siaw Meng

Exercise footwear features for adults to counter age-related changes in gait muscle activity

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Chou Siaw Meng

Motion capture using a single video camera
Basically the recovery of 3D human posture from a 2D image; string up multiple images to form the motion. Requires image extraction and processing.

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Lee Yong Tsui

TPTP applied to Structural Sports Products in Mass Production
Thin C-plies and a special ARKEMA thermoplastic are used to develop a composite that can offer good fracture toughness, stiffness, shear properties and vibration damping. VARI and light RTM processes are adopted to establish a sports product application. 

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Sunil Chandrakant Joshi

Electronic automatic gear transmission systems in light electric and human-powered vehicles

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Yap Fook Fah