Conversations: The next nano chapter
Nanobiotechnologist Prof Warren Chan, Dean of NTU’s College of Engineering, explains why nano research is in the spotlight and why breaking down walls is essential for top-notch research.
.jpg?sfvrsn=5b527752_1 "Prof Warren Chan from NTU Singapore")
Interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology research has been growing rapidly, with investments in the field expected to soar globally by tens of billions of dollars over the coming years.
Prof Warren Chan, Dean of NTU’s College of Engineering and a pioneer in nanobiotechnology, says the exuberance in nano research is being ignited by researchers uncovering new applications for nanomaterials developed over decades. And NTU, which is distinguished in the field, is well positioned to ride the wave.
Prof Chan, who is also President’s Chair in Engineering at the University, spent two decades at the University of Toronto before coming to Singapore in 2024. He currently leads efforts to recruit top global faculty and strengthen engineering research and education here.
He tells Pushing Frontiers where he thinks nanoparticle innovations are headed, why NTU’s engineering college is attractive to researchers and his vision for research there.
Q: Why is nano research so hot now?
A: In the last 20 to 30 years, there was a lot of investment into understanding the unique properties of nanomaterials. Realising that we can exploit these characteristics, researchers and businesses tried different methods to manufacture nanomaterials at a larger scale for broader use.
We are now at that application phase, figuring out different novel uses for the many nanomaterials that have been developed.
Nanomaterials are attractive for many applications because we can change their properties for different uses by just altering their dimensions. This simplifies the manufacturing process as we do not need new methods to synthesise different materials to get different properties.
Today, many nanomaterials are used daily. For instance, the red line that appears on COVID-19 antigen rapid test kits is created by gold nanoparticles accumulating on the test strip. Many cosmetic products use liposome nanoparticles to deliver molecules for skin hydration. Some television sets also use nanoparticles called quantum dots to produce vivid reds, greens and blues on screen.
Q: Where do you see nano research headed?
A: There will still be a focus on discovering new types of nanomaterials, studying their properties and learning how to manufacture them on a large scale, as well as converting known nanomaterials into products and expanding their applications to help society at different levels.
For nanoparticles, promising applications include innovations in energy, chemical manufacturing, medical diagnostics using quantum principles, and precision medicine.
For example, to address growing energy demands, we are designing nanoparticles that can better store energy and release it in the presence of a stimulus.
One big focus in healthcare is to develop coloured nanoparticles that can detect multiple genes and proteins at the same time, and not just one type of molecule. This could improve diagnosis, for instance, by helping us better detect whether a patient has a specific infection or condition.
Another trend is the use of nanoparticles as a safe vehicle that protects drugs from being destroyed in the body as they are transported to specific cells or tissues.
Q: What are some notable studies you have done?
A: I was part of the team that first published research on using quantum dots for biology in the late 1990s, specifically to label and visualise molecules in cells.
In the 2000s, I published one of the first research papers on the toxicity of nanoparticles. Separately, I was among the first to show that the size of nanoparticles affected how many of them could get into a cell.
Then in the 2010s, I challenged prevailing assumptions about how nanoparticles deliver drugs to tumour sites. My team analysed a decade’s worth of published data and found that less than 1% of administered nanoparticles actually reach tumours.
Over the last 10 years, I have developed a new theory explaining how nanoparticles enter tumours, which also suggests why nanoparticle therapy often does not work clinically. My team showed that the particles enter tumours by being actively “swallowed” by the cells lining blood vessels and they are “spit out” through the other side, instead of passively passing through “leaky” gaps between these cells. This discovery has implications for how we engineer therapeutic nanoparticles going forward.
Q: NTU is well regarded in nano research worldwide. For instance, according to a US News & World Report ranking of global universities, NTU is ranked fourth in the world for nanoscience and nanotechnology. How did we get there?
A: NTU was part of the early wave that laid the foundations for nanomaterials research, like understanding the properties of nanomaterials, as well as how to characterise them and scale up their production. We have excellent facilities that allow us to do this, and we have been very strong in fundamental studies in this area.
The University is now transitioning into developing more applications for nanomaterials. At the College of Engineering, we continue to hire people in areas such as the development of nanomaterials for different energy applications, nanoparticles for drug delivery and nanomaterials for quantum uses.
Q: How do you see NTU and the University’s College of Engineering differentiating themselves from other institutions worldwide?
A: Like the best universities, there is a willingness to do well here and go in new directions. The differentiating factor is that NTU’s College of Engineering is young, just as the University is also young at only 35 years old.
As a young university, we adjust more quickly than universities that are hundreds of years old and have many policies and structures in place.
Setting up a new school or research institute may take years in many universities, but not at NTU – the University set up the new College of Computing & Data Science in just six months. We have ideas for new research institutes and facilities at the College of Engineering too, and we plan to make investments in these in the coming months.
We are also able to move quickly into emerging research areas. Quantum research is an up-and-coming field, and we are already building capabilities and actively hiring in this space.
We can give our scientists more freedom to do their research – which is attractive to many of them – because we have fewer internal roadblocks as a young university. Another appealing factor is that globally, NTU is known for being strong in engineering, with established infrastructure and facilities.
The College of Engineering has a strong core faculty doing leading-edge research. They attract like-minded researchers keen to work with them, which makes the college even stronger over time.
NTU is also located in Singapore, which is a very attractive place to live in. Our high English proficiency makes it easier for international researchers to adjust to life here. And as a sweetener, NTU has generous funding to help researchers start out here.
We are actively looking for new talent globally. In 2024, the college had over 1,200 applicants and we welcomed about 30 new faculty. We are attracting some of the best graduate students, postgraduate researchers and research fellows.
Q: What is your vision for research at the college?
A: Research tends to be less discipline-specific now. For example, if your research is on quantum dots, you are traditionally well-versed in chemistry or material science. But if you are a traditional material scientist applying quantum dots to health, you would collaborate with a doctor because you may not understand what the health implications are. If you do clinical trials, you need another researcher with expertise in that.
So, to do top-level research, you have to cut across different fields. This requires a more interdisciplinary approach and mindset.
We need laboratory space that brings scientists from different schools together, breaking down walls for collaboration across fields to happen naturally.
We have some spaces like these at NTU but we would like to have even more. This is one of several ideas we are thinking about to give research at the college a boost in the next few years.
Q: How is the college working with industry partners to translate nano research into real-world applications?
A: Our faculty are part of the global industrial community. They are heavily involved in research done together with industry partners at many joint industry research labs.
Based on discussions with our partners, including at the early stage, we adjust the direction of our joint research to meet their needs. So, we are always striking a balance between doing emerging research and practical research.
Q: Do Asian universities and universities in North America approach research and innovation differently?
A: North American universities tend do more curiosity-driven and fundamental research. This contrasts with research in Asian universities, which is more applied and driven by practical outcomes. In my view, there needs to be a better balance for universities in both North America and Asia.
When you do exploratory research, the success rate is low. However, if you do find something, it could change the world. It also takes time for emerging research to become practical, and North American universities are now realising that they need to get a return on their research investment.
For Asian universities, turning fundamental research into products can drive economics very quickly. But if you focus on this only, there comes a point when the available fundamental research that can be translated eventually dries up and businesses take over the commercial applications of the research from universities.
I am sure that in time, there will be a happy medium between curiosity-driven research and practical research.
The article appeared first in NTU's research & innovation magazine Pushing Frontiers (issue #26, May 2026).
