School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Research

Research at the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology spans a wide spectrum of topics, with special strengths in the following areas:

Chemistry

Synthetic chemistry, biological and medicinal chemistry, imaging and sensing, main group chemistry, and femtochemistry.

Chemical Engineering

Catalysis and reaction engineering, colloids and interface sciences, energy technologies, and process systems engineering.

Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology

Bioprocess, biocatalysis, bacteriology, protein engineering and systems biology.

Food Science & Technology

Sustainable food production, processing technology, food safety, and functional food.

Translational Healthcare and Biomedical Technology

Biomaterials, biomedical device, bioimaging, monitoring technologies, and medical diagnostic, therapeutic, and prosthetic devices.


Research Highlights

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New Synthesis Method for Sulphur-Based Drugs

A breakthrough in the synthesis of sulphur-based pharmacophores may enable the creation of new medicines.
15 Feb 2022
nanophosphor

Boosting Photosynthesis with Nanoparticles

Phosphorescent nanoparticles can enhance photosynthesis in microalgae, with exciting implications for the food and bioenergy industries.
12 Oct 2021
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Antibacterial Bandages from Durian Husk

A low-cost green process can extract cellulose from durian husks, for use in antibacterial gel bandages.
25 Mar 2021
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Creating Pollen-Based Microrobots

In a feat of nanotechnology, researchers have developed self-propelling microrobots made of pollen grains.
18 Nov 2020
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Discovery of a Two-Dimensional Carborane Cluster

Chemists have isolated a new form of carborane, a flat cluster of carbon and boron atoms, overturning established theoretical rules of cluster chemistry.
20 Jul 2020
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Uncovering the Properties of Wild Edible Bird’s Nest

Chemistry researchers discover why edible bird's nest harvested in the wild differs from farmed bird's nest.
9 Jul 2020
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Eco-Friendly Materials from Plant Pollen

Pollen, one of the hardest materials in the plant kingdom, can be turned into a soft and flexible microgel material.
23 Mar 2020
H2O-radiolysis

First Ultrafast Observation of Water Radical Ions

One of the fastest chemical processes known to mankind has been observed for the first time.
15 Jan 2020
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Novel Photocatalyst Breaks Down Plastic Waste

A newly-developed method harnesses sunlight to turn plastic waste into useful chemicals.
12 Dec 2019
Figure 1 Overview of RNAi Process

Unveiling the world’s first RNA-based scar prevention microneedle patch

Associate Professor Timothy Tan from the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at NTU in collaboration with Associate Professor Tey Hong Liang, Co-Director of the Skin Diseases Programme at the National Skin Centre, Singapore, have developed the world’s first activated-siRNA dissolving microneedle patch for pathological scars such as hypertrophic scars and keloids.

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Natural gut-based compound to support weight loss safely

A multidisciplinary team at Nanyang Technological University Singapore led by Andrew Tan, Provost’s Chair in Metabolic Disorders and Vice Dean (Innovation and Enterprise) at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, and Tan Choon Hong, Professor from the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, has developed a new orally administered, gut-based compound that reduces dietary fat absorption in the intestines by working directly in the gut rather than suppressing appetite or altering glucose regulation.

New Technology Captures First-Ever “Twitch” of the Eye’s Night-Vision Cells

Led by Nanyang Assistant Professor Tong Ling and a research team involving Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), University of Washington School of Medicine, Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), and Duke-NUS Medical School
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Nanocrystals that “lock together” to form rare Kagome lattices

A breakthrough study, led by A/Prof Ni Ran from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and international collaborators have discovered a new mechanism to assemble nanocrystals into highly ordered, exotic lattice structures by exploiting particle shape rather than chemical bonding.
Research Highlights Thumbnail_A_Prof Shen Photo

TidyMass2: advancing LC-MS untargeted metabolomics through metabolite origin inference and metabolic feature-based functional module analysis

In a groundbreaking collaboration between Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and international collaborators, A/Prof Shen Xiao Tao introduced significant innovations that redefines the capabilities of its predecessor.