20 November 2007

NUS research to generate economic and societal benefits

Four NUS research projects -- on lipids, spintronics, membrane materials for energy applications and graphene materials for the electronics industry were awarded generous grants by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

In an inaugural competitive research programme launched in April 2007, the Foundation will award up to $60 million in funding to six projects. Out of these six, four were from NUS. Proposals were assessed on the quality of research ideas, feasibility, track records of the researchers and potential contribution to the economy.

PROJECT LEADERS: From left: Assoc Prof Markus Wenk; Assoc Prof Loh Kian Ping; Prof Neal Chung; and Assoc Prof Ding Jun.

Assoc Prof Markus Wenk, Assistant Head, Department of Biochemistry, leads the project on lipidomics and is spearheading novel approaches in analysis of lipids for the development of drugs and biomakers for various diseases.

Prof Neal Chung, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, leads the membrane materials project. The team has already developed a membrane that can filter up to 98 per cent of impurities that can reduce the efficiency of natural gas.

Graphene, a basic building block, has potential to replace silicon in electronics applications. The NUS team lead by Assoc Prof Loh Kian Ping, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative, Department of Chemistry, aims to devise new methods to make graphene-related materials using chemical as well as physical means. Their research may lead to new concepts in the area of electronic devices.

The spintronic team led by Assoc Prof Ding Jun, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, aims to develop the potential of spintronics in data storage, quantum logic and other significant applications.