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Third Research Centre of Excellence at NUS
Latest RCE to study cell and tissue mechanics
A GLOBAL MECHANOBIOLOGY TEAM: Geared up for forthcoming research projects are (From left) Assoc Prof Yas Sawada (Division of Bioengineering & Department of Biological Sciences), Assoc Prof Lim Chwee Teck (Division of Bioengineering & Department of Mechanical Engineering) and Assoc Prof Christopher Hogue (Department of Biological Sciences A NEW Mechanobiology Research Centre of Excellence (RCE), which aims to break new ground in studying diseases through the mechanisms of cell and tissue mechanics, will be set up at NUS. Primed to be one of the leaders in this innovative field, the Mechanobiology RCE is NUS' third RCE following the Centre for Quantum Technologies and Cancer Science Institute of Singapore.
"Leveraging on our existing strengths in Biology, Bioengineering, Nanotechnology and Computational Biology, the Mechanobiology RCE will assemble a world-class team of international and local faculty to conduct high-quality research," said NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan. "We can look forward to breakthroughs that will have a significant impact on new drug discovery and therapeutics."
Led by Executive Director Prof Michael Sheetz from the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University and co-Director Prof Paul Matsudaira, Head of the NUS Department of Biological Sciences, the Centre will have three integrated inter-disciplinary teams working on cellular, molecular and tissue mechanics. Researchers will endeavour to develop powerful, quantitative, physical and biochemical models to define dynamic cellular functions, experimental reagents and tools for studying diseases of cells and tissues.
"The competitive advantage of this Centre lies in its unique approach in characterising biomechanics at the molecule-to-cell-to-tissue levels through integrated inter-disciplinary teams," said Prof Michael Sheetz, who is also the William R Kenan Jr. Professor at Columbia University. He added that the research synergies with NUS, National University Hospital, Nanyang Technological University, Temasek Life Sciences Lab, Singapore-MIT Alliance Research Technology (SMART) Centre and A*Star research institutes will enable Singapore to become one of the leaders in this field.
The first projects which the Centre will work on involve the description of the mechanical functions of cells, in particular, define mechano-sensors - the way in which cells convert mechanical signals into biochemical signals within the cells. Work will be done on a number of types of cells including those of cartilage and ligament.
The Mechanobiology RCE will commence operations in September with an initial 50 to 60 researchers, increasing to 180 researchers by 2011. It also plans to train 100 PhD students and 100 postdoctoral fellows over the next 10 years.
First incepted in 2007, the Research Centres of Excellence aims to conduct world-class investigator-led research with a global impact. A total of $750 million for the RCEs has been jointly allocated by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Ministry of Education (MOE). The Mechanobiology RCE will receive $150 million in total funding over 10 years - $100 million from NRF and $50 million from MOE.
Prof Michael Sheetz, Executive Director of the Mechanobiology RCE and William R Kenan Jr. Professor of the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University
Hailing from Columbia University, Prof Michael Sheetz has more than 30 years' experience in the biomedical field. Introduced to Singapore by Prof Hew Choy Leong of the NUS Department of Biological Sciences, Prof Sheetz was sought to lead an RCE project. This resulted in a two-year effort to organise and submit a proposal on Mechanobiology where Prof Sheetz set the theme and direction of the RCE. As Executive Director of the Mechanobiology RCE, he will be spending nine months a year in Singapore to oversee the Centre's programmes.
Prof Paul Matsudaira, co-Director of the Mechanobiology RCE and Head of the NUS Department of Biological Sciences
Drawn to Singapore by its research and development impetus, Prof Paul Matsudaira was formerly a biology and bioengineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has achieved significant discoveries on podosomes and polymer-based molecular motors for cell movement in his 24 years at MIT. Appointed the co-Director of thenb Mechanobiology RCE when he came to Singapore last June, Prof Matsudaira presently heads the NUS Department of Biological Sciences.
