Biochemistry Buzz Volume: 19 Issue: June 2014

Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
1
Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
THE HIGHLIGHTS
 Staﬀ Awards
 Student Conferment
 Grants Awarded
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
DEPARTMENT PUBLICATIONS
 January—May 2014
WHAT’S BUZZING?
 Staﬀ Welfare lunch @
Carousel
 Fruits Day
 YLL SOM 4th Annual
Graduate Scien fic
Congress 2014
 Phase 1 comple on for
levels 1 and 2 MD7
 Baby Joy!
OUR FAREWELL
COMING UP!
 Inaugural NUHS
Dis nguished Mini‐
Symposium “Challenges
in Breast cancer and
Oncology”
DID YOU KNOW?
HOD’s Message
Dear Colleagues & Students,
The long semester break is here and the
Department is re-energising and preparing
itself for the new semester. We have just
completed the past semester’s exams and
I would like to specially acknowledge and
convey my sincere thanks to all our staff
who were involved in ensuring, once
again, 100% accuracy in all our marking
results. We are very proud to have such a
dedicated team upholding the education
missions of our Department.
As you may have observed, our MD7
levels 1 and 2 have been completely
refurbished. It is a relief that the phase 1
regularization
was
completed
as
scheduled. Level 1 will house the Life
Sciences teaching lab and all its facilities
for our practical classes. Level 2 will be
home to the Administrative Office,
Seminar Room, Conference Room, dry
labs and some offices for our PIs. We look
forward to the beginning of the Phase 2
regularization and the remodeling of levels
3, 4 and 5, which is expected to be
completed by end of the year.
and tenure applications. Presently, the
Department is actively engaged in
recruiting faculty staff to further strengthen
our 3 research themes. I hope the final
choices of our peer and aspirant
departments will certainly motivate our
Department to soar to greater heights in
research.
I also like to wish my very best to Dr
Sherry Wang Xueying who has left us on
31 May 2014 to lead a research division in
a private company. She will continue to
maintain close links with the Department
through her adjunct position with us.
As we forge into the second half of 2014, I
hope the vacation break will give all of us
some time to unwind, recharge and refocus to take on the challenges in the
upcoming new semester, especially the
completion of MD7 regularization. I know
many of us are looking forward to being
back “home” and so do I.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Jean Paul Thiery
Head of Department
The Department is currently reviewing and
proposing our possible peer and aspirant
departments to the Deanery. These
departments will be used as a form of
benchmark for future recruitment of
Assistant Professors and for promotion
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
2
Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
The Highlights
Staff Awards
A/PGanYunnHwen
DrDengLihWen
DrYeongFoongMay
MsAnizaA.Wahid
Faculty Research Excellence
Award AY2012/2013
Faculty Teaching Excellence
Awards AY2012/2013
Faculty Teaching Excellence
Awards AY2012/2013
NUS Quality Service Advocate
Award 2013 for her
outstanding contribu ons to
the Department
Student Conferment
Name
Program
Conferred date
Supervisor
Ms Choo Yin Yin
PhD
31-01-14
A/P Thilo Hagen
Mr Goo Chong Kiat
PhD
28-02-14
Ms Charlene Priscilla Poore
PhD
31-01-14
Mr Jaichandran S/O Sivalingam
PhD
31-01-14
Prof Sit Kim Ping
A/P Sashi Kesavapany (main)
A/P Markus Wenk ( co-sup)
Prof Kon Oi Lian
Ms Hou Qian
PhD
31-01-14
A/P Chung Ching Ming, Maxey
Ms Ho Yoon Khei
PhD
31-03-14
A/P Too Heng-Phon
Mr Nguyen Thanh Hung
PhD
30-04-14
Dr Mathijs Voorhoeve
Grants Awarded
Month
Grant Call
Principal
Investigator
Project Title
Amount
April 2014
NUHS Bench-to-Bedside
A/P Chua Kim Lee
Pre-clinical testing of a novel biomaterial
coating for silicone catheters
$100,000
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
3
Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
Welcome to the Family
Chen Binbin
Chen Ruilin Jacklyn
Chen Xixian
Chin Cheen Fei
Research Assistant
PI: A/P Matthew Chang
Date Joined: 07-04-14
Research Assistant
PI: A/P Markus Wenk
Date Joined: 25-02-14
Research Assistant
PI: A/P Too Heng Phon
Date Joined: 24-01-14
Research Assistant
PI: Dr Yeong Foong May
Date Joined: 17-02-14
Chng Si Hui
Choo Yin Yin
Ho Chun Loong
Liang Junxin
Research Assistant
PI: A/P Matthew Chang
Date Joined: 28-02-14
Research Assistant
PI: Dr Lim Yoon Pin
Date Joined: 10-02-14
Research Assistant
PI: A/P Matthew Chang
Date Joined: 06-01-14
Research Assistant
PI: Professor Fu Xin Yuan
Date Joined: 11-02-14
Lo Tat Ming, Samuel
Teo Wei Suong
Wu Wei
Zhang Congqiang
Research Assistant
PI: A/P Matthew Chang
Date Joined: 18-02-14
Research Assistant
PI: A/P Matthew Chang
Date Joined: 27-03-14
Research Assistant
PI: A/P Maxey Chung
Date Joined: 24-02-14
Research Assistant
PI: A/P Too Heng Phon
Date Joined: 01-01-14
Liu Fujia
Liu Ruirui
Cho Han-Saem
Hwang In Young
Research Associate
PI: Professor Jeyaseelan, K.
Date Joined: 07-04-14
Research Associate
PI: A/P Matthew Chang
Date Joined: 13-03-14
Research Fellow
PI: A/P Matthew Chang
Date Joined: 02-01-14
Research Fellow
PI: A/P Matthew Chang
Date Joined: 02-01-14
Foo Jee Loon
Senior Research Fellow
PI: A/P Matthew Chang
Date Joined: 14-04-14
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
4
Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
Our Publications
January 2014 - May 2014
Lee*, S C, H T Tan and M C M Chung*, "Prognostic
biomarkers for prediction of recurrence of hepatocellular
carcinoma: Current status and future prospects.". World
Journal of Gastroenterology, (2014). (China). Publication
no. 0612564
G Shui, "Extensive characterization of human tear fluid
collected using different techniques unravels the
presence of novel lipid amphiphiles.". Journal of Lipid
Research, 55, no. 2 (2014): 289-298. (United States).
Publication no. 0610343
Lin*, Q, H T Tan, T K LIM, A Khoo, KH Lim and M C M
Chung, " iTRAQ analysis of colorectal cancer cell
lines suggests Drebrin (DBN1) is overexpressed during
liver metastasis". Proteomics, (2014). (Germany).
Publication no. 0611076
Lam, SM, L Tong, A Reux, X Duan, A Petznick, SS Yong,
CB Khee, M J Lear, G Shui and M R Wenk*, "Lipidomic
analysis of human tear fluid reveals structure-specific lipid
alterations in dry eye syndrome". Journal of Lipid
Research, 55, no. 2 (2014): 299-306. (United States).
Publication no. 0610342
Lin, F, H J Tan, J S Guan and Y P Lim*, "'Divide and
Conquer – Subproteomic Approaches toward Gastric
Cancer Biomarker and Drug Target Discovery". Expert
Review of Proteomics, (2014). (United Kingdom).
Publication no. 0610005
Chow*, J Y, Y Yang, S B T Tay, K L Chua and W S Yew*,
"Disruption of Biofilm Formation by the Human Pathogen
Acinetobacter baumannii using Engineered Quorumquenching Lactonases.". Antimicrobial Agents and
Chemotherapy, 58, no. 3 (2014): 1802-1805. (United
States). Publication no. 0609461
Long, Y C, T M C Tan, T Inoue and B L Tang*, " The
biochemistry and cell biology of aging: metabolic
regulation through mitochondrial signaling". American
Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism,
306, no. 6 (2014): E581-591. (United States). Publication
no. 0608614
Tan, HK, C D Toh, HR Ma, BX Yang, TK Tan, Y P Lim*,
C Stuart and Y Loh, "Finger-prick iPSCs Facilitate the
Development of Stem Cell Banking". Stem Cells
translational
Medicine,
(2014).
(United
States).
Publication no. 0566413
See, L P A, S Lu, Y P Lim* and P K Chong, "CXCL3 is a
potential target for breast cancer metastasis". Current
Cancer Drug Targets, (2014). (Netherlands). Publication
no. 0564248
Lam SM, SM, L Tong, X Duan, A Petznick, M R Wenk*
and G Shui, "P-glycoprotein and vacuolar ATPase
synergistically confer anthracycline resistance to fission
yeast and human cells.". Current Topics in Medicinal
Chemistry, 21, no. 5 (2014). (Netherlands). Publication
no. 0610345
Lam, SM, L Tong, X DUAN, A Petznick, M R Wenk* and
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
Tan, SH, G Shui, J Zhou, Y Shi, J Huang, D Xia, H M
Shen and M R Wenk*, "Critical role of SCD1 in autophagy
regulation via lipogenesis and lipid rafts-coupled AKTFOXO1 signaling pathway.". Autophagy, 10, no. 2 (2014):
226-242. (United States). Publication no. 0610340
Ravindran, MS, SP Rao, X Cheng, C G Amaury, S Q Yao
and M R Wenk*, "Targeting Lipid Esterases in
Mycobacteria Grown Under Different Physiological
Conditions
Using
Activity-based
Profiling
with
Tetrahydrolipstatin (THL).". Molecular & Cellular
Proteomics, 13, no. 2 (2014): 435-448. (United States).
Publication no. 0610339
Maybelle*, D K G, WC Zhang, B Lim and W S Yew*,
"Glycine Decarboxylase is an Unusual Amino Acid
Decarboxylase
Involved
in
Tumorigenesis.".
Biochemistry, 53, no. 5 (2014): 947-956. (United States).
Publication no. 0609463
Wu, J X, H Zheng, H Cheng, L Zhou, KC Leong, R
Rajagopalan, H P Too and W K Choi, "Thermoporometry
characterization of silica microparticles and nanowires".
Langmuir, 30 (2014): 2206-2215. (United States).
Publication no. 0609268
Fong*, C Y, T K Y Kimberley, A S Cheyyatraivendran, S
U Gan, K Gauthaman, A Armugam, K Jeyaseelan, M
Choolani, A Biswas and T A Bongso, "Human Wharton's
Jelly Stem Cells and Its Conditioned Medium Enhance
Healing of Excisional and Diabetic Wounds". Journal of
Cellular Biochemistry, 115, no. 2 (2014): 290 - 302.
(United States). (PMID: 24038311). Publication no.
0595972
5
Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
Chen, E S, " P-glycoprotein and vacuolar ATPase
synergistically confer anthracycline resistance to fission
yeast and human cells.". Current medicinal chemistry, 21,
no. 2 (2014): 251-260. (Netherlands). Publication no.
0610099
Wee, Z N, ZM Li, PL Lee, ST Lee, Y P Lim and Q Yu,
"EZH2-mediated repression of interferon gamma receptor
is an effective therapeutic target in human cancers". Cell
Reports, (2014). (United States). Publication no. 0564251
Esakimuthu*, P N P, Y Okada, Woei-Yuh Saw, T H Ong,
E Tantoso, W Xu, Authors 7-11, W Y Lim, Soong R, M R
Wenk, Author 15, F R L PETER, Authors 17-18, K S
Chia, Authors 20-21 and YY Teo*, "Predicting HLA alleles
from high-resolution SNP data in three Southeast Asian
populations". Human Molecular Genetics, (2014). (United
Kingdom). Publication no. 0613412
Hou, A, W Lan, K P LAW, SC Khoo, MQ Tin, Y P Lim*
and G T H LOUIS-MARIE, "Evaluation of global
differential gene and protein expression in primary
pterygium: S100A8 and S100A9 as possible drivers of a
signaling network". PLoS One, (2014). (United States).
Publication no. 0610113
Wong, L P, JKH Lai, Woei-Yuh Saw, T H Ong, Y Cheng,
P N P Esakimuthu, X Liu, X Wang, P Chen, Authors 1012, Soong R, M R Wenk, W Y Lim, CC Khor, F R L Peter,
K S Chia and YY Teo*, "Insights into the genetic structure
and diversity of 38 South Asian Indians from deep whole
genome sequencing". PLoS Genetics, (2014). (United
States). Publication no. 0613410
Chua, C E L and B L Tang*, "Engagement of the Small
GTPase Rab31 and its Effector, Early Endosome Antigen
1, is Important for Trafficking of Ligand-bound Epidermal
Growth Factor Receptor from Early to Late Endosome".
Journal of Biological Chemistry, (2014). (United States).
Publication no. 0612520
Arpita, D, S Y LOO, Baohua Huang, S L S Tan, Tan T Z,
Lee SC, J P Thiery, Y C Lim, Yong WP, Y L Lam, AP
Kumar and S M T Yap*, "Sphingosine kinase 1 regulates
proliferative and survival responses in triple-negative
breast cancer". Oncotarget (Open Access), (2014).
(United States). (Oncotarget 2012 IF is 6.636 Alan Prem
Kumar and Lam Yulin are co-corresponding authors).
Publication no. 0611359
Chua, E L C, S N Chan and B L Tang*, "Non-cell
autonomous or secretory tumor suppression". Journal of
Cellular Physiology, (2014). (United States). Publication
no. 0608933
Fan*, M, HS Low, H Zhou, M R Wenk and L Wong,
"LipidGO: Database for lipid-related GO terms and
applications". Bioinformatics, (2014). (United Kingdom).
(Tier 1). Publication no. 0610175
Mishra*, Biswajit, Anindya Basu*, R Y Chua, Rathi
Saravanan, PA Tambyah, B Ho, M W Chang and L S J
Susanna, " Site specific immobilization of a potent
antimicrobial peptide onto silicone catheters: evaluation
against urinary tract infection pathogens". Journal of
Materials Chemistry, (2014). (United Kingdom).
Publication no. 0610141
Tang, B L, " Class II HDACs and neuronal
regeneration". Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, (2014).
(United States). Publication no. 0608613
Yeong, F M, How to read and Critique a Scientific
Article: Notes to Guide Students Reading Primary
Literature for the First Time (with Teaching Tips for
Faculty members), Singapore: World Scientific Press,
2014. 102 pp. (The book aims to help undergraduate
students to overcome their anxieties in reading scientific
literature by providing a conceptual framework that
should be applicable to different types of scientific
articles.). Publication no. 0608821
Ling*, H, W Teo*, B Chen*, L S J Susanna* and M W
Chang*, " Microbial tolerance engineering towards
biochemical production: from lignocellulose to products".
Current Opinion of Biotechnology, (2014). (United
Kingdom). Publication no. 0612013
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
6
Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
What’s Buzzing?
Department Staff Welfare Events
Lunch @ Carousel, Royal Plaza on Scotts
26 February 2014
Everyone was a winner for our lucky draw held after a
scrumptious spread of lunch buffet at Carousel. A big thank you to
the Staff Welfare Committee FY2013 (Dr Kenneth Ban, Ms Ooi
Pei Kun & Ms Dee Pham) for organising this wonderful event.
Department Fruits Day
21 - 22 April 2014
In our support for a healthy lifestyle, the Staff Welfare Committee FY2013 provided all
eligible Department-funded staff with one bag of packed fruits on Monday 21 April 2014.
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
7
Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
What’s Buzzing?
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine 4th Annual Graduate Scientific Congress (AGSC) 2014
11 March 2014
The 4th AGSC Organising Committee, Assistant Dean A/P S Thameen Dheen and A/P Heng Chew Kiat, expressed their
deepest appreciation for your invaluable contributions towards the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine 4th Annual Graduate
Scientific Congress (AGSC) 2014 as the Public Relations (PR) Director of the Congress Organising Committee. They
highly commended the efforts of our 2 postgraduate students in leading the PR team and successfully securing notable
industrial companies as the event’s sponsors. The school have received positive feedback from both participants and
sponsors on the interactive experience they had in this year’s congress. In addition, we applaud our student’s teams’
outstanding efforts in producing a professionally compiled congress booklet. The Department and SOM were also well
impressed with their performance as the emcee for the event. Both Beryl and Sweelin have shown great leadership,
tenacity and versatility throughout the organizing process of this congress.
The Department joins SOM in thanking Ms Beryl Augustine from Dr Yeong Foong May’s lab and Ms Chew Sweelin from
Professor Brigitte Lane’s lab for their outstanding contributions to this year’s Annual Graduate Scientific Congress. You
have certainly made exceptional contributions to this year’s congress. Once again, congratulations for making the 4th
AGSC a very successful event!
We would also like to congratulate the following winners for their excellence performance at AGSC 2014!
3rd Runner-up Oral Presentation Award ($100 cash + Certificate of Award)
Name
Supervisor
Faranak Ghazi Sherbaf
Prof Edison Liu
Best Poster Presentation Award ($100 cash + Certificate of Award)
Name
Supervisor
Zahra Kabiri
Prof David Marc Virshup
Zhao Wei
Dr Deng Lih Wen
Best Research Publication Award ($200 Cash Prize each)
Name
Supervisor
Ma Hui
Dr Wu Qiang
Marco Bezzi
Dr Ernesto Guccione
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
8
Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
What’s Buzzing?
Phase 1 completion for levels 1 and 2, MD7.
More updates
coming soon...
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
9
Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
What’s Buzzing?
Baby Joy!
Second child Jeanette of Ms Kate Ho, a Research Assistant in Professor Sit
Kim Ping’s lab, born on 21 April 2014.
Our Farewell
jx à{tÇ~ à{xÅ yÉÜ à{x|Ü vÉÇàÜ|uâà|ÉÇá àÉ à{x
WxÑtÜàÅxÇà tÇw ã|á{ à{xÅ tÄÄ à{x uxáà |Ç à{x|Ü yâàâÜx
xÇwxtäÉÜáA
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
Anantharaj Rengara
Pallavi Tripathi
Chan Siew Lee
Sangiah Umamaheswari
Chong Yew Mei
Wang Jingbo
Himani Kukreti
Zou Ruiyang
Joanne James
Dr Sherry Wang Xueying
Juvvuna Prasanna Kumar
Kanchi Madhu Mathi
Law Kai Pong
Koh Yong Qin
Lee Junhong
Sebastian Schaffer
Lee Mui Khin Nee Koh
Xie Xiaojin
Miow Qing Hao Eddy
Yang Jin
10
Leading the way in Biomedical Sciences
Coming Up!
Inaugural NUHS Distinguished Mini-Symposium
“Challenges in Breast Cancer and Oncology”
Date: 14 October 2014
Time: 2pm – 5pm
Venue: To be confirmed nearer to date
Dr Lim Yoon Pin, Department of Biochemistry
Organising Committee, Chairperson
Synopsis
Despite advances in early detection, surgery and therapy, breast cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancerrelated deaths. What are some of the day-to-day issues that surgeons, pathologists, oncologists and scientists face
while managing and researching breast cancer? Effective management of breast cancer inevitably requires some of
these issues to be confronted. Through the NUHS breast cancer mini-symposium series, challenges will be surfaced
and insights into solutions will be discussed. Join us as we bring together a community of breast cancer and oncology
researchers in the hope of achieving an integrated and concerted effort to improve the outcomes of our breast cancer
patients in Singapore.
Did you know?
1.
The oldest book in the NUS Libraries is “朱文公校昌黎先生文集” or The Collected Work of Han Yu, proofread
by Zhu Xi. Currently housed in the Chinese Library, it was published between the late 13th-century and the first
half of the 14th-century in Jianyang County (Fujian Province).
2.
NUS is home not just for academics, but also for the arts. The NUS Museum houses over 7,000 artifacts –
ranging from classical Chinese and Indian materials to modern and contemporary Southeast Asian art. Bet you
didn’t know that we also manage the Baba House located along Neil Road!
3.
Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music is named after Yong Siew Toh who was a music teacher and Dr Yong
Loo Lin’s daughter, whose greatest joy is in sharing music with others.
4.
The University is committed to providing a quality education for all our students and ensuring that no deserving
student is denied an education because of financial difficulty. Bursary awards range from S$1,000 to S$20,000
per student per year.
If we missed any news or if you have news to share, please contact
The Editorial Team, Biochemistry
[email protected]
Advisor: Professor Jean Paul Thiery
Editors: Ms Aniza A Wahid & Ms Rebecca Jackson
Writer: Ms Fa n
Designer: Mr Ravi Gandhi
Volume: #19 Issue #June’14
11

Download Report