FEATURES & INNOVATIONS
of amyloids, a common pathological feature in degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and prion dis- eases, as well as type II diabetes. Te ultrasmall peptides could therefore
serve as a model system to address funda- mental questions about disease onset and progression. Further investigations into the self-assembly process could also lead to the development of new therapeutic approaches specifically targeted at the pre- vention or control of amyloid formation.
Diverse applications
Te IBN’s research into biomimetics is not restricted to therapeutic applications. Recent developments at the institute include the design of coatings for bioar- tificial kidneys and the synthesis of new antimicrobial agents. As the new class of ultrasmall peptides designed by Hauser’s team consists of
Celebrating
Singapore’s young scientific talent
The A*STAR/SNAS Young Scientist Awards are helping to spur innovation and creativity in Singapore by celebrating the work of outstanding young researchers.
T
he Young Scientist Awards, orga- nized by the Singapore National Academy of Science (SNAS) and
supported by A*STAR, are a prestigious recognition research,
of excellence in scientific celebrating some of the most
innovative work being conducted by young researchers based in Singapore. Now running for the 16th consecutive
year, the awards are open to entries from scientists and engineers under the age of 35 who are actively engaged in research and development in Singapore, and who dem- onstrate great potential to be world-class researchers in their fields of expertise. Te A*STAR/SNAS Young Scientist Awards are presented in two categories: 1)
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and 2) Physical, Information and Engineering Sciences. Tose eligible to be nominated include Singapore citizens,
permanent
residents, or foreign citizens who have been working in Singapore for at least three years, born on or after 1 January 1977. Te winners of the Young Scientist Awards each receive $10,000 in cash, a trophy and a certificate at a formal ceremony to be hosted by A*STAR in September 2012.
The search for exceptional talent
Amidst intensifying global competition for top research talent, Singapore continues to
attract some of the brightest minds in science and to foster homegrown
A*STAR RESEARCH OCTOBER 2011–MARCH 2012
The 2011 Young Scientist Award winners received their awards from A*STAR Chairman, Lim Chuan Poh (third from right), and Minister of Trade and Industry, Lim Hng Kiang (third from left).
talent with both research and industry skills,
thereby expanding R&D-driven
research capacity and nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship. As Singapore’s lead government agency
dedicated to fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant knowledge- based economy, A*STAR has a long and abiding interest in recognizing and support- ing the work of talented young scientists. “Te evaluation committees are generally very interested in people with exceptional talent and potential,” says Andy Hor, Chair- man of the Organizing Committee of the A*STAR/SNAS Young Scientist Awards and Executive Director of the A*STAR In- stitute of Materials Research and Engineer- ing. While many candidates may display outstanding intellectual
abilities, or may 87
simple,
aliphatic
amino
acids similar
to those that existed in the ‘primor- dial soup’ from which all life is thought to have evolved,
studying how these
molecules interact and assemble spon- taneously could provide important clues to the origin of life and the mechanisms underlying evolution. By altering the amino acid sequence of the ultrasmall peptides, Hauser and her co-workers have discovered that it is pos- sible to form a surprisingly wide variety of nanostructures, including hollow nano- spheres, short, flat fibers, elongated helical fibers and spiderweb-like structures. Te shape and stability of the nanostructures is critically dependent on factors includ- ing the length of the hydrophobic tail and the polar nature of the head of the peptide, as well as the pH and peptide concentration used in the preparation of the nanostructure. Te ability to tune
the physical and chemical properties of peptide nanostructures may also make them suitable for applications in novel biosensing devices. Te most exciting possibilities
for
self-assembling peptides, however, are in biomedical applications due to their close resemblance to natural polypeptides. Hauser envisions that new advances in wound healing and skin treatment, as well as cosmetic applications, may be available within the next five or seven years. To re- alize this goal, Hauser and her co-workers are currently focusing on clinical trials and establishing industrial partnerships. “IBN aims to create new biomaterial platforms based on nanotechnology,” says Jackie Y. Ying, IBN’s executive director. “Tis unique class of ultrasmall peptides are biomimetic, and have excellent po- tential as cell culture substrates and tissue engineering scaffolds.”
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