A STAR Research July 2017 - September 2017

Issue 8
July - September 2017
ORIGINS FACTORIES OF FRESH

OF ZIKA THE FUTURE BLOOD
Unravelling A revolution on A new purpose
the viral culprit the shop floor for skin cells
Download the A*STAR Research app
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www.research.a-star.edu.sg/mobile
[TABLE OF CONTENTS]
www.astar-research.com
A*STAR Research is a publication of the Agency

for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Singapores lead government agency for
03 EDITORIAL
fostering world-class scientific research.
A*STAR Research is published quarterly, Notes from the editors

presenting research highlights and feature
articles. All articles are first published online
on the A*STAR Research website and app,
and available free to all readers. Register
online to receive the table of contents by
email as each biweekly online issue 04 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
is published.
2017 A*STAR. This publication may be

04 Better bonds, less bubbles
reproduced in its original form for personal use
only. Modification or commercial use without 05 Attending to diabetes during pregnancy
prior permission from the copyright holder
is prohibited. 06 Textured LED gives green light to Li-Fi
ASTAR Research is published for A*STAR by 07 An extra degree of freedom
the Partnership and Custom Media unit of
Nature Research, part of Springer Nature. 08 The fats that identify cancer
Editorial 09 Harnessing the properties of a remarkable 2D material
Agency for Science, Technology and Research
1 Fusionopolis Way, #20-10 Connexis 1 0 Dissolvable pins and screws for broken bones
North Tower Singapore 138632, Singapore
1 1 Hybrid zinc battery beats its rivals
Editor-in-Chief David Lane
Editorial Board Huck Hui Ng
Colin Stewart
Evan Newell

Keith Carpenter
Chandra Verma
12 FEATURES & INNOVATIONS
David Wu
Boris Lukyanchuk
Patrick Cozzone
How Zika upped the ante
Reginald Tan
Nicolas Plachta
Arseniy Kuznetsov

Managing Editor
Florent Ginhoux
Adeline Sham 16 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Administrative Assistant Lay Hoon Tan
ISSN 2010-0531 16 Lockdown genes to help reduce IVF failure rates

17 Light forces electrons to follow the curve
04 18 Monocytes not all created equal
19 Enemy at the gate
20 Efficiency in the trenches
2 1 Eye can see clearly now
www.astar-research.com A*STAR RESEARCH 1

22 INNOVATION BEYOND BORDERS 36 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Leaders in Science Forum 2017 36 Hard drive boost comes in layers of iron and cobalt
37 Peering into the nanoscale
38 A slick route to smart surfaces
23 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS 39 The immunologists dirty little secret
40 DNA gives a logical solution
23 Zebrafish light the way to safer medication 41 Metal bucks the trend
24 Modeling membranes
25 On-chip optics find their groove
26 Bristling with potential 42 FEATURES & INNOVATIONS
2 7 Making the unpalatable palatable
28 A team effort in the bone marrow Toward the factories of the future
29 The next segment
30 Dissolving obstacles to a useful antioxidant
31 Teaching an old dye new tricks 45 RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
45 A cautionary tale for immunotherapy
32 FEATURES & INNOVATIONS 46 Making blood from skin
47 Mutation found in patients without a nose
Obesity in Asia 48 Cancer enhancer switches
49 Existing drugs could treat chikungunya
50 An eye for high explosives
45 51 Bedding in new lasers
52 BACK PAGE
Voices from A*STAR / Next Issue
23 36
2 A*STAR RESEARCH ISSUE 8 | JULY SEPTEMBER 2017

| EDITORIAL |
32 12 42
Notes from the editors

The Editorial Team introduces the latest issue of
A*STAR Research
W
elcome to the fourth edition of A*STAR Singapore, in which researchers from all across
Research for 2017, where we showcase some Singapore worked together to trace the Asian
of the most exciting and ground-breaking origins of Zikas global spread (page 12). Another
research from A*STAR, as highlighted on our story on a mosquito-transmitted disease the
website from July to September 2017. chikungunya virus discusses a promising new
Obesity continues to be a major global health treatment that utilizes a drug normally used for
problem, and roughly a third of the worlds current treating multiple sclerosis (page 49).
population is overweight or obese. In Asia, obesity Another of our features explore the factories of
often takes on a more insidious form that of the future, that look poised to usher in a new era of
slender people with abundant visceral fat, with efficiency, precision and speed, thanks to additive
grave health consequences, as explained in our manufacturing (page 42). Many other advances in
cover story on page 32. Another article on fats manufacturing technology are also showcased in
demonstrates a surprising use for lipids where this issue, such as the development of a rapid and
fatty acids in excess lung fluid are used to diagnose accurate electromechanical actuator (page 7), and a
cancer (page 8). Progress has also been made in simple and versatile method for fabricating hybrid
diagnosing stomach cancer, by mapping regions of lasers (page 51).
the genome known as super-enhancers (page 48). Interesting developments on the chemistry
We also present an update on Zika research, side of things are also highlighted including
a year after the August 2016 outbreak in fluorescent polymers that can be used to detect
miniscule amounts of explosives (page 50), and new
near-infrared dyes that may have valuable applica-
tions in medical imaging (page 31).
Issue 8
July - September 2017
As usual, this is just a glimpse into the offerings

of this issue, and we hope you will enjoy the rest of
the magazine.
COVER IMAGE
The obesity epidemic might not look like
ORIGINS
OF ZIKA
Unravelling
FACTORIES OF
THE FUTURE
A revolution on
FRESH
BLOOD
A new purpose
you think it does ... [p.32]
the viral culprit the shop floor for skin cells
Texture: Rita Petersone-Lazdina/EyeEm/Getty
www.astar-research.com A*STAR
A*STAR RESEARCH 3
RESEARCH
| RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS |
Microfluidic chips make it possible

to analyse a drop of blood almost
instantly and have the potential to
revolutionize healthcare.
Microfluidics
BETTER BONDS, LESS BUBBLES

A COMPOSITE FILM IMPROVES THE BONDING OF PLASTICS IN HIGH-PRECISION
MICROFLUIDIC CHIPS AS A CRITICAL STEP TOWARD MASS PRODUCTION.
Point-of-care medicine could be revolutionized collaboration with coworkers from Nanyang which route a sample of biofluid to reservoirs
by cheap, disposable card-sized plastic micro- Technological University and Seoul National of fluids or substrates that are active toward
fluidic chips capable of diagnosing a range of University of Science and Technology. an analyte that may be present in the sample.
conditions on the spot from a drop of blood. A Many methods are used to bond the various
simple bonding technique could help to make parts of a microfluidic device together, but
A KEY CHALLENGE IN THE COMMERCIALIZATION
this a reality. most are slow and painstaking, hindering
This technology has been under develop-
OF MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES IS LOWERING THE mass production. Ultrasonic welding, which
ment for many years, but has been hampered
MANUFACTURING COST. applies high-frequency vibrations to create
by the difficult and expensive task of bonding a solid-state weld, is promising for scaling
2017 A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology
the plastic parts of the chips in a way that A key challenge in the commercialization of up production because its fast, produces a
preserves the integrity of the microchannels microfluidic devices is lowering the manufac- strong bond, and uses compact automated
needed to achieve diagnostic functions. turing cost, explains Gary Sum Huan Ng from equipment. However, the quality of bonds
Now, a bonding technique that overcomes the SIMTech team. The bonding process to produced by ultrasonic welding is difficult
many of the shortcomings of existing bonding seal the microchannels is often the bottleneck in to control due to excess melting and the
methods has been developed by researchers microfluidics manufacturing. entrapment of air bubbles.
from A*STARs Singapore Institute of Microfluidic devices are essentially com- The researchers have shown that sand-
Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) in prised of microchannels etched into plastic, wiching a composite film between the two
4 A*STAR
RESEARCH ISSUE 8 | JULY SEPTEMBER 2017
plastic parts to be bonded is very effective in form the composite film, act as micro energy This method may overcome the critical
preventing air bubbles and melt flow during directors that melt and collapse when the bonding issue in the mass manufacturing of
ultrasonic welding. The key was to incorporate ultrasonic energy is applied to create the microfluidic devices.
thermoplastic microspheres in the composite weld, says Ng. The ultrasonic directors are
film to help confine and control melting. restrained by the elastomeric matrix, which 1. Chana, W. X., Ng, S. H., Li, K. H. H., Park, W.-T., & Yoon, Y.-J.
Micro-ultrasonic welding using thermoplastic-elastomeric
The thermoplastic microspheres, which effectively prevents uncontrolled melt flow as composite film. Journal of Materials Processing Technology
are scattered within an elastomer matrix to well as the generation of trapped air bubbles. 236, 183188 (2016).
Health
ATTENDING TO DIABETES
DURING PREGNANCY
CHILDREN BORN TO MOTHERS WITH DIABETES DURING PREGNANCY ARE AT RISK OF
DEVELOPING ATTENTION PROBLEMS
Babies born to mothers who develop diabetes Such responses have been linked to allow interventions to prevent or alleviate the
during pregnancy known as gestational adverse developmental outcomes such as atten- development of attention-related problems.
diabetes (GDM) are shown to have tion deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The researchers also examined memory
attentional deficiencies as early as 618 months However, Rifkin-Graboi notes that early function using behavioral tasks and found no
of age, suggesting the need to reduce insulin presentation of such differences may enable differences between children born to mothers
resistance prior to pregnancy. higher-risk children to be identified earlier, to with and without GDM. Their subtle findings
The study, conducted by Anne Rifkin-
Graboi from the A*STAR Singapore Institute
for Clinical Sciences (SICS) and Shirong Cai
from the National University of Singapore,
is part of a large-scale, ongoing collaborative
study of mothers and children before and
after birth, called Growing Up in Singapore
Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO)1.
The researchers measured brain activity
in infants listening to a standard repetitive
sound, which was expected to become
familiar and therefore elicit less brain activity,
2017 A*STAR Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences
interrupted by an infrequent sound. Responses

differed between children born to mothers
with and without GDM at 6 and 18 months
of age. Notably, at 18 months, children born A*STAR researchers assessed the attentional abilities of babies who were born to mothers with and without
to mothers with GDM responded more to the gestational diabetes using a net of sensors (as above) to measure brain activity while the infants listened to an
standard sound compared to those born to infrequent sound and a standard repetitive sound.
mothers without GDM.

may be due to the sensitivity of techniques used ensure better offspring outcomes. Singapores National University Health System
to measure brain activity. The researchers are planing a follow-up study (NUHS), KK Womens and Childrens Hospital
This research examined 473 children from to determine whether children born to mothers (KKH), and SICS. This research is supported
the GUSTO study, the mothers of whom were with GDM develop attention-related problems by the Singapore National Research Foundation
screened and treated for GDM. GDM was later in life. (NRF) and administered by the Singapore
fairly well-controlled, as demonstrated by the If the association between GDM and Ministry of Healths National Medical Research
comparable birth weights between GDM and attention deficiency persists, then pre-concep- Council (NMRC).
control: GDM babies tend to be larger, says Cai. tion and early pregnancy prevention programs
Our results suggest that the effect of should be considered for women at risk for 1. Cai, S., Qiu A., Broekman B. F. P., Wong E.
Q., Gluckman P. D. et al. The influence of
well-controlled GDM on child neurodevelop- gestational diabetes, as should interventions gestational diabetes on neurodevelopment of
ment is subtle, says Cai. This may encourage for their offspring, says Rifkin-Graboi. children in the first two years of life: a prospective
women with GDM to manage their condition to GUSTO is a collaboration between study. PLoS ONE 11, e0162113 (2016).
Photonics offices, homes and public spaces. However,
TEXTURED LED GIVES

white LEDs typically use a phosphor coating
to create a natural-looking white light, and the
time it takes for the phosphors glow to fade away
limits how quickly the LED can transmit data.
Previous solutions typically required
GREEN LIGHT TO LI-FI

installing new types of white LEDs. Instead, Ee
Jin Teo of the A*STAR Institute of Materials
Research and Engineering, and colleagues, have
developed a Li-Fi receiver that overcomes these
problems. Rather than using a conventional
silicon photodiode to detect transmissions, they
found that an indium gallium nitride (InGaN)
USING A GREEN LED AS A DETECTOR CAN HELP TO BOOST LED is an effective data receiver1.
DATA TRANSMISSION RATES. Crucially, the teams InGaN LEDs can detect
only the fast blue component of the phosphors
white light, which fades in only one nanosecond,
Standard light-emitting diodes (LEDs) used known as Li-Fi relies on data signals encoded and not the slow yellow component which
for home lighting can now transmit data more in incredibly brief pulses of light, far too quick takes more than 50 nanoseconds to fade away.
rapidly between electronic devices, thanks to for the eye to see. By supplementing congested The researchers also gave their InGaN LED
new research from A*STAR. Wi-Fi networks, Li-Fi could increase the a textured surface, so that every square centim-
Wireless visible light communication also capacity and speed of data transmission in eter was covered with one billion V-shaped pits,
roughly 150 nanometers deep. These V-pits
scatter incoming light, allowing the LEDs
active layers to absorb more than twice as much
blue light as an LED with a smooth surface.
Tests with a white LED showed that the
Adapted with permission from Ref 1. Copyright (2017) American Chemical Society.
InGaN LED with V-pits was a much better

receiver than a standard silicon photodetector.
Using a silicon photodetector, the white LED
P-GaN can reach a switching speed of five megahertz
this typically means a data transmission
QWs rate of up to 100 megabits per second, says
1m 500nm Teo. With our InGaN LED as a detector,
N-GaN
this switching speed can be increased by four
V-pits on the surface of an InGaN LED (left) scatter light into the devices active layers, known as quantum wells times, enabling faster data transmission rates
(QWs right). from white LEDs.
6 A*STAR
She notes, however, that since the receiver The next stage of our research, she adds, 1. Yang, C., Turaga, S. P., Bettiol, A. A., Balamuniappan,
is only picking up part of the white LEDs is to implement this concept into a dongle P., Bosman, M. et al. Textured V-pit green light
emitting diode as a wavelength-selective
light, it may reduce the range over which data where the same LED can be used for transmis- photodetector for fast phosphor-based white light
can be transmitted. sion as well as detection of data. modulation. ACS Photonics 4, 443448 (2017).
Actuators
AN EXTRA DEGREE
OF FREEDOM
A LIGHTWEIGHT MODULE THAT CAN PICK UP AND MOVE
OBJECTS IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS COULD LEAD TO
FASTER AND MORE ACCURATE AUTOMATION.
A module for rapid, accurate and versatile field leakage. These features made the actuator
positioning of semiconductor chips has been "HOW FAST AND HOW ACCURATE THE lighter and permitted a high-speed and dynamic
developed by Singaporean researchers. It features ACTUATOR CAN PERFORM THIS TASK WILL response. Similarly, the translational module was
a novel electromechanical actuator that can DETERMINE THE OVERALL THROUGHPUT AND made of two permanent magnets facing each
move objects both linearly and rotationally. other, which also focused the magnetic field on
ACCURACY OF THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM"
Actuators are transducers: they convert the active moving coil region.
electrical energy into physical energy; mechan- The team built a prototype of their actuator
ical motion or force. Electromagnetic motors For example, when picking up a chip, the design and demonstrated a linear movement
can perform this task with a high-force output actuator can rotate it to compensate the angular range of ten millimeters and a rotational
and highly accurate positioning which misalignment based on the feedback from a displacement of up to 90 degrees. The device
makes them ideal for automated manufacturing camera before placing it on to the lead frame, could achieve a high throughput of 9000
systems in which objects must be picked up and says Teo. How fast and how accurate the unit-per-hour pick-and-place tasks with a linear
moved quickly. But most actuators tend to move actuator can perform this task will determine and rotational accuracy of 20 micrometers and
linearly in only one direction, or they offer a the overall throughput and accuracy of the 0.66 degrees respectively.
rotational motion. automated system. The researchers propose that their actuator
For surface-mount technology (SMT) Teo and co-workers designed, modeled and could be used in the semiconductor industry for
assembly, it is important that an actuator can developed a novel type of actuator that delivers SMT assembly and sorting silicon wafers. We
provide both linear and rotary motion concur- decoupled linear and rotary motions, which is hope to make the design even more compact by
rently so that assembly line can achieve high both light and accurate. Their device comprised reducing the number of components and the size
throughput and high accuracy , says Daniel Tat separate translational and rotary modules and the electromagnetic modules, says Teo.
StephanHoerold/E+/Getty
Joo Teo and colleagues from the A*STAR Sin- included a cylindrical Halbach magnet array.
gapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology This formed a closed-loop magnetic circuit 1. Teo, T. J., Zhu, H., Chen, S.-L., Yang, G. & Pang, C. K.
Principle and modeling of a novel moving coil linear-
(A*STAR SIMTech) and National University of that concentrated the magnetic field within rotary electromagnetic actuator. IEEE Transactions
Singapore (SIMTech-NUS) Joint Lab. an air-core coil rotator and reduced magnetic on Industrial Electronics 63, 69306940 (2016).

Lung cancer
THE FATS
Checking for specific fatty acids in a
pleural effusion sample could provide
an additional test that will help
validate a diagnosis of lung cancer,
especially when there aren't enough
cells in the lung biopsy samples.
THAT
IDENTIFY
CANCER
EXCESS FLUID SURROUNDING
THE LUNGS IN SOME LUNG
CANCER PATIENTS HAS A
UNIQUE LIPID PROFILE, WHICH
COULD HELP DIAGNOSE AND
TREAT THE DISEASE.
The lipid contents of a fluid that surrounds the

lungs in some diseases contains specific fats
that could be used as a biomarker to distin-
guish people with and without lung cancer. It
can also identify a subtype of the cancer that
needs to be treated with drugs that are different
from those used in other types of the disease.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of
cancer-related deaths worldwide. Its pre-
dominant form, called non-small cell lung
cancer (NSCLC), represents more than 85
per cent of cases and is usually diagnosed
by examining cells from a lung biopsy. But
sometimes biopsies dont contain enough cells
for diagnosis. In the event of insufficient
Science Photo Library SCIEPRO/Brand X Pictures/Getty
cancer specimens, a false-negative finding

might indicate the absence of cancer which
would be incorrect, explains Ying Swan Ho of
A*STARs Bioprocessing Technology Institute.
This could result in a lung cancer patient
walking out of the hospital without receiving
the appropriate treatment.
8 A*STAR
Ho and a team of colleagues in Singapore There were also differences in the levels cells and tissues are limited or unavailable,
examined the contents of pleural effusion of seven lipids found in the pleural effusions says Ho.
removed from 30 people who did not have lung of NSCLC cases who had a mutation in a Next the team plans to examine a larger
cancer and 41 people who did. Pleural effusion gene called EGFR compared to cases without number of people to validate their studys
accumulates around the lungs in up to 30 per the mutation. Lung cancer patients with results and also to determine the levels of
cent of people with lung cancer. It also can be EGFR mutations respond better to a specific lipids, when found, that can accurately detect
found in people with tuberculosis, pneumonia targeted anti-cancer treatment than they do the disease and its subtype. They are also
and other lung conditions. to standard chemotherapies. Identifying them currently investigating the roles of lipids in the
The team found two polyunsaturated fatty early could help provide them with more development of lung cancer.
acids in pleural effusion that were each highly effective treatment.
sensitive and specific for NSCLC. Looking for Upon further validation, we think 1. Ho, Y. S., Yip, L. Y., Basri, N., Chong, V. S. H., Teo, C. C.
et al. Lipidomic profiling of lung pleural effusion
either fatty acids in a pleural effusion sample that quantifying the levels of lipids can identifies unique metabotype for EGFR mutants
distinguished between people with and without potentially complement traditional approaches in non-small cell lung cancer. Scientific Reports 6,
the disease. in cancer diagnosis, particularly when cancer 35110 (2016).
Materials
HARNESSING THE PROPERTIES

OF A REMARKABLE 2D MATERIAL
DETERMINING THE THERMAL PROPERTIES OF A VERSATILE MATERIAL COULD LEAD TO NEW
APPLICATIONS IN ENERGY STORAGE, OPTOELECTRONIC AND FLEXIBLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES.
Characterizing the thermal properties of crys- Determining the thermal characteristics

talline molybdenum disulfide, an important of MoS2 is key to unlocking its astonishing
two-dimensional (2D) material, has proven properties, but its complex geometry and the
challenging. Now researchers from A*STAR many required calculations for phonons
have developed a simple technique that could the different vibrational modes of atoms in a
pave the way for its use in a wide range of new crystal lattice are a costly and time-con-
applications in energy storage, optoelectronic suming computational process.
and flexible electronic devices.1 Chee Kwan Gan and Yu Yang Fredrik
Hexagonal molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), Liu from the A*STAR Institute of High
one of the dichalcogenides a family of Performance Computing have now developed
semiconducting transitional metals has a numerical technique that dramatically The structure of the MoS2 crystal.
2017 A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing
attracted considerable attention as a two-di- reduces the number of calculations, allowing

mensional (2D) material thanks to its remark- the thermal expansion coefficient which Think of a phonon as a particle tied to a
able electronic and optoelectronic properties. determine how their shape and size change spring, where it vibrates with a fixed pattern
It is also notable for its impressive strength in response to changes in temperature of at a fixed frequency, explains Gan. There
and flexibility, which arise from the hexagonal MoS2 crystals to be accurately and efficiently are many phonon modes in a crystal like
lattice of molybdenum atoms sandwiched calculated, and could also be applied to other molybdenum disulfide, and the challenge is to
between layers of sulfur atoms. important 2D materials. calculate all of them.

By deforming a crystal of MoS2, the Our method uses the full symmetry deeper understanding of thermal conduction in
researchers determined the change in fre- of the hexagonal structure to reduce the 2D materials.
quency for each phonon in the lattice struc- amount of computation to only four sets of Our long-term aim is to extend the
ture, and by applying a numerical method, phonon calculations compared with qua- approach to other technologically important
based on perturbation theory, to these altered si-harmonic approximation the traditional semiconducting, two-dimensional materials,
frequencies; they were able to estimate the approach that requires many more, such as bismuth selenide, says Gan.
crystals thermal characteristics, known as the says Gan.
Grneisen parameters. These parameters were The work presents, for the first time, an 1. Gan, C. K. & Liu, Y. Y. F. Direct calculation of
the linear thermal expansion coefficients of
then used to calculate the thermal expansion accurate and simple method for determining MoS 2 via symmetry-preserving deformations.
coefficients for hexagonal MoS2. the thermal properties of MoS2, and provides a Physical Review B 94, 134303 (2016).
Biomaterials
DISSOLVEABLE PINS AND

SCREWS FOR BROKEN BONES
A VERSATILE COATING FOR MAGNESIUM COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO BETTER IMPLANTS
FOR MENDING BROKEN BONES.
Broken bones may be repaired more effectively the bones during healing, then safely disperses
by using a biodegradable coating for magnesi- when the job is done.
um-based metal implants. Nemeth and his PhD student, Sara Kaabi,
Some bone breaks require a temporary at the A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manu-
metal implant for support while they facturing Technology, collaborated with Ming
heal. However current implants, such as Jen Tan of Nanyang Technological University
screws and braces made of titanium, steel to explore potential coatings. We turned
or cobalt-chromium alloys, have serious to calcium phosphate because in nature this
drawbacks, explains Sandor Nemeth of the inorganic material is a key component of bone
A*STAR team involved in developing the and other strong materials such as sea shells,
innovative coating. Firstly, the difference says Nemeth.
in mechanical properties between the Incorporating carbon-based organic poly-
metals and the healing bone can loosen the mers produced a composite coating with several
A fractured hip held in place by plates
implants and damage the bone. In addition, key advantages: varying the mix of components
and pins during healing.
the temporary implants must eventually be allows the mechanical and biodegradable prop-
surgically removed, resulting in further risk erties to be adjusted for different requirements
DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty
and inconvenience. but its reactivity means it cannot be used alone and avoids the brittleness of purely inorganic
The A*STAR team is developing a biode- because it would corrode too quickly inside the coatings. Studies with cultured cells suggest the
gradable implant that is a better mechanical body. The tendency to corrode, however, could calcium phosphate might also actively assist the
match with bone, and might also can directly become an advantage as the rate of degradation healing process by providing some raw materials
contribute to the healing process. could be controlled. The trick is to find a to sustain bone growth. The magnesium is
Magnesium is a strong and flexible metal, coating that degrades slowly enough to support coated from a solution of pressurized hot water
10 A*STAR
in a one-step process, offering a simplicity that The researchers are also exploring options 1. Asl, S. K. F., Nemeth, S. & Tan, M. J. Novel
biodegradable calcium phosphate/polymer
may be crucial for commercial-scale production. to make the coating even more useful by incor- composite coating with adjustable mechanical
Animal trials are an obvious next step, porating antibiotics and other drugs that could properties formed by hydrothermal process for
corrosion protection of magnesium substrate.
but would require an industry partner, permeate the surrounding tissues and bone and Journal of Biomedical Materials Research B: Applied
says Nemeth. contribute to healing. Biomaterials 104, 16431657 (2016).
Energy battery that combines the best of zinc-air and

zinc-nickel technologies, completing over 5,000
HYBRID ZINC BATTERY

charging cycles with no loss of performance.
The battery has a zinc anode, while its cathode
is based on a carbon-coated nickel foam covered
with nickel cobalt oxide nanowires. The liquid
electrolyte between the electrodes contains
BEATS ITS RIVALS

hydroxide anions dissolved in water.
A key reason for the batterys excellent
performance is that the cathode works in two
distinct ways during charging and discharging.
When the battery charges, hydroxide ions from
the electrolyte react with metal oxides in the
A NEW LOW-COST BATTERY OFFERS A HEFTY VOLTAGE AND cathode to produce oxyhydroxide compounds,
freeing electrons. But the metals in the cathode
SUSTAINED ENERGY CAPACITY. also act as a catalyst, combining hydroxide
anions to produce oxygen, water, and more
electrons. These electrons flow around the
circuit to the anode, where they combine with
Nickel cobalt oxide nanowires zinc ions in the electrolyte to produce zinc
less than 100 nanometers across
and roughly 3.5 micrometers long
metal. During discharge, these electrochemical
boost the performance of the processes are reversed.
hybrid zinc battery. The battery has a stable two-step discharge
voltage between 1.75 and 1.0 volts, and
maintained its performance over three months
of continuous testing, vastly outstripping
previous zinc batteries. Zong estimates that
the battery can store about 270 Watt-hours
per kilogram, with potential for improvement.
This is already on a par with lithium-ion
batteries available on the market, he says.
The two chemical processes at the cathode
produce different voltages, which could be
A zinc-based battery that delivers a high voltage energy than lithium-ion. Zinc-nickel batteries an advantage for applications that initially
and substantial energy capacity could be set produce relatively high voltages which is require a higher voltage, such as unmanned
to rival conventional lithium-ion batteries, potentially useful because fewer batteries would aerial vehicles that need an energy boost to get
A*STAR researchers have found1. be needed to power a device. Yet zinc batteries airborne and then a lower voltage to sustain
2017 A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
The proliferation of electric vehicles and also tend to lose their energy storage capacity their flight. The team now hopes to improve
renewable energy sources is driving demand after just a few hundred recharging cycles, and the batterys cycle life, perhaps by using a
for rechargeable batteries that store and deliver no zinc battery has yet combined both a decent porous zinc anode, and to increase the capacity
large amounts of energy safely, efficiently and voltage of more than 1.5 volts and a high energy of the zinc-nickel portion of the battery.
inexpensively. Zinc-based batteries offer some storage capacity.
key advantages over lithium-ion, including low- Yun Zong and Zhaolin Liu of the A*STAR 1. Li, B., Quan, J., Loh, A., Chai, J., Chen, Y. et al.
cost and non-flammability. Kilo for kilo, zinc-air Institute of Materials Research and Engineering A robust hybrid Zn-battery with ultralong cycle life.
batteries can potentially store five times more and colleagues have now developed a hybrid zinc Nano Letters 17, 156163 (2017).

| FEATURES & INNOVATIONS |
HOW ZIKA
UPPED THE
ANTE
12 A*STAR
RESEARCH
Singaporean researchers are
tracing the Asian origins of
Zikas global spread.
ISSUE 8 | JULY SEPTEMBER 2017

G
enomic detectives have traced the most
recent outbreak of Zika a mosqui-
to-borne virus that became a pandemic
linked to neurological defects back to
a strain in South-east Asia.
A Zika strain was first identified in South-east
Asia in the 1960s, and it is thought to have main-
tained a low-key presence across the region since. Two
mosquito species, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus,
are the virus principal carriers and can be found
across a wide band straddling the equator, extending
patchily beyond the subtropics. A member of the
Flavivirus genus, which also contains the dengue and
West Nile viruses, Zika usually causes no or mild
symptoms a fever, rash, and aching joints.
Given its localized history, scientists are still
baffled as to why a Zika strain suddenly headed east
to French Polynesia in 2013, causing a suspected
32,000 cases within a year. From there, it moved
on to the Caribbean and Brazil, where it exploded.
Most worryingly, between late 2015 and early
2016, more than 4,000 Brazilian infants were born
with abnormally small heads; a characteristic of
microcephaly, stunted growth of sections of the
fetal brain. Brazil is previously thought to have had
roughly 1,000 cases of microcephaly annually. In
February 2016, the World Health Organization
(WHO) declared neurological complications linked
to Zika a public health emergency. To date there
are thought to have been between three and four
million cases of Zika across 84 countries.
Part of the global scientific response was the
consolidation of a cross-disciplinary group of
A*STAR researchers, already connected after
working together on SARS and later swine flu.
They were uniquely positioned to study the first
known Zika outbreak in Singapore in August 2016,
identifying it as separate from the strain that had
reached South America which some consider an
important clue about the evolution of the virus in
Singapore's Zika strain may be a clue to why more than Asia. Some of these insights might help explain why
4,000 Brazilian babies were born with microcephaly, the pandemic suddenly spread east from Asia.
while there have been less than a handful in Asia.
THE SINGAPORE OUTBREAK

Mario Tama/Staff/Getty Images News The city-states researchers, agencies and clinicians
were already well-prepared when the Singaporean
outbreak started in August 2016. Identified first
in the Kallang-Aljunied neighbourhood, a total of
455 cases were reported across three months and
were centered around 15 major clusters. Through
enhanced surveillance coupled with intensive vector
control, Singapores Ministry of Health (MOH) and

National Environment Agency (NEA) quickly localized case of Zika, the National Public observed in other parts of Asia. We dont
identified and managed infected people, and Health Laboratory (NPHL) and A*STARs know why theres microcephaly in Brazil and
eradicated mosquitoes and removed breeding Bioinformatics Institute (BII) had looked at not in other places in the world where the virus
sites. New cases were reduced by 48 per cent the whole genome of the virus and confirmed is still circulating like parts of the Pacific or
within a month. that this wasnt the Brazilian Zika doubling even Singapore, Ng says. The link between
Zika patients were initially isolated in back to Asia via international travel. To our Zika and microcephaly is still unclear, she
the Communicable Disease Centre at the surprise, the Zika strain causing the local adds, but studies at SIgN have observed a link
multidisciplinary Tan Tock Seng Hospital, outbreak was derived from a local version that to immunodeficiency in mice. One theory is
one of the citys largest. Staff there had a has been circulating in South-east Asia since that parts of the Americas population could
chance to trial a new diagnostic test they had the 1960s, says BII virus bioinformatician, have been immunodeficient or genetically
been developing with Masafumi Inoue, a Sebastian Maurer-Stroh. predisposed to microcephaly. To Ng, two of
molecular pathologist at the A*STAR Exper- Zika strains identified prior to 2013 the key questions that researchers should be
imental Therapeutics Centre (ETC), along have not been linked to severe neurological asking are whether host genetics are at play,
with colleagues at the Environmental Health complications. and whether the population in Brazil might
Institute (EHI) and the Bioinformatics have been pre-exposed to other risk factors.
Institute (BII) also at A*STAR. Inoue reports WHICH STRAIN OF ASIAN ZIKA Maurer-Stroh has another hypothesis.
that it worked exceedingly well on real Zika CAUSED THE ZIKA OUTBREAK? Microcephaly, he says, could be the result of an
infections. Clinical results showed the test There have only been a few confirmed cases unidentified genetic mutation in the virus that
is between six and 32 times more sensitive of microcephaly in Asia in Thailand and developed somewhere between South-East Asia
to Zika and dengue than the hospitals old Vietnam. The initial BII analysis suggested and Brazil. That its been under the radar in
dengue antibody assay test, he says. that Singapores new Zika strain diverged Asia for so long would indicate that the change
The test itself uses a blood sample, from in early 2010 from the strain that spread happened after the first big outbreak, says
which ribonucleic acid (RNA) is extracted and to Brazil. Comparing emergent South-east Maurer-Stroh.
copied through a technique called polymerase Asian or Pacific strains like this one, says Hes working with Bruno Reversade, a
chain reaction (PCR), improving analysis. Maurer-Stroh, could be key to understanding molecular biologist at the A*STAR Institute
It harnesses common hospital machinery, why the microcephaly pathology was a huge of Medical Biology and the NEA, comparing
yielding results in three to four hours, problem in Brazil and not in Asia. Asian strains and the Brazilian strain in
and tests for all four key strains of dengue Researchers from A*STARs Singapore search of important changes in toxicity
and all lineages of Zika important, as Immunology Network (SIgN), Lisa F.P. Ng and pathogenicity. Maurer-Stroh says its a
approximately 12,000 cases of dengue were and Florent Ginhoux, have recently helped work in progress, but they are starting to see
also reported to have been circulating for the link the Polynesian strain, which sits between differences.
first nine months of 2016. Inoue now hopes to the Asian and the Brazilian in strain lineage, One of the probable evolutions could have
submit the test for use internationally. to brain inflammation in fetal brain cells. But, been in virus concentration levels. Indeed,
Crucially, within a week of Singapores first they question why microcephaly hasnt been in April, an international group of scientists
including Singaporean researchers Julien
Pompon, Menchie Manuel, Jun Hao Tan
and October Sessions, at the Duke-NUS
Signature Research Program noted a key
ZIKAV from
difference between the South American and
Polynesia (in pink) the Asian strains. By feeding mosquitoes
was detected in Zika-infected blood, the consortium found
mouse placenta tis- that the Americas strain of Zika is more
sues by researchers
at the Singapore
effectively transmitted than the Polynesian
Immunology strain by Aedes aegypti showing in the
Network. mosquitoes saliva faster and at significantly
higher concentrations.
DEVELOPING A SEARCHABLE
'ZIKASURVER'
As this strain information becomes clearer
Maurer-Stroh hopes to amass it in a comput-
er-based server through which users could
14 A*STAR
"Clinical results
showed the
test is between
6 and 32 times
more sensitive
An apartment block being
to Zika and
dengue"
fumigated during a outbreak
of Zika in Singapore in 2016.
search for different Zika strains similar to that the limited sampling in Asia has hindered vaccine candidates to screen for drugs, says
the BIIs FluSurver, which is a functioning efforts to identify the source of the recent Rnia. Once pre-clinical trials are done, these
part of WHOs virus surveillance network. outbreak, but shes hopeful. antibodies could be developed into treatments.
The ZikaSurver would help governments The similarity of Zika to dengue is also
determine the risk associated with the strain, THE BIG PROBLEM WITH FLAVIVIRUSES a concern. Dengue has been particularly
and perhaps eventually help inform individual Another obstacle is that there is still no specific resistant to vaccine development for many
prognoses and treatments. and licensed treatment for Zika. Ngs theory decades because of a unique phenomenon
Releasing genomic information particu- is that there are still multiple strains of Zika called antibody dependant enhancement or
larly in Asia-Pacific will be the key, says in circulation with wide antigenic diversity ADE. Because dengue strains are similar but
Maurer-Stroh. The fact that we found this and immunity. She says there is no generic not identical, antibodies against one strain
intermediate strain in Singapore fast filled therapy, so many approaches of vaccines, anti- can bind to other strains, but imperfectly. As
a gap in what we know about the global spread viral medicines, antibody treatment should be a result, when a person contracts two different
and evolution of the virus. But, globally I made available, but must be complementary. strains of dengue over the years, the antibodies
haven't seen the same release of information, Recently, a team led by Laurent Rnia, the he has against first strain may enhance the
especially in other south-east Asian countries executive director of SIgN, has been working new infection instead of fighting it, leading to
that have the same virus, he says, and suggests on using the antibodies of fellow flavivirus more severe illness. The worry is that Zika will
that trepidation from tourism and business dengue to treat Zika. Flaviviruses are all do the same. Ng says this underlines the need
bodies might play a role. largely mosquito-borne and include tropical to develop a wide a range of treatment and
A*STAR is trying to lead by example. BII diseases like Ross River Fever and Yellow prevention options.
released an early analysis of Zika genomes to Fever. Zika is so similar to dengue that this is For now, the global impact of Zika appears
WHO in March 2016, and after the recent yielding results says Rnia. to be waning. Maurer-Stroh notes this is
2017 A*STAR Singapore Immunology Network; Ulet Ifansasti/Stringer/Getty Images News
outbreak, Singapore was again quick to share. The team at SIgN has identified a probably due in part to the protective effect
Because no genomes from this recent regional particularly promising Zika-neutralizing of prior infections, but also because of the
strain were known, says Maurer-Stroh, antibody and shown that it has an effect even effectiveness of targeted responses such as that
NPHL immediately shared the genome on mice with immune deficiencies. This is in Singapore. Nonetheless, Zika is still being
sequence with WHO and published the especially significant in light of the link SIgN found in countries with the vector mosquito
initial results within three weeks of the first has observed between immune deficiency and species, and research on treatments, detection
detected case while the outbreak was ongoing. microcephaly. Two mutations of this dengue and genomic tracing will continue.
A*STARs Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) antibody he notes also lowered Zika viral loads
also sequenced another 100 Zika genomes from in fetal organs and placentas in pregnant mice, For references, visit the online
the Singapore outbreak using a novel enrich- and were able to stop related fetal growth version of this article at:
www.research.a-star.edu.sg/
ment technology developed by Duke-NUS problems. Of course, these findings provide
feature-and-innovation/7740/
and GIS affiliate, October Sessions. Ng agrees the basis for any partner with pre-clinical how-zika-upped-the-ante

A*STAR researchers have

discovered a gene which
paves the way to reduced
IVF failure rates.
Epigenetics
LOCKDOWN GENES TO HELP

REDUCE IVF FAILURE RATES
A HUNT FOR THE SPECIAL GENES THAT DEFY THE TREND IN EMBRYOS COULD HELP BOOST
FERTILITY TREATMENT SUCCESS.
Embryos kickstart a vibrant genetic program This program is possible thanks in part to discover the genomic locations which impact
to thrive, but if the wrong genes are active the epigenetic changes to the DNA, such as the on that development.
cells can self-destruct. A*STAR scientists have removal of methyl group locks by enzymes, Messerschmidts team previously discov-
discovered one of the genes that needs to be which allows many more genes to be read. ered that a protein called Trim28 locks methyl
tightly locked down for an embryo to develop; Some specialized genes however need to groups to certain regions in the genome.
Science Photo Library ZEPHYR/Brand X Pictures/Getty
a finding that could improve IVF success rates. be locked down during development, as their Now, the researchers looked for the targets
Human egg and sperm cells have their genetic messages cause problems for the embryo. of Trim28 to find what genes lies within
genes trained on a single purpose to Everything that goes wrong in embryos these regions.
fertilize. Once their mission is complete, the has the potential to cause infertility or The scientists sequenced the RNA of
developing embryo begins the complicated early pregnancy abortions, explains Daniel more than 30 embryos lacking Trim28 and
genetic program that turns a single cell into a Messerschmidt from the A*STAR Institute of discovered that a gene called Rbmy1a1 was
healthy fetus. Molecular and Cell Biology. We are keen to unusually active.
16 A*STAR
Its an interesting gene which is not activity of detrimental genes such as Rbmy1a1 Messerschmidt adds that an epigenetic
expressed anywhere in the body during can be detected before an embryo is implanted, diagnostic tool for embryos may allow doctors
development except for spermatogonia in the then it could improve rates of IVF success, to compare IVF methods which differ between
testes it has no place to be expressed in the says Messerschmidt. labs. If we can compare different methods,
embryo, says Messerschmidt. He proposes We want to find out whether we can do perhaps we can point doctors to techniques
that the enzyme encoded by Rbmy1a1 produces epigenetic diagnostics in the same way as when that improve efficiency, he says.
mRNA transcripts which are harmful to the we screen for a suspected genetic disease, he
developing embryo. says. Ultimately, having an overall under- 1. Kumar, A. S., Seah, M. K. Y., Ling, K. Y., Wang, Y.,
Tan, J. H. L. et al. Loss of maternal Trim28 causes
Messerschmidts team is now looking for standing of these processes will give us a basis male-predominantly early embryonic lethality.
more of these special attention genes. If the for what to look at. Genes & Development 31, 12-17 (2017).
Two-dimensional materials
LIGHT FORCES ELECTRONS

TO FOLLOW THE CURVE
AN EFFECT IN WHICH AN ELECTRON FOLLOWS A SKEWED TRAJECTORY CAN BE REALIZED
IN TWO-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURES CONSISTING OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS.
An exotic phenomenon usually associated with path to a novel type of optoelectronic device Dirac materials are semi-metals because of
high magnetic fields can be achieved without a operating at long wavelengths. their material symmetries, explains Song.
magnetic field, according to theoretical pre- A charged particle in an electric field Narrow-gapped Dirac materials gently break
dictions by researchers from A*STAR and the experiences a force that drives it along the these symmetries, opening up small bandgaps.
United States. Their analysis could open the direction of the field, creating a current. The alternative route to a Hall effect inves-
The moving particle can also experience a tigated by Song and Kats is based on so-called
force perpendicular to its motion. This can valleys in these gapped Dirac materials. A
happen in the presence of a magnetic field for valley, in the context of the electronic band
example, and can lead to a range of unusual structure of a material, is a minimum into
properties, particularly when the perpendicular which electrons can settle. If there are two
component dominates and the electron starts valleys with identical energy, the electrons in
to follow a skewed trajectory. But this so-called each of the valleys of gapped Dirac materials
Hall regime often requires large magnetic fields feature contrasting trajectories.
which are impractical for real devices. Song and Kats exploited this contrast by
Justin Song from the A*STAR Institute of inducing an imbalance of electrons in one valley
High Performance Computing, working with over the other via circularly polarized light
his colleague Mikhail Kats from the University illumination. They revealed a photo-induced
of Wisconsin-Madison, have theoretically Hall effect (Hall photoconductivity) with
predicted that an unusual Hall-type motion strength determined heavily by the wavelength
Circularly polarized light creates electrons in one can be harnessed at room temperature and of the light, increasing by a factor of up to one
band structure valley and not the other, and this can without a magnetic field in a new class of million when switching from visible light to the
lead to a Hall effect without a magnetic field. materials known as gapped Dirac materials1. far infrared.

This means that gapped Dirac This phenomenon could be useful for Song. Such a photodetector could potentially
materials with a smaller electronic the development of novel far infrared and possess zero net dark current even with a large
bandgap, such as graphene-boron-nitride terahertz optoelectronics. A particularly bias voltage.
heterostructures, are more effective than tantalizing prospect is a new type of pho-
1. Song, J. C. W. & Kats, M. A. Giant Hall
those with a larger bandgap including todetector concept that measures the Hall photoconductivity in narrow-gapped
molybdenum disulfide. current in these gapped Dirac materials, says Dirac materials. Nano Letters 16, 73467351 (2016).
Immunology
MONOCYTES NOT
ALL CREATED EQUAL
DISCOVERY OF WHICH MONOCYTES SECRETE A
PRO-INFLAMMATORY PROTEIN COULD LEAD TO NEW
THERAPIES FOR AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE.
Different populations of white blood cells Wong teamed up with Heather Wilson, their ability to produce pro-inflammatory
secrete different levels of IL-1, a pro-inflam- an immunologist at the University of signaling proteins or process their maturation.
matory protein that normally helps the body Sheffield in the United Kingdom, to study "Instead," says Wong, "these cells expressed
fight off infection and injury, but may also IL-1 production in different subsets of abundant Hsp27," an essential subunit of a
trigger autoimmune disease and inflammatory monocytes. The two researchers jointly protein complex involved in breaking down
diseases. An investigation by A*STAR supervised a PhD student, va Hadadi, who the RNA transcripts of IL-1 before they can
researchers and collaborators shows that a used surface markers to sort monocytes be turned into proteins. As a result of this
regulatory protein called Hsp27 is responsible isolated from human blood into three differential Hsp27 activity, overall IL-1 levels
for some of these differences in subsets subpopulations: classical, intermediate and remained low in non-classical monocytes but
of monocytes1. non-classical monocytes. high in classical monocytes.
The results help explain some of the Hadadi then induced IL-1 production The findings indicate that IL-1-spewing
diversity and sub-specialization of the and maturation through a two-step classical monocytes are the true culprits
immune system and could yield new stimulation protocol. In this way, the behind inflammatory disease and that
treatment strategies for patients with researchers observed that classical and therapies designed to boost Hsp27 levels in
rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, diabetes and intermediate monocytes produced and these cells might help tamp down unwanted
other ailments. released more than twice as much IL-1 as inflammation. However, Wong notes that
Science Picture Co/Collection Mix: Subjects/Getty Images
"These findings represent the first non-classical monocytes. Hsp27 is also known to promote other pro-in-
comprehensive and unifying data on IL-1 They then searched exhaustively and flammatory molecules. "Hence," she says,
production by monocytes, and identify the systematically for reasons to explain this "the type of treatment option to utilize will be
Hsp27 pathway as a main player and potential differential production of IL-1. Non-classical based on the type of disease."
novel therapeutic target for inflammatory monocytes were no less receptive to the stim-
disease," says Wong Siew Cheng from the ulation protocol, they found, so that didn't 1. Hadadi, E., Zhang, B., Baidajevas, K., Yusof, N., Puan,
K. J. et al. Differential IL-1 secretion by monocyte
A*STAR Singapore Immunology Network, account for their low IL-1 output. Nor were subsets is regulated by Hsp27 through modulating
who led the research project. these white blood cells generally deficient in mRNA stability. Scientific Reports 6, 39035 (2016).
18 A*STAR
Transverse mouse kidney

Kidney disease
ENEMY AT
sections false-colored and
arranged in a spiral form.
THE GATE
A SECOND GENE ASSOCIATED
WITH A HERITABLE FORM OF
KIDNEY DISEASE IS SHOWN
TO ACT AS A GATEKEEPER IN
'MOLECULAR ANTENNA'.
Mutations in a single gene have long taken sole

responsibility for a rare type of kidney disease.
Now A*STAR researchers find a second culprit
by demonstrating that mutations in another
gene also cause the disease.
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic
disorder that produces fluid-filled cysts,
reducing kidney function and leading to organ
failure. Autosomal dominant PKD is more
prevalent and typically affects adults, whereas
the rarer autosomal recessive PKD (ARPKD) is
more aggressive and affects infants and children.
The mortality rate of infants with ARPKD can
be as high as 50 per cent and most sufferers need
a transplant before their tenth birthday.
Mutations in the gene, polycystic kidney
and hepatic disease 1 (PKHD1) were thought
to be responsible for ARPKD. Now Sudipto
Roy at the A*STAR Institute of Molecular
and Cell Biology in Singapore and colleagues
demonstrate that ARPKD is also caused by
Mara Rondn Galeano, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland 2017
mutations in DAZ interacting protein 1-like

(DZIP1L). Finding that the disease is geneti-
cally heterogeneous is surprising, said Roy.
The authors found that seven patients from
four different families carry mutations in
DZIP1L. Furthermore, they show that kidney
function is compromised in both mice and
zebrafish bearing DZIP1L mutations, sug-
gesting that the role of DZIP1L is conserved
across the vertebrates.
DZIP1L encodes a protein that localizes to
cilia, hair-like structures on cell surfaces, which

are vital for kidney cell function. The primary cyst formation, polycystin-1 and -2, from DZIP1L functions at the transition zone and
cilium functions as a molecular antenna con- reaching the primary cilium. As Roy explains, determining the extent to which mutations
veying important messages to the cell about the the ineffective access of polycystin-1 and -2 to in DZIP1L mutations cause ARPKD. Future
local environment. Experiments in cells show cilia could be the cause of cystic kidney disease research will also investigate therapeutic
that DZIP1L localizes to the base of the primary in patients with mutations in DZIP1L. strategies that facilitate the proper localization
cilium at what is known as the transition zone. Roy and colleagues also show that DZIP1L of ciliary proteins.
This region is important for regulating the interacts with septin2 (SEPT2) to create a
transport of proteins in and out of the cilium. diffusion barrier at the transition zone that 1. Lu, H., Galeano, M. C. R., Ott, E., Kaeslin, G., Kausalya, P. J.
et al. Mutations in DZIP1L, which encodes a ciliary-
Although the number of cilia is unaffected in helps maintain ciliary subcompartments. transition-zone protein, cause autosomal recessive
DZIP1L mutant tissue, loss of this protein stops The team are now focusing on polycystic kidney disease.
two proteins that are important for preventing understanding the mechanism by which Nature Genetics 49, 10251034 (2017).
Optoelectronics
EFFICIENCY IN THE
TRENCHES
THE KEY TO ULTRATHIN HIGH-EFFICIENCY
A*STAR researchers find tiny trenches
SENSORS AND SOLAR CELLS COULD BE patterned into a gold surface enhance
MATERIALS COVERED WITH TINY TRENCHES. photoluminescence efficiency.
Future ultrathin solar cells and light sources is very low most of the light passes the trenches through a resonant process known
could have their surfaces covered by tiny straight through. as the Purcell effect.
Reproduced from Ref. 1 and licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 2016 Z. Wang et al.
trenches, after A*STAR researchers found The team shone 633-nanometer light onto
such structures enhance efficiency by four the sample and measured the output at 750
orders of magnitude.
"IT WAS VERY SURPRISING THAT SUCH nanometers. They found 12 nanometer wide
Joel Yang from the A*STAR Institute of A LARGE ENHANCEMENT COULD BE trenches in a grid pattern with spacing 200
Materials Research and Engineering was part POSSIBLE" nanometers gave the highest photolumines-
of an international collaboration that achieved cence 20,000 times more than a bare layer
a 20,000-fold increase in the photolumines- Yangs inspiration was to mount the layer of tungsten diselenide.
cence of a one atom-thick layer of tungsten on a gold surface and trap the light energy at To create the structure, the team etched
diselenide, by mounting it on a gold surface the interface of the two layers in the form of a very flat silicon crystal to create a grid of
patterned with narrow trenches1. surface plasmons. To enhance the absorption ridges. Next they deposited a layer of gold
Tungsten diselenide is promising for of light, they added trenches to the gold layer onto the silicon and then peeled it off to
ultra-sensitive, ultra-thin light sensors, solar under the tungsten diselenide. reveal trenches where the ridges had been.
cells and light-emitting diodes, because of It was very surprising that such a large The narrowness of the trenches and the
its ability to absorb light and re-emit at a enhancement could be possible, says Yang. flatness of the metal film is important, Yang
different frequency. However this effect only The key was matching the trench size to the says. Any roughness will interact detrimentally
occurs for a single atom layer, so its efficiency energy so that the plasmons were trapped in with the two-dimensional material.
20 A*STAR
The gold was immersed in water and a film is exposed to the user, which makes it second layer above the thin layer, creating
of tungsten diselenide floated on the waters easy for further research, such as func- a sandwich.
surface. The gold was then slowly raised out of tionalizing the surface with chemicals or
the solution, emerging with the thin layer on top. adding electrodes. 1. Wang, Z., Dong, Z., Gu, Y., Chang, Y. H., Zhang, L., Li,
L. J., et al. Giant photoluminescence enhancement
The simple structure has many It is also easier to manufacture than in tungsten-diselenidegold plasmonic hybrid
advantages, says Yang. The entire surface other plasmonic devices, which require a structures. Nature Communications 7, 11283 (2016).
Drug development
EYE CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

SYNTHETIC MOLECULES PROMISE TO RELIEVE DEBILITATING EYE DISEASE.
spiral structure known as an alpha helix, but

each was slightly different. The first peptide
was a short, simple helix, the second was a
helix capped with the amino acid cysteine,
and the third was a longer helix.
While all three peptides slowed the growth
of C. albicans, the simple helix had little effect
when tested against fungal biofilms. Both
the other peptides were able to disrupt the
biofilm and eradicate 90 per cent of the fungus
within 24 hours, with the longer peptide being
effective at lower doses. Both peptides also
relieved keratitis symptoms in mice infected
with C. albicans.
A Candida albicans biofilm before (left) and after (right) treatment with one of the synthetic peptides.
We were excited when we saw that, since
we may have discovered a solution to treat
A*STAR researchers have created synthetic (IBN), Singapore. severe fungal keratitis, says Yang. The peptides
molecules to treat fungal keratitis an infec- Ying and IBN group leader Yi Yan Yang led are a first step toward developing antifungal
tion of the cornea that causes visual disability1. a team of researchers who developed a series agents to treat the disease. Overall, the two
The new molecules are a first step toward of short, synthetic protein fragments designed peptides performed as well as the antifungal
Reproduced, with permission, from Ref. 1 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
developing effective drugs to combat this to mimic antimicrobial peptides produced by drug amphotericin but with promise to
widespread disease. the immune system. The synthetic peptides overcome some of its drawbacks, such as its
According to the World Health Organi- were broadly effective against bacteria and high cost and limited clinical applicability due
zation, corneal ulcers resulting from keratitis Candida albicans, one of the pathogens that to low solubility and instability.
cause 1.52 million people to lose vision in can cause fungal keratitis. However, they had Next, the team will move to trials in rabbits,
one eye each year, with fungal infections not been tested against fungal keratitis, where testing the best-performing candidates from
accounting for nearly half of keratitis cases C. albicans aggregate to form a biofilm that this and other studies to confirm their activity
caused by microbes. There are no safe and protects the fungus. and evaluate their safety.
effective antifungal agents for clinical treat- The team evaluated three synthetic pep-
ment of fungal keratitis, says Jackie Ying, the tides to determine which structural character- 1. Wu, H. Liu, S., Wiradharma, N., Ong, Z. Y., Li, Y. et al.
Short synthetic -helical-forming peptide
executive director of the A*STAR Institute istics were effective against fungal keratitis. amphiphiles for fungal keratitis treatment in vivo.
of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology All three peptides were designed around a core Advanced Healthcare Materials 6, 1600777 (2017).

INNOVATION
BEYOND
BORDERS
The Leaders in Science Forum, organized by
A*STAR and JTC and supported by Science
Centre Singapore and Mediacorp, was held
on 16 August 2017 at Biopolis as part of
the one-north Festival. This years theme
was Innovation Beyond Borders, and the
forum brought together over 400 science and
technology leaders, policy makers, captains of
industry and academics to exchange insights
on research strategies and examine how the
government, industries, and the arts and
social sciences communities are collaborating
to shape Singapores economy and society,
through research, innovation and enterprise.
2017 A*STAR
22 A*STAR
Genetically modified zebrafish

can offer quick, useful insights
into whether a drug may be
harmful to humans.
Drug toxicity
ZEBRAFISH LIGHT THE WAY

TO SAFER MEDICATION
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ZEBRAFISH ARE PROMISING IN THE DETECTION OF HARMFUL
COMPOUNDS FOR SCREENING DRUG CANDIDATES.
The common zebrafish is a useful proxy for Carney from the A*STAR Institute of Molec- out, and are doing so by using a detoxification
testing whether drug candidates cause organ ular and Cell Biology. process of which these genes are parts,
damage. Now, researchers in Singapore Zebrafish despite being very different explains Carney.
have created two modified types of the fish, from humans, experience toxicity from With this knowledge, the team produced
one that glows when experiencing toxicity, similar drugs, making them a great model. a breed of modified zebrafish that expressed
and another that metabolizes drugs in a Carneys team monitored the fish to identify a fluorescent protein when these genes were
similar way to humans. Combined, these what genes are switched on when they were switched on, creating fish that glow in
may help pharmaceutical companies develop dosed with a range of drugs known to be response to liver-damaging drugs1.
better drugs. damaging to liver cells, or hepatotoxic, and In practice, the fish could offer an easy
Roche, our partner in the study, want a identified four common genetic sequences way for pharmaceutical companies to remove
isoft/E+/Getty
way to quickly identify which of their drugs that produced enzymes to neutralize the harmful drugs from their pipeline reducing
may be damaging to the liver, says Tom drugs. The fish are trying to clear the drugs R&D expenditure.

Despite zebrafish and humans sharing similar way to humans2. This is especially metabolizes toxic medications and provides an
similar detoxification pathways, the detox- important considering that drug metabolites immediate, visible signal for drugs that may
ifying enzymes differ between the species can be more damaging than the originally harm patients.
and therefore drugs can be metabolized ingested medication.
differently. Addressing this, the scientists These models offer a promising line of 1. Poon, K. L., Wang, X., Lee, S. G. P., Ng, A. S., Goh,
W. H. et al. Transgenic zebrafish reporter lines
produced a second line of zebrafish in inquiry into a drug testing technique that as alternative in vivo organ toxicity models.
which the liver was supplemented with a key is scalable, affordable, and allows for high- Toxicological Sciences 156, 133148 (2017).
human liver enzyme. The result was the first throughput screening. In the future, Carneys 2. Poon, K. L., Wang, X., Ng, A. S., Goh, W. H., McGinnis, C. et al.
Humanizing the zebrafish liver shifts drug metabolic profiles
demonstration of a humanized zebrafish team may combine their two models in order and improves pharmacokinetics of CYP3A4 substrates.
model that detoxified drugs in a much more to create a line of zebrafish that accurately Archives of Toxicology 91, 11871197 (2017).
Cell Biology
MODELING
MEMBRANES
SUPER-RESOLUTION MICROSCOPY REVEALS Computed reconstruction of the
meshwork (magenta) created by the
DETAILS OF THE MESH AT THE INNER SIDE OF protein lamin B1 (red) on the inner
THE NUCLEAR MEMBRANE. surface of a mouse fibroblast nucleus.
All creatures of the animal kingdom share one mathematical technique to link these spots. As
thing: the nuclear membrane. Wrapping the "SIGNIFICANTLY, A-TYPE AND B-TYPE LAMINS a result we saw that irregular filament networks
genetic core of the cell, this membrane, together ASSOCIATE ONLY WITH OTHER LAMINS OF THE made of different types of lamins cover the
with all the attached proteins, plays a vital role entire nuclear inner surface, he says. Signifi-
SAME TYPE, FORMING INDEPENDENT NETWORKS"
in biological functions. Despite its importance, cantly, A-type and B-type lamins associate only
details of its architecture are still missing. with other lamins of the same type, forming
Scientists at the A*STAR Institute of Because the nuclear periphery is so independent networks.
Medical Biology, led by Brian Burke, have crowded with protein and DNA molecules, it Although the different lamins are
constructed a nanoscale model of the inner side has proven extremely difficult to determine almost identical, they interact with distinct
of the mammalian nuclear membrane, where the lamin arrangement using either light proteins and therefore seem to have different
threadlike proteins called lamins form a mesh. or electron microscopy. Now Burkes team functions. For example, the A-type lamin,
Lamins, as well as providing support for the has used super-resolution microscopy to LaC, binds to a protein that is part of the
nuclear membrane, are involved in cell division, go beyond the capabilities of conventional channels surrounding the holes on the
2017 A*STAR Institute of Medical Biology
chromatin organization and DNA repair and microscopy and to record the locations of nuclear membrane. The nuclear membrane
more. Mutations in lamins have been connected single lamin molecules. has pores that allow the transfer of material
to more than a dozen human diseases, including Burke explains the process: Fusing 10,000 between the nucleus and the rest of the cell.
muscular dystrophy, heart disease and progeria, images, each fluorescently-labeled lamin These channels are known as nuclear pore
a premature aging syndrome. appeared as a bright spot. Then, we applied a complexes (NPCs) and look like hoops with a
24 A*STAR
basketball net. The interaction between LaC Burke says the next challenges for the organization can give rise to a bewildering
and a protein in the basket could mean that team are to better understand the different array of human diseases.
LaC filaments regulate the distribution of the functions of the lamin networks and to
NPCs in the nuclear membrane, a mechanism explore their interactions with other nuclear 1. Xie, W., Chojnowski, A., Boudier, T., Lim, J. S., Ahmed, S. et al.
A-type lamins form distinct filamentous networks with
which may be linked to the development components. Their findings may explain differential nuclear pore complex associations. Current
of progeria. how even subtle changes in nuclear lamin Biology, 26, 2651-2658 (2016).
Photonics
ON-CHIP
OPTICS FIND
TE TM
de
gui
ve
THEIR GROOVE
a
w
ot
Sl
Si Si
SiO2
CLEVER DESIGN OF RAIL-LIKE WAVEGUIDES

MAKES IT SIMPLER TO MINIATURIZE PHOTONIC
COMPONENTS ON TO SILICON WAFERS.
Optimizing the layout of slot waveguides can eliminate differences in

transverse electronic (TE) and magnetic (TM) light refraction, creating a single
High-speed optical circuits and sensors generally components within
beam that is significantly easier to incorporate into photonic circuits.
require strict control over light polarization to nanometer-scale
minimize loss and cross-talk in photonic devices spaces. Inevitably,
such as waveguides. An A*STAR team now there will be contamination from the light changes to the waveguides height, angle, and
predicts that noise resulting from imperfect source or defects along the waveguides, says slot size could remove birefringence from the
polarizations can be eliminated using micro- Jun Rong Ong from A*STARs Institute of waveguide, leaving just a single ray.
structures known as slot waveguides1. High Performance Computing. Unwanted By having zero birefringence, we can
Discovered just over a decade ago, slot wave- polarization acts as noise, and this deteriorates process the inevitable mix of both polarizations
guides trap electromagnetic fields into a narrow device performance. simultaneously, explains Ong. This means the
region between two microfabricated strips of Ong, along with colleagues Valerian Chen device footprint could be effectively halved.
materials, such as silicon. Differences in the and Ching Eng Png, hypothesized that a The trios simulations showed that many
refractive indices between the slots and rails help special state known as zero birefringence structural parameters could produce zero
focus the light into the slot with optical intensity might negate the need for specialized birefringence in the waveguide, but some
and power not seen in typical waveguides. These splitter devices currently used in photonic were more effective than others. Surprisingly,
properties impart improved sensitivity to sensors waveguides. Birefringence describes how light they discovered the two rails need not be
and generate useful amplification effects. with a mix of polarizations can refract into symmetric having unequal widths enabled
One difficulty with photonic waveguides, two directions when passing through crystals one side to confine greater amount of light,
however, is splitting incoming radiation with specific shapes. The team undertook a and give better control over the waveguides
into electric and magnetic polarization systematic theoretical analysis to determine if refractive index. Conversely, when the team

tested waveguides with bent orientations to electron beam lithography, a relatively slow can be polarization-independent on a wafer
go around corners, symmetrical rails proved process. However, they are confident that scale, says Ong. This could lead to applica-
most effective. practical demonstrations of this technology tions with real impact.
Currently, the tolerances needed to are within reach.
1. Chen, V. H., Ong, J. R. & Png, C. E. Polarisation
produce the researchers zero birefringence It would be useful to explore if short independent silicon-on-insulator waveguides.
waveguides could only be realized through devices, less than a few hundred micrometers, Scientific Reports 6, 37760 (2017).
Nanostructured silicon existing MacEtch models and the process

in reality.
BRISTLING WITH
Sing Yang Chiam at the A*STAR Institute
of Materials Research and Engineering and his
colleagues have now discovered the key gov-
erning mechanism by which MacEtch works1.
We were very surprised by our discoveries,
POTENTIAL
says Chiam. Only after many repeated tests,
and studying it from many angles, did we
become convinced by our model.
"ONLY AFTER MANY REPEATED TESTS, AND

BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES OF SILICON STUDYING IT FROM MANY ANGLES, DID WE
BECOME CONVINCED BY OUR MODEL."
ETCHING LEADS TO IMPROVED SURFACE PATTERNING.
MacEtch is based on silicons interaction

From solar cells that capture more light, to A*STAR researchers have now discovered how with a catalyst (such as gold) in a hydrogen
medical devices that resist colonization by to control at least one route. peroxide etching solution. When coated
bacteria; there are many applications for Metal-assisted chemical etching (MacEtch) on silicon, the catalyst accelerates hydrogen
materials given a bristly coating of silicon is one of the most scalable and cost-effective peroxides attack on its surface. The process
nanowires. Creating these nanostructured ways to form these surfaces, but researchers can be controlled, however, by putting certain
silicon surfaces can be challenging but frequently encounter discrepancies between blocking metals between the catalyst and the
silicon. If this intermediate layer is placed
in a dot pattern across the silicon, when the
Using carefully selected combi- hydrogen peroxide is added, the silicon beneath
Reproduced from Ref. 1 and licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 2016 L. Kong et al .
nations of metals, it is possible the dots is protected from etching. These
to etch intricate patterns onto a
protected points become silicon nanowires as
silicon surface, as shown above.
the silicon around them is dissolved.
Chiam and his team recently showed chro-
mium metal is a good blocking layer. However,
why chromium worked well, and what other
metals might also perform well, were not
known. We set out to find the fundamental
governing mechanism, Chiam says. Then
we could more easily determine whether one
material should or shouldnt work.
After systematically studying different
blocking metals, the researchers soon over-
turned the prevailing idea the catalyst controls
etching by helping to inject positive charges at
the catalyst/silicon interface.
26 A*STAR
Instead, they showed etching is controlled catalysts or blocking materials can be chosen to finding the right partner in taking our
by a chemical redox reaction between the simply by looking up their redox potential. discovery and technology forward.
catalyst and the silicon. Only metals with a The team is already using its new under-
high enough redox potential can react with standing to produce even more finely detailed, 1. Kong, L., Dasgupta, B., Ren, Y., Mohseni, P. K., Hong, M.
et al. Evidences for redox reaction driven charge
and remove silicon atoms. This discovery helps more deeply etched silicon nanostructures,
transfer and mass transport in metal-assisted
reconcile previous experimental discrepancies Chiam says. Applications range from filtration chemical etching of silicon. Scientific Reports 6,
like the chromium result and means MacEtch to microelectronics, he adds. We look forward 36582 (2016).
Encapsulation
MAKING THE UNPALATABLE

PALATABLE
MASKING THE BITTER TASTE OF ANTIOXIDANT
QUERCETIN COULD ENABLE ITS USE IN A WIDE RANGE
OF FOOD PRODUCTS.
Encapsulating the antioxidant quercetin in wax called the lac bug, and zein, a water-insoluble
could mask its bitterness and enable its use in a protein derived from corn gluten. These prod-
wide range of food products, according to new ucts are already widely used in the food and
research from Singapore. pharmaceutical industry, but the team needed
Quercetin is a type of plant pigment called to find out which option would remain intact
a flavonoid, and is one of the most abundant in the mouth, masking the taste of quercetin,
antioxidants in our diet. Laboratory research but dissolve inside the gastrointestinal tract.
suggests it could have a range of beneficial The microencapsulation process involved
effects, including anti-cancer, anti-obesity, mixing quercetin powder with powdered
anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial proper- carnauba wax, shellac or zein, then feeding
ties, in addition to being a potent antioxidant. the powders into a heated device called
However, the opportunities to incorporate a hot-melt extruder.
quercetin into fortified food products have The temperature of the hot-melt extruder
been limited by its bitter taste. Encasing had to be controlled to melt the products
quercetin particles in a bland or even pleas- sufficiently to coat the quercetin powder,
ant-tasting coating could offer one way to mask without altering the chemistry of the quercetin.
the taste. The resulting mix was then cooled and milled. The milled carnauba wax-encap-
We see masking taste as a challenge for The team then tested how the coated sulated quercetin powder.
us to ensure that this doesnt get released at materials behaved in solutions designed to
the wrong time, wrong place, wrong amount, mimic conditions throughout the gastrointes-
Reproduced from Ref. 1 and licensed under CC BY 4.0 2016 L. Kong et al.
and microencapsulation comes naturally to us tinal tract. They found the carnauba wax-mi- of Food Science & Technology, National
as a solution to the problem, says Wai Kiong croencapsulated quercetin powder stayed intact University of Singapore. This paves the
Ng from the Division of Crystallisation & in the mouth but still dissolved well in the acid way for the microencapsulated quercetin
Formulation Science at the A*STAR Institute environment of the stomach. to be used in products such as bread and
of Chemical and Engineering Sciences. Testing with an electronic taste sensor powdered beverages.
The group identified three substances that showed that the carnauba wax-coated product
could work as the outer coating: carnauba possessed an almost neutral taste, which was 1. Khor, C. M., Ng, W. K., Kanaujia, P., Chan,
K. P. & Yuancai Dong. Hot-melt extrusion
wax from the Brazilian palm tree, shellac a verified by human tasting of quercetin-fortified microencapsulation of quercetin for taste-masking.
natural resin secreted by a species of insect bread by Zhou Weibiaos group at the Division Journal of Microencapsulation 34, 29-37 (2017).

Bone marrow is the

Immunology
A TEAM
site of blood cell
production, including
white blood cells (blue).
EFFORT IN
THE BONE
MARROW
A NEWLY DISCOVERED
POPULATION OF IMMUNE
CELLS HELPS REPLENISH THE
BONE MARROW'S SUPPLY
OF INFECTION-FIGHTING
MONOCYTES.
Infection-fighting immune cells known as

monocytes consist of two distinct subpop-
ulations in the bone marrow, an A*STAR
investigation has found. One of these acts as a
reservoir for the other in order to maintain a
stable pool of monocytes circulating through
the bloodstream, a discovery that could inform
future drug development.
"We discovered a new population of bone
marrow monocytes, debunking the popular
view that monocytes constitute a homogenous
population," says Lai Guan Ng of the A*STAR
Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), who
led the research. "Since monocytes are increas-
ingly being recognized as attractive therapeutic
STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/Science Photo Library/Getty
targets, our findings provide critical biological

knowledge that could form the basis for
improved therapeutic treatments of disease."
Ng and his colleagues used a cell sorting
technique called flow cytometry to categorize
monocytes in the bone marrow on the basis
of six surface receptor proteins. One of these
28 A*STAR
proteins, CXCR4, stood out because its pool of circulating monocytes throughout the number of monocytes that congregate
expression levels on the cells clearly demar- the body." in the blood vessel walls of the lungs of
cated two subsets of monocytes one with The SIgN team, in collaboration with endotoxin-exposed mice, thereby limiting lung
high CXCR4 activity that serves as a kind of scientists from the A*STAR Institute of Molec- injury and the risk of sepsis-induced death.
transitional pre-monocyte, and a more mature ular and Cell Biology and around the world, "These findings may pave the way for future
monocyte with low CXCR4 levels. went on to define a number of other novel CXCR4-based therapies," says Ng, noting that
Gene activity analyses and experiments functions of CXCR4 in monocyte biology. monocytes are increasingly being recognized as
in mice showed that the CXCR4-expressing Aside from CXCR4's role in retaining transi- critical mediators of inflammation in condi-
cells were actively proliferating and slowed tional pre-monocytes in the bone marrow, the tions such as heart disease, multiple sclerosis,
their division as they matured to replenish researchers found that CXCR4 activity also and liver fibrosis.
supplies of monocytes that were ready continues to affect migration and localization
to move from the bone marrow to the of mature monocytes after they have left the 1. Chong, S. Z., Evrard, M., Devi, S., Chen, J., Lim, J. Y.
et al. CXCR4 identifies transitional bone marrow
bloodstream. As Ng explains, "This newly bone marrow and entered the rest of the body. premonocytes that replenish the mature
defined transitional phase is believed to act as In fact, by inhibiting CXCR4, Ng and monocyte pool for peripheral responses. Journal of
a regulatory checkpoint to maintain a stable his colleagues showed that they could reduce Experimental Medicine 213, 2293-2314 (2016).
Medical imaging
THE NEXT SEGMENT

A DATA-DRIVEN COMPUTATIONAL APPROACH THAT
RECOGNIZES FILAMENTARY SECTIONS OF NEURONS AND
BLOOD VESSELS MAY ENHANCE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS.
A computational tool is now available for Several computer programs have been
faster and more reliable screening and created to automate the segmentation process.
diagnosis of serious vascular and neurological These time-saving programs reduce human
Retinal and neuronal segmentation images
conditions, including glaucoma, diabetic error, but their performance is typically (right column) can be produced from empirical
retinopathy, and Alzheimers disease, in optimized for specific tasks, which limits two-dimensional datasets (left column) thanks to
their early stages. Developed by A*STAR their use. a new computational approach.
researchers, the software automatically

segments filamentary structures, such as WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO FIND OUT
retinal blood vessels and neurons, in various The researchers designed a two-step
THAT OUR ALGORITHM CAN WORK ACROSS
biomedical images. algorithm that sequentially extracts structured
Clinicians and biologists often need
DIFFERENT TASKS AND PERFORMS WELL. and contextual information from experi-
to evaluate the shape of filaments in mental data sets. During structured feature
biomedical images to determine the presence To widen the scope of these programs, learning, the program captures informative
and severity of vascular and neurological Li Cheng and colleagues from the A*STAR image patches consisting of unique fore-
2017 IEEE. Reprinted, with permission, from Ref 1.
diseases. Filaments however can present a Bioinformatics Institute, in collaboration ground textures that collectively help the
problem: as well as crossing and overlap- with the Beijing Institute of Technology, have machine distinguish them from backgrounds.
ping, they show variable diameters and developed an algorithm that tackles segmen- This first step produces features that serve as
degrees of twisting. This makes filamentary tation as a general problem. We have come input for the subsequent learning stage.
sections difficult to distinguish from up with a data-driven approach based on Next, contextual characteristics among
backgrounds and, consequently, can skew learning structured and contextual features, patches are encoded into the algorithm using
visual assessments. says Cheng. pre-existing machine learning tools, called

boosted tree classifiers, to acquire more of the over many different datasets. According these elementary objects in imaging data. We
global information. to Cheng, the new algorithm represents a expect these tools to provide a solid platform
We were very happy to find out that our stepping stone in his team's long-term efforts for clinicians and biologists, he adds.
algorithm can work across different tasks and to cure eye-related problems and decipher
performs well in general, says Cheng. Com- the structure and inner working of neuronal 1. Gu, L., Zhang, X., Zhao, H., Li, H. & Cheng, L. Segment
2D and 3D filaments by learning structured and
pared to existing state-of-the-art methods, diagrams. His team is developing a series of contextual features. IEEE Transaction on Medical
the algorithm delivered competitive results tools to reconstruct, segment, and separate Imaging 36, 596606 (2017).
Antioxidants
DISSOLVING OBSTACLES TO A
USEFUL ANTIOXIDANT
INSOLUBLE DIETARY FIBER
COULD HELP MAKE ANTIOXIDANT
QUERCETIN MORE SOLUBLE.
to the fibers surface, which guarantees the full

A scanning electron benefits of a faster dissolution rate, says Dong.
microscope image showing Normally when quercetin nanoparticles are
the quercetin nanoparticles formed, they agglomerate and grow into large
bonded to the surface of
particles within minutes. But with the addition
the cellulose fiber.
of the insoluble dietary fiber, the quercetin
nanoparticles bind to the surfaces of the fiber
particles instead. The solution was then spray-
dried to a powdered form, yielding nanoparti-
cles that were stable and non-clumping.
This technique avoided the clumping
problems that had previously thwarted efforts
A common plant pigment that is also a potent that would enable it to be better absorbed in to create quercetin nanoparticles, and the
antioxidant could soon be a mainstream health the gastrointestinal tract, and the second was resulting nanoformulation was found to be
supplement, as A*STAR researchers get closer to stabilize the nanoparticles so they did not significantly more soluble than raw quercetin.
to making it soluble. clump together into a less soluble form. As an added benefit, the cellulose and
Laboratory and animal studies of quercetin There are some publications in the resistant starch brought their own health
one of the most abundant dietary plant-based literature about the preparation of quercetin benefits that further boosted the antioxidant
antioxidants suggest it could offer antioxi- nanoparticles, but these nanoparticles become effects of the quercetin.
dant, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-inflamma- highly agglomerated immediately after forma- We think the quercetin nanoparticle/
tory and anti-microbial benefits if incorporated tion and/or during the drying process, so their dietary fiber formulation could be used as a
2017 A*STAR Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences
in food supplements. However its use has been benefits are severely diminished, says Dong novel food ingredient or as a supplement, Dong
limited by the fact that it does not dissolve in To solve these problems, the team first says. However given quercetin has a less-than-
water, which reduces its absorbability. formed nanoparticles from quercetin in an eth- pleasant taste, further processing is necessary to
The research team, led by Yuancai Dong anolic solution by adding water, to which they make it a feasible food additive (see page 27).
from the A*STAR Institute of Chemical added insoluble dietary fibers in the form of
and Engineering Sciences faced two key cellulose or resistant starch. We used dietary 1. Khor, C. M., Ng, W. K., Chan, K. P. & Dong, Y.
Preparation and characterization of quercetin/
challenges; the first was to find a way to break fiber as the matrix former, so the quercetin dietary fiber nanoformulations. Carbohydrate
the quercetin down into nano-sized particles nanoparticles can be individually deposited on Polymers 161, 109-117 (2017).
30 A*STAR
Organic chemistry who often generate libraries of potential drug

candidates by reacting a common intermediate
TEACHING AN OLD
with a set of reagents. This technique, also
known as divergent synthesis, significantly
simplifies efforts to screen compounds with
desirable properties.
DYE NEW TRICKS

OUR APPROACH GIVES ACCESS TO A
NUMBER OF MOLECULES WHICH WOULD HAVE
BEEN TOO TIME-CONSUMING TO OBTAIN
THROUGH PURELY DE NOVO SYNTHESIS.
FLUORESCENT COMPOUNDS USED FOR BIOLOGICALLY SAFE I saw potential for developing new
chemistry to make these dyes because the
IMAGING AND LABELING CAN BE MODIFIED ON-DEMAND reported routes were not flexible enough,
WITH A SPECIAL MOLECULAR SCAFFOLD. says Richard. Our approach gives access to a
number of molecules which would have been
too time-consuming to obtain through purely
de novo synthesis.
To build their library of dyes, the team
devised a divergent synthesis where two
chemical handles were attached to either
end of the DHX scaffold. By giving the
handles opposing electron-donating and
-accepting capabilities, the team envisioned
they could create conditions for a wide range
of fluorescence levels. They identified that,
by using aldehyde and aryl bromide handles,
they could produce the initial scaffold in just
one step and on a gram scale.
The researchers first systematically
replaced the bromine handle with more
than 20 amino-based donors, each with
slightly different linear, cyclic, and aromatic
structures. Then, they directly swapped the
aldehyde handle with a charged aromatic
ring group to boost DHXs electron-pulling
properties. Optical tests of the dye library
enabled the team to rank the analogs in
A library of dye molecules synthesized with a modular chemical approach may lead to improved imaging of live cells.
terms of their fluorescence intensity data
that may prove critical for tracking different
Radiation in the near-infrared region is to a central scaffold an interlinked components in complex biosystems.
invisible, but can deeply penetrate living tissue framework of three aromatic rings could The team is excited about the dyes
without damaging it. Dye molecules that switch on bright, near-infrared fluorescence. new potential. The DHX dyes will comple-
produce near-infrared light consequently have Current synthetic methods, however, are ill- ment the rather small number of near-infrared
2017 A*STAR Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences
valuable applications in medical diagnostics, equipped to access a variety of analogs from a dyes now available, and encourage people to
and A*STAR researchers have developed a single DHX scaffold. This makes it difficult consider them a viable option for microscopy,
synthetic approach that can quickly identify to comprehend how certain structures can diagnostics and imaging, says Richard.
ways to fine-tune their emission properties1. maximize fluorescence.
1. Ong, M. J. H., Srinivasan, R., Romieu, A. &
One dye known as dihydroxanthene Jean-Alexandre Richard from A*STARs Richard, J.-A. Divergent synthesis of
(DHX), although discovered nearly 20 years Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences dihydroxanthene-hemicyanine fused near-infrared
fluorophores through the late-stage amination
ago, has attracted a flurry of renewed interest and co-workers aimed to explore DHXs poten- of a bifunctional precursor. Organic Letters 18,
after chemists discovered that small tweaks tial by taking a lead from medicinal chemists, 51225125 (2016).

OBESITY IN ASIA
32 A*STAR
Singaporean researchers tackle one of the

worlds most pressing obesity problems. It's
invisible, insidious and very often fatal.

T
he obesity you see in Asia average plasma glucose concentra-
is internal, its visceral, tion of say seven in Europe and
explains Christiani you talk to a doctor, says Henry,
Henry, director of Clin- they say, Well thats pretty good,
ical Nutritional Sciences well done. But he says in Asia,
at A*STARs Singapore Institute people with seven and eight, are
of Clinical Sciences (SICS). You ending up with [diabetes related]
may look skinny and have a pretty renal failure.
impressive BMI, but also suffer About six years ago Henry
from an insidious metabolic moved from Oxford in the United
condition. For a variety of genetic Kingdom to set up a center
reasons, obesity in Asia isnt always studying metabolism in Singapore,
as obvious as in the West, but it is the perfect place to launch studies
a major problem complicated specific to Asian ethnicities. Sin-
by the fact that Asian studies come gapore is the worlds most densely
back with very different metabolic populated city and home to large
responses. cohorts of Malay, Chinese and
As a result, Asian people who Indian residents which means
dont fit the typical expectations that Henrys scientists at the SICS
of what obesity looks like, may Centre for Clinical Nutritional
still be described by its formal Sciences are leaders in the study of
definition fat accumulation that Asian metabolic responses.
has an effect on health, such as Asian groups across the board
causing diabetes. whether Malay, Indian or Chinese
says Henry, all have a signifi-
ASIAN METABOLISMS cantly higher glycaemic response
The diabetes rate in Asians is to carbohydrates than western
very high for example, even among groups. Glycaemic responses are
those who have the same body the effect a meal has on your blood
weight as Caucasians, says Shigeki sugar and insulin levels, which
Sugii from A*STARs Singapore can increase your fat accumulation
Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC). from carbohydrates and heighten
A greater percentage of Asians the risk of developing diabetes, one
with fat wrapped around internal of the most serious consequences
organs, known as visceral fat, is of obesity. So you cant use the
probably why they have a higher normal BMI cut-off to articulate
prevalence of metabolic and [an Asian persons] risk of getting
obesity-induced diseases. Type II diabetes, says Henry.
The most recent data from the Diabetes dramatically increases
International Diabetes Federation the risk of cardiovascular prob-
Genetics mean that Asian populations are indicates that in 2015, 415 million lems, nerve damage (neuropathy)
more likely to store fat as dangerous internal people had diabetes, more than and kidney damage (nephropathy),
fat wrapped around their organs. People with
John Dominis/Getty
problematic amounts of this internal fat may

half of whom lived in Asia. If among other things all expen-
still look quite slender, but develop serious you have an HbA1C glycated sive burdens on healthcare systems.
obesity-related health issues. haemoglobin, which identifies Henry says increasing knowledge

about Asian metabolic responses will change Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology
what foods governments advocate for Asian (IMCB), is another researcher who has moved
"You may look populations. High carbohydrate diets send

Asian insulin levels through the roof says
across the world, in this case from California,
to work at A*STARs biomedical research hub.
skinny and
Henry. Rice, in particular is a problem. In Hes focused on one of obesitys hottest topics,
Asia people are eating up to 700 grams of brown and beige fat.
cooked rice in a day, sometimes at breakfast, Unlike white fat, whose primary role is
have a pretty lunch and supper... We need to spend much

more resources and money to look at food
to store energy, brown fat is a rarer type of
fat that burns energy for heat when a person
impressive
competence as we have done with pharma, is even slightly cold a process known as
because how on earth are we going to manage thermogenesis. Once thought to be present
up to 50 million people who have Type II only in babies, brown fat was re-discovered in
BMI, but also diabetes in China alone?

The classical nutrition paradigms say we
adult humans in 2009 by improved PET-CT
scan sensitivity. In the flurry of research since,
suffer from
should eat less fat, therefore more carbohy- it has been found that white fats can also be
drate, Henry says. That may be the worst browned by an increase in their internal fat
thing for us to advise Asians because high burning engines, mitochondria making
an insidious carbohydrate, high glycaemic index foods may

be the reason why people in Asia, who are on a
them more like brown fats. These have been
dubbed beige fats.
metabolic
very low fat diet are highly susceptible to Type Weight-loss medications have had a
II diabetes and obesity. bad name since the detrimental effects of
amphetamine notably heart attacks
condition." GOOD FATS WHITE, BROWN AND BEIGE

But, tackling obesity could become even easier.
forced the US Food and Drug Administration
to remove them from the US market in the
Feng Xu, who now works for the A*STAR 1960s. However, treatments that enhance
Here, brown fat (left) with small fat vacuoles and

more fat burning mitochondria (darker purple), is
compared to white fat, with large fat vacuoles and
less mitochondria. Until improved imaging found
small amounts of fat-burning brown fats in adults
in 2009, brown fat was thought only to exist in
babies. A wave of research is now looking into how
to increase or enhance brown fat to treat obesity.
34 A*STAR
brown fat could be akin to the magic bullets more like the fat just under the skin (subcu-
THE SUBTLETIES OF these once claimed to be, as increased brown taneous fat), which is known to have more
SMELL, TEXTURE fat activity may improve our bodies' capacity
to burn fat. Recently, Xu used epigenomic
beige fats. To do this hes currently working
on improving the method to make stem cells
AND TASTE profiling and bioinformatic analysis to search into beige fat (and to image this process). The
Tackling obesity often starts with looking for novel regulators that promote brown fats long-term goal is definitely to have people use
at the foods you eat and how you eat energy expenditure. In addition to multiple stem cells to treat obesity. Its more effective
them. Ciarn Forde is a principal inves- protein factors identified in the study, he also and it can be more targeted, he says.
tigator at the Clinical Nutrition Research discovered a micro-RNA known as miR-32,
Center (CNRC) where he and his team which enhances brown fat activity. In the SHORT- AND LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS
have been studying how Singaporean study published in Cell Reports in May, Xu and In another study completed recently, Xu
children eat, and how this relates to co-workers found that miR-32 is significantly and co-workers found narciclasine, a natural
energy intake and body composition. induced in brown fat when exposed to the compound purified from wild daffodils, has
Their research, which was published cold. And up-regulation of miR-32 leads to the potential to be developed into a novel
earlier this year, highlights that children increased production and secretion of a cir- anti-obesity drug. Plant extracts containing
who eat with larger bites that are culating factor called FGF21 from brown fat, this compound were used 2,000 years ago by
chewed less tend to consume more which further promotes white fat browning. Greek people treating tumors. From literature
energy within meals, and have higher This study provides the first example of a we knew that many cancer drugs changed the
fat mass and body weight. The team brown fat microRNA that enhances subcu- metabolism in cancer patients, so we thought
describe this obesogenic eating style taneous white fat browning through a long- that maybe narciclasine could also make a
as an opportunity to intervene and range effect (mediated by FGF21). In short, change in the metabolism, says Xu. In this
change eating behaviours using what with a better understanding of this process study published in February, his team fed
they call a 'food-based' approach. Xu thinks there is a potential for miRNA-32 the drug to mice being fed excessive calories
The sensory properties of foods mimics to be explored for their function in and found that the compound prevents the
can stimulate food-related behaviors promoting thermogenic activity in the human mice from getting obese by increasing energy
and directly influence energy intake brown fat to enhance the fat burning effect. expenditure. Moreover, narciclasine promotes
over time says Forde. Food texture, Shigeki Sugii, group leader of the Fat fat clearance from peripheral metaboloic
for example, has a direct effect on bite Metabolism and Stem Cell Group at SBIC also tissues, improves blood metabolic parameters,
size and chew rate and can influence wants to promote brown fats effects and uses and protects these mice from the loss of
the calories consumed during a meal stem cells to study and target visceral voluntary physical activity. Further investi-
through its effect on eating rate. fat the bad fat that heightens gation suggested that narciclasine achieves
Odours can stimulate sen- metabolic problems. Earlier these beneficial effects by promoting fatty acid
sory-specific appetites in his career he worked consumption in the skeletal muscle.
and people receive on a small molecule Henry points out that one of the most
signals on nutrient drugs. At that time obvious issues with obesity research in Asia
density from the I felt the limitations is that most of the studies to date come from
taste quality and of small molecule the West, and do not focus on the Asian
intensity of their in drugs particu- physique. This is coupled with the fact that
food. larly for metabolic increased living standards and consumption
His team diseases, because across the region have accelerated the occur-
looked into ways diabetes is a chronic rence of obesity.
of using sensory disease and you take However, there is plenty of work in the pipe-
experiences to the drugs for a long line Asia is a huge market, says Henry, and
influence calorie time, says Sugii. Most many of the worlds top companies are already
selection and intake, drugs are made from small investing a lot of money in understanding and
vetpathologist/Shutterstock ; shingopix/Getty
and have developed novel molecules, as their size lets them solving the region's unique issues.
approaches to reducing calorie diffuse across cell membranes to effect
density and maintaining bodily functions, but, cautions Sugii, these For references, visit the online
satisfaction using approaches molecules often have side-effects. version of this article at:
like slowing eating rates with Sugii instead wants to improve visceral https://www.research.a-star.edu.
sg/feature-and-innovation/7757/
harder, more textured foods. fat function by inserting brown/beige fats clever-fats-weighing-in-on-asia-s-obesity-issue
made from stem cells into it making it

Microwaves could boost the

speed and energy efficiency
of hard drive memory.
Materials
HARD DRIVE BOOST COMES IN

LAYERS OF IRON AND COBALT
THIN LAYERS OF IRON AND COBALT SHOW PROMISE AS MATERIAL
FOR FAST, LOW-ENERGY HARD DRIVES.
A*STAR researchers have created a promising The team had previously studied layers Microwaves generated by a spin torque
new material from thin layers of iron and of cobalt and iridium and found a surprising oscillator embedded in the read-write head of a
cobalt that could enable magnetic recording magnetic irregularity the material strongly hard drive would make writing the data more
technologies such as hard drives to be boosted preferred having its magnetic field aligned in energy efficient, Chung said.
with microwaves1. one particular direction, a property known as The microwaves effectively lower the
Zhou Tiejun, Chung Hong Jing and col- magnetic anisotropy2. With careful alignment energy barrier for flipping the direction of the
leagues at the A*STAR Data Storage Institute of the material, its anisotropy would make it magnetic domains, says Chung.
fine-tuned both the magnetic properties and easier to magnetize and demagnetize. The microwave signal would aid the
the microwave response in the iron and cobalt In this new work, the team found that sand- switching of magnetization required to write
egortupikov/RooM/Getty
thin layers, creating an ideal material to drive wiching cobalt with iron, instead of iridium, data to a hard drive by setting the magnetic
a tiny quantum-powered microwave generator produced stronger magnetic anisotropy and fields of the atoms in the hard drive weaving
called a spin torque oscillator. had superior microwave performance. in circles, in the same way that a spinning
36 A*STAR
top wobbles in circles, an effect known as Control at the nanometer level is utterly of the material design and the challenges of
precession. The cobalt-iridium stack lost the important, he said. integrating the spin torque oscillator into the
microwave energy quickly, like a top spinning The team tested more than 30 combina- magnetic read-write head.
on a thick carpet, an effect known as damping. tions of materials, first exploring the effect
However, in the cobalt-iron stack, the damping of layer thickness, annealing temperature 1. Chung, H. J., Wong, H. S., He, S. K., Zhang, M. S.,
Low M. B. H. et al. Co/Fe mulitlayers with ultra-low
was much lower, like a top spinning on a hard and sputtering rate and temperature. Finally, damping and large negative anisotropy as the free
polished floor. they tested them in a full stack configuration, layer for spin torque oscillator Applied Physics
The breakthrough came from the teams concluding cobalt and iron in equal layers of Letters 109, 182401 (2016).
work in separately engineering the magnetic and 0.625 nanometers thickness was optimal. 2. Wong, H. S., He, S. K., Chung, H. J., Zhang, M. S., Cher,
K., Low, M., et al. Reduction of magnetic damping
microwave properties of the stack, said Chung. Chung says there is much work still to be and isotropic coercivity and increase of saturation
We take a lot of care to achieve the done to bring this technology to fruition. magnetization in Rh-incorporated CoIr system.
desired interfacial quality of the layers. Its difficult, because of the complexity Nanotechnology 27, 455705 (2016).
Microscopy ingenious ways to overcome this limit have
PEERING INTO THE

been demonstrated, but most of them require
either placing the lens extremely close to the
sample both of which could be damaged
during focusing or staining the sample with
fluorescent dyes, reducing the usefulness of
NANOSCALE
these so-called super-resolution microscopes.
Now, Jinghua Teng of the A*STAR Institute
of Materials Research and Engineering and
colleagues have developed a super-resolution
microscope that can distinguish objects sepa-
rated by just 65 nanometers and does not suffer
from either disadvantage.
A MICROSCOPE WITH A SPECIALLY ENGINEERED LENS The microscope has a specially engineered
OVERCOMES A FUNDAMENTAL LIMITATION. lens, known as a supercritical lens. This flat
lens has transparent concentric rings at certain
radii and focuses down to a much narrower
A*STAR researchers and collaborators at the contribution the humble optical microscope spot than a conventional lens. By using this lens
National University of Singapore have developed has made to science and industry. But micro- to focus a laser beam and then scanning the
a non-invasive optical microscope that can scopes suffer from a fundamental limitation focused beam across a sample, it is possible to
image smaller objects than conventional micro- that prevents them from distinguishing build up a high-resolution image of the sample.
scopes, and does not require samples to be dyed1. between two objects that are closer than about While other research groups have fabricated
It is hard to overestimate the incredible 200 nanometers. In recent years, various supercritical lenses in the past five years, they
have various drawbacks. Teng and his team have
Detector overcome these disadvantages through improved
lens design based on computer simulations.
Nano-objects
Besides enabling super-resolution imaging,
the lens has several other important advantages.
It is easy and inexpensive to make because,
tive
ec unlike previous supercritical lenses, it has

Obj
micrometer-scale features rather than nanome-
ter-scale features. It also has a long, needle-like
Researchers at A*STAR have
focal region, meaning that samples will remain
developed a super-resolution
microscope that employs a in focus even if they move slightly up or down
specially engineered lens to Planar Lens relative to the lenses. Furthermore, the distance
resolve nanoscale objects. between the lens and the sample is about ten
times greater than that for previous supercritical

lenses. Finally, since the imaging process is scanning microscope, and found that theirs Were already having discussions with optic com-
completely physical and captured in real time, had superior resolution to both. panies, he adds. The researchers are working on
there is no need for special sample preparation or This technique is highly attractive for optimizing the specifications of their microscope
mathematical post-processing of images, making developing the next generation of confocal in preparation for commercialization.
the microscope quick and easy to use. laser scanning microscopes. There are huge
The team compared the performance of potentials for planar-lens technology in general, 1. Qin, F., Huang, K., Wu, J., Teng, J., Qiu, C.-W. & Hong, M.
A supercritical lens optical label-free microscopy:
their microscope with those of a conventional notes Teng. We hope to commercialize the sub-diffraction resolution and ultra-long working
optical microscope and a confocal laser planar-lens technology within three to five years. distance. Advanced Materials 29, 1602721 (2017).
Nanofabrication at temperatures much lower than typical
A SLICK ROUTE TO
melting points, due to the high energy at the
interface between the film and substrate. This
dewetting effect is increasingly problematic
at nanoscale film dimensions; however it has
also inspired researchers looking for an easy
SMART SURFACES
way to produce patterned substrates.
Liangxing Lu from the A*STAR Institute
of High Performance Computing and
co-workers recently demonstrated that
metal films can be transformed into nano-ap-
erture arrays tiny pores with dimensions
controllable down to 10 nanometers by
CONTROLLED RUPTURING OF THIN FILMS CAN MAKE performing dewetting on surface templates
LOW-COST NANOPATTERNED ARRAYS FOR SOLAR CELLS containing 3D ridges and ripples. However,
the team found that the templates only
AND BIOMOLECULAR DETECTION. produced nano-apertures from metal films
of a certain thickness; otherwise, random
nanodot features appeared.
The phenomenon of dewetting usually clarified how dewetting can assemble arrays of Many factors influence the dewetting
considered a nuisance as it causes solids to 3D nanostructures for applications including process, and also there are many types of
bead up into islands, much like raindrops single molecule sensing1. equilibrium structures, says Lu. Finding the
on glass has been harnessed for a useful Solid state films freshly applied to conditions for select morphologies is complex
application. An A*STAR-led team has microelectronic devices sometimes split apart and difficult.
To use dewetting for other nanostructure
Reproduced from Ref. 1 and licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ) 2016 L. X. Lu et al .

4 shapes, Lu and colleagues developed a custom
0.3
(a) (b) algorithm to simulate solid state dewetting.
3.5 Their technique calculates all possible nan-
0.25
3 opatterns for a dewetting film on a template
0.2
and spots the lowest energy configuration.
2.5 Then, diffusion calculations expose how
0.15 2 movements between adjacent nano-islands
a/w
a/w
lower the systems total free energy.

1.5 This model ignores the detailed kinetics,
0.1
1 and instead analyzes the diffusion paths of
0.05 equilibrium morphologies on a given sub-
0.5
strate, explains Lu. The only driving forces
0 0 are the surface and interface energies, which
l/w l/w simplifies the problem.
Researchers have developed a recipe book of different nanopatterned surfaces possible by combining dewetting Through their calculations, the researchers
techniques with 3D surface templates (as above). produced detailed descriptions of droplet
38 A*STAR
coalescence inside pit-shaped templates, and 100-nanometer high mesa templates with gold techniques for metallic interconnects and
beading on top of table-like 'mesa' templates. films, and then induced dewetting by heating gratings, as well as the growth of special
Then, they generated phase diagrams that the substrate. With electron microscopy morphologies, such as nanowires.
identified possible dewetting behavior on images, they captured gold nanopatterns that
differently shaped templates guidelines matched their phase simulations, with only 1. Lu, L. X., Wang, Y.-M., Srinivasan, B. M., Asbahi,
M., Yang, J. K. W. & Zhang, Y.-W. Nanostructure
that proved useful for fabrication trials. one exception: defects, such as grain bounda-
formation by controlled dewetting on patterned
Collaborators at A*STARs Institute ries, disrupted the natural dewetting patterns. substrates: A combined theoretical, modeling and
of Materials and Research Engineering Lu believes that such fundamental fabri- experimental study. Scientific Reports 6,
verified this analytical approach by coating cation insights could help optimize dewetting 32398 (2016).
Immunology
THE IMMUNOLOGISTS DIRTY

LITTLE SECRET STUDYING IMMUNE RESPONSE TO ALUMINUM
SALTS CAN EXPLAIN HOW THESE CHEMICALS
BOOST VACCINES EFFICACY.
Adjuvants are often included in vaccines to commonly used vaccine adjuvant, aluminum adjuvants, are needed to further stimulate the
stimulate the immune system and make a salts or alum. immune system. The A*STAR team has taken
vaccine more effective. Now an A*STAR Components of disease-causing microor- up the challenge of explaining this enigma,
team, led by Alessandra Mortellaro from ganisms contained in vaccines are not always known as the immunologists dirty little secret.
the Singapore Immunology Network, has sufficient to elicit a strong immune response. The immunity-boosting effect of alum was
explained a new immune pathway of a In some cases, unrelated chemicals, called discovered in the 1920s: scientists in London
found that aluminum potassium sulfate
enhanced the efficacy of diphtheria vaccines
Aluminum salts in jabs
considerably. Nowadays, alum is included
elicit a greater immune in inoculations against various diseases,
response, but how? including common ones such as seasonal flu,
tetanus and human papillomavirus infection.
Paradoxically, despite the fact that millions
of doses of aluminum-containing jabs have
helped prevent and eradicate several patholo-
gies, the details of alums mechanism of action
are not fully confirmed.
Mortellaros team discovered that alum
triggers immune cells called dendritic cells
(DCs), to release IL-2 proteins. These
act as a bridge between innate immunity
and immunological memory. The former
Jeffrey Hamilton/DigitalVision/Getty
defends the organism against any foreign

substances entering the body, while the
latter is specific for a certain infectious agent
and can quickly detect and attack it upon
subsequent encounters.

By injecting an alum-adjuvated vaccine to Specifically, the researchers found an increase leverage the knowledge about this pathway
mice which are either able or unable to produce in both in the number of CD4+ T cells and of to improve vaccine formulation and devel-
DC-derived IL2, the team found that this antibodies specific for the antigen present in opment, and to test whether new adjuvants
protein is required to spark immune protection the vaccine. and alum alternatives have the same effect
and memory against the vaccinations target. The release of DC-specific IL-2 is the on DCs.
We found that the release of DC-derived last step of a molecular pathway, of which
IL-2, promoted by alum, produces the typical A*STAR scientists clarified the specifics. It 1. Khameneh, H. J., Ho, A. W., Spreafico, R.,
Derks, H., Quek, H. Q. & Mortellaro, A.
signs of an efficient long-term immunization, is an immune pathway shared by mouse and
The SykNFATIL-2 pathway in dendritic cells is
where white blood T cells help other immune man, so these findings on alum and mouse required for optimal sterile immunity elicited by
cells (B cells) to differentiate into anti- immunity could be translated into the clinic, alum adjuvants. The Journal of Immunology 198,
body-producing cells, explains Mortellaro. Mortellaro points out. Moreover, we can 196204 (2017).
Biocomputing
DNA GIVES A LOGICAL SOLUTION

A SOLUTION OF DNA AND GOLD NANORODS CAPABLE OF SIX FUNDAMENTAL LOGIC
OPERATIONS DEMONSTRATES THE POTENTIAL OF MOLECULAR BIOCOMPUTING
DNA and proteins, that is both easy to create

and offers the potential for sophisticated
Gold nanorods coated with logic-based computing operations.
dsDNA act like an OR logic gate
in the presence of estrogen
We have taken human gene regulation, one
receptor proteins ER and ER. of the most precise mechanisms in nature, and
applied it to develop the basis of a new tech-
nology in the field of biocomputing, says Su.
Gold nanorods absorb light at specific
wavelengths determined by the rods
dimensions, but the degree of absorption is
controlled by the aggregation of the nanorods
in solution. Su and her colleagues found
that when double-stranded DNA (dsDNA)
was added to the nanorod solution, the
By adding strands of DNA to a solution biomarker. The ability to perform logic oper- aggregation of the nanorods could be reliably
containing gold nanorods, A*STAR researchers ations such as AND and OR for two or more controlled by the dsDNA concentration.
have created a remarkably simple system that biomarkers could greatly increase the diagnostic To demonstrate the system, the researchers
can compute basic logic operations like OR power of such tests. Progress in building biomo- created the solution using DNA segments
and NOT in response to specific molecular lecular logic gates is hampered by the complex containing the DNA sequence for estrogen
inputs1. This has potential applications in rapid and chemically demanding modifications receptor (ER) elements, which would allow
and complex diagnostic systems. required to produce practical logic systems. the system to respond to the addition of ER
Clinical diagnostics often rely on the Xiao Di Su and colleagues from the proteins. They found that the system could
detection of pathogens and disease biomarkers A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and be configured to give an OR result a
from samples of blood or other biological fluids Engineering and University College London change from a low to high absorbance
from patients. Most such tests produce a simple have devised a highly versatile and reliable level when one or both of the two different
true or false result for the presence of a single diagnostic system using gold nanorods, ER variants (ER and ER) were added to
40 A*STAR
the solution as well as a NOT result in This is a simple, yet highly versatile the optical properties of nanomaterials,
response to dsDNA addition. The team then platform that does not rely on nanomaterial says Su.
demonstrated other logic functions (IMPLY, functionalization or other complicated
FALSE, TRUE and BUFFER), which when fabrication methods, and demonstrates the 1. Pallares, R. M., Bosman, M., Thanh, N. T. K., & Su, X. D.
A plasmonic multi-logic gate platform based on
arranged in series formed the basis for more huge potential of nature-inspired applications sequence-specific binding of estrogen receptors and
complex logic operations. using biological binding events to manipulate gold nanorods. Nanoscale 8, 1997319977 (2016).
Solid-state physics VO2
METAL BUCKS
nanobeam
THE TREND Suspended pads
By measuring heat flow from a heating pad (red)

THE VIRTUALLY UNIVERSAL RELATIONSHIP to a sensing pad (blue) along a nanorod (green)
made of metallic vanadium dioxide, A*STAR
IN METALS BETWEEN HEAT AND researchers found that the almost universal
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY BREAKS DOWN relation between heat conductivity and thermal
conductivity breaks down spectacularly.
SPECTACULARLY IN VANADIUM DIOXIDE.
An A*STAR researcher has, together with an devices and thermal switches. electrons flow like a liquid, which manifests
international team, uncovered an exception Now, Kedar Hippalgaonkar at the A*STAR as them carrying charge effectively, but not
to the longstanding rule that effective Institute of Materials Research and Engineering heat. This electron movement contrasts with
heat-conducting metals are also good conduits and collaborators in an international team have the more random movement of electrons
for electricity1. This anomaly could eventually found a large deviation from this law at temper- in a regular metal, which resembles that of
be harnessed in thermoelectric devices that atures above room temperature. Specifically, by molecules in a gas.
convert waste heat from appliances and engines measuring heat flow along a vanadium dioxide It is also possible to tune the heat con-
into useful electric power. (VO2) nanorod, they discovered that the thermal duction of vanadium dioxide by introducing
Metals conduct both heat and electricity, conductivity attributable to the electrons in the tungsten as an impurity. This ability could be
which is why they are used to make frying material is ten times lower than that predicted exploited in thermal switches.
pans as well as electrical wires. This is because by the WiedemannFranz law. Our study puts the spotlight on the
electrons can flow freely in metals, carrying The effect was observed in the temperature class of materials that exhibit a metal-to-insu-
thermal energy and electrical charge with them range 33 to 67 degrees Celsius. Above 67 lator transition as well as those harboring corre-
as they move. degrees Celsius, vanadium dioxide suddenly lated electron systems, says Hippalgaonkar.
This phenomenon is so universal that switches from being an electrical insulator to a Its just the beginning. As well as exploring
it has been enshrined in an empirical rule conductor, accompanied by a small change in other material systems that provide improved
known as the WiedemannFranz law, which its crystal structure. performance compared to this proof-of-concept
From Ref. 1. Reprinted with permission from AAAS.
was discovered more than 150 years ago. This deviation is only possible because study, we intend to delve deeper into the
While some metals that break this law have of new physics that govern the motion of physics underlying this phenomenon.
been found in recent years, these exceptions collective electrons in this unique class of
usually occur at very low temperatures close materials, which exhibit a similar metal-to-in- 1. Lee, S., Hippalgaonkar, K., Yang, F., Hong, J., Ko, C.
et al. Anomalously low electronic thermal conduc-
to absolute zero, making them impractical sulator transition, says Hippalgaonkar. In tivity in metallic vanadium dioxide.
for use in applications such as thermoelectric particular, in metallic vanadium dioxide, Science 355, 371374 (2017).

TOWARD THE FACTORIES

OF THE FUTURE
42 A*STAR
The plants of tomorrow will usher in

a new era of efficiency, precision and
speed, thanks to additive manufacturing.
A
utomation, robotics, advanced such as high-performance computing and
computer-aided design, sensor technology, however, the indus-
sensing and diagnostic tech- trialization of additive manufacturing is
nologies have revolutionized accelerating.
the modern factory, allowing The envisaged smart factories
the building of complex products, from seamlessly bring technologies such as the
microchips to cars and even airplanes, internet of things, cloud computing,
with unprecedented cost-efficiency, advanced robotics, real-time analytics
scale and reliability. The modern factory and machine learning together around
represents the pinnacle of mass produc- a versatile additive manufacturing hub,
tion technology, refined over a hundred and enable the production of customized
years or more, to produce identical items products at mass scales, cheaply and
for mass consumption at the lowest cost. quickly.
Every manufacturing line is uniquely Stuart notes that future factories
designed and configured for one specific will be able to create products that were
product or component. Setting up an not possible before, producing design
assembly line to produce a new item is a geometry impossible to manufacture
costly and painstaking process, involving by traditional machining processes.
iterative design and prototyping within Accordingly, A*STAR has established
the constraints of available mass the Factory of the Future program at the
production technologies. This includes Advanced Remanufacturing and Tech-
the creation and configuration of nology Centre to ensure that Singapore
molds, installation and configuration will become one of the key global players
of equipment, designing, testing and in this emerging sector.
troubleshooting processes, and quality
testing of the final product. The lengthy THE RISE OF ADDITIVE
process results in long lead times and MANUFACTURING
presents significant obstacles to item Although additive manufacturing
customization and the production of has been around since the 1980s, the
small batches or very complex pieces. technology has advanced rapidly over the
Additive manufacturing, known past few years. Many companies in the
as 3D printing, looks set to turn this aerospace, automotive and machine tool
traditional model on its head. In contrast production industries have introduced
to using a dedicated assembly line for a additive manufacturing for rapid
single item, additive manufacturing uses prototyping as a cost-effective part of
a single high-technology production line the design process, and it is increasingly
to create many different items without being used for custom fabrication in
the design constraints and startup costs medical applications, as well as dental
of conventional mass production. products such as crowns.
Additive manufacturing is today The product is built up layer by
mainly used for high-value, high-com- layer, explains Tan Teck Leong from
plexity and low-volume production, says A*STARs Institute of High Performance
A*STARs Advanced Remanufacturing Computing (IHPC). This is in contrast
and Technology Centre (ARTC) Senior to traditional subtractive manufac-
Group Manager, Stuart Wong Sow Long. turing, where material is removed to form
With the advancement of technologies the final product shape.
izusek/E+/Getty

While thermoplastics are the most widely

used materials for additive manufacturing, The time is right possible to produce a complex part like a
fuel nozzle easier and faster than before, in a
for [additive
industrial objects typically need to be pro- single component run. And the design can be
duced from metallic alloys, a more advanced made even more complex if need be, because
manufacturing approach. In metal additive manufacturing is not a constraint anymore.
manufacturing, a volume of metal powder is
precision heated using a laser or electron beam manufacturing] That is the essence of the opportunity.
To realize these benefits, A*STAR
to enter the
to fuse the metal into a contiguous whole with researchers are working hard on the two main
almost no material waste. Future factories will obstacles to a commercially-ready future
use additive manufacturing because it allows factory concept: repeatability, and standardiza-
practically any design to be printed, including
intricate shapes such as gears, engines and shopfloor as the tion. The repeatability of the process is critical.
Currently, fabricating the same part using the
foundation for
blades, says Leong. same material, but on different machines will
Persistent drawbacks of printing-based result in different final product quality. Even
methods need to be addressed before it can starting the part from a different position on
compete. These drawbacks center around the
poorer mechanical properties of printed parts, future factories." the same machine can result in differences in
mechanical properties. Standards are under
compared with cast or machined parts. development, but the additive process is very
Particularly for metallic materials, fluid dynamics to simulate the flow and complex and therefore standardization is
improving mechanical properties is one of the melting process of the powder precursors remains a challenging task.
biggest challenges in additive manufacturing, during laser melting, photonics to simulate In five to ten years, we will see more parts
says Leong. Many processing factors, the interaction between laser and processing being moved from traditional to additive
including powder morphology, laser power material, and materials science to simulate the manufacturing on a purely economic basis,
and speed, need to be perfected in order microstructure, chemical composition and says Vastola. The GE fuel nozzle can be
to minimize the formation of defects such mechanical properties of the final product. regarded as the pioneer of many more parts to
as pores and brittle impurities, which can Modeling and simulation will be the come. And as the technology becomes more
compromise the mechanical properties of the killer app for additive manufacturing, says widely adopted, it should move upstream all
printed product. Vastola. Because additive manufacturing is the way to parts designers. Then, once the
such a complex and difficult process, and at freedom of complexity is embraced at the
GAME-CHANGING SIMULATIONS the same time so economically important, design level, we will start to see truly new
One of the most significant ways in which developing simulation software to support the parts that simply would have never been
A*STAR researchers are contributing is through technology will be a tremendous contribution. thought of before. Additive manufacturing is
simulation of the manufacturing process using truly an enabling technology, and the time is
fundamental principles of materials physics. OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES right for this technology to enter the shopfloor
Physics-based simulations support The classic example of the benefits of additive as the foundation for
additive manufacturing in multiple ways, manufacturing is the engine fuel nozzle by future factories.
says Guglielmo Vastola from the IHPC. GE, where the transition from traditional to
For large end users of 3D printed parts, additive manufacturing translated into a
simulations show if and where the part could reduction from 19 components to just one
fail during the manufacturing process, and component that is 25 per cent lighter, 5
can therefore suggest the optimal way to print times more durable, and that increases fuel
the product before sending the part to the efficiency by 15
printer. The equipment and raw materials are per cent, says
very expensive, so this means direct savings. Vastola. It became
The manufacturers of 3D printers can also
use our simulations to understand the exact
functioning of their machines, and to get clues
on how to further improve them to increase

product quality and reliability.
The IHPC is leading a cross-disciplinary
effort to develop a comprehensive simulation A simulation of the additive manufacturing process of a thin-wall structure, showing the distortion experienced by
toolkit for additive manufacturing, involving the part as it is being built. Color scale: Red = high residual stress blue = low residual stress.
44 A*STAR
White blood cells, such as the B

lymphocyte (left, colored orange), use
inflammation to combat infection. In
some cases, however, this inflamma-
tion can cause damage of its own.
Inflammatory disease
A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR

IMMUNOTHERAPY
A FAILED TREATMENT FOR CHIKUNGUNYA HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR EXTREME CAUTION
WHEN MANIPULATING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.
A*STAR researchers found that a treatment IL-2/JES6-1, could prevent chikungunya virus- Tregs. Ng and her team, in collaboration with
they developed for chikungunya, a disease mediated inflammation when administered Olaf Rotzschke, a Tregs expert, and Laurent
causing painful joint inflammation, was before infection1. Rnia, an expert in CD4+ T cells, found that,
successful when administered closely preceding As it is not always feasible to predict an in healthy animals, these cells protected against
an infection, but made things much worse if infection and administer prophylaxis, Ng and virus-induced inflammation. If the host was
subjects in this case, mice were already in the team went on to test the treatment on mice already infected, however, the body had already
Juan Gaertner/Science Photo Library/Getty
the grip of the virus. already infected with the chikungunya virus2. generated high levels of activated immune cells
Lisa F. P. Ng, who has studied chikungunya "We hoped to see a similar improvement, but and adding more Tregs to the mix initiated a
virus immunity and infection for the past unfortunately the contrary happened. It didn't cascade that led to hyper-inflammation.
decade, and her team from A*STAR's protect the mice it made them worse," says Ng. Ng cites another example of immunotherapy
Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) had The antibody complex stimulated the gone awry the 2006 TeGenero/PAREXEL
previously shown a specific antibody complex, production of regulatory white blood cells called clinical trial disaster which ravaged the organs

of its six healthy volunteers, caused loss of of action, why this line of research is dangerous." of Reunion Island. "It's a rarely fatal disease,
limb and left some participants with lasting She adds, "Modulating the immune system so priorities were elsewhere for a long time,"
damage to their immune systems. "It was can yield treatment options, but scientists need says Ng.
terrifying," Ng recalls. "By the time they got to to take heed: these approaches can have serious
injecting the final participant, the first one had adverse effects." 1. Lee, W. W. L., Teo, T-H., Her, Z., Lum, F-M., Kam, Y-W.
et al. Expanding regulatory T cells alleviates
already collapsed." Chikungunya emerged in the 1950s; chikungunya virus-induced pathology in mice.
The ramifications of the SIgN study are however, despite decades of reports of sporadic Journal of Virology 89, 7893-7904 (2015).
clear. "The impact of this research the take- infection in Africa and South-East Asia, it was 2. Lee, W. W. L., Teo, T-H., Lum, F-M., Andiappan, A. K.,
Amrun, S. N. et al. Virus infection drives IL-2
home message? It's a word of caution," warns only thrust into the global research spotlight antibody complexes into pro-inflammatory agonists
Ng. "We've shown here, down to the mechanism after a 2005 outbreak in the French territory in mice. Scientific Reports 6, 37603 (2016).
Stem cells identified a cocktail of four transcription
MAKING BLOOD
factors proteins involved in the translation
of DNA into RNA and that turn nearby genes
on and off by binding to DNA that repro-
gram mouse skin, causing it to develop into
different types of blood and immune cells.
FROM SKIN "THIS REPRESENTS A FIRST STEP TOWARD THE

ENGINEERING OF NEW HUMAN BLOOD CELLS
FROM SKIN CELLS OR ARTIFICIAL SOURCES."
Weve been interested in finding out

DESPITE BEING VERY DIFFERENT KINDS OF CELLS, SKIN whether it might be possible to rewrite the
CELLS HAVE BEEN USED TO MAKE BLOOD CELLS IN MICE. identity of cells, specifically to turn skin into
blood, says Lim. Skin cells and blood cells
couldnt be more different. Its amazing that
Researchers have long dreamed of producing is likely to increase as populations age and we have artificially generated blood cells from
blood, thereby making donations a thing of fewer people donate. Medical advances mouse skin cells.
the past. Now, thanks to a recent A*STAR which require large volumes of blood, such as The demonstration has implications
study that has successfully made mouse blood chemotherapy, organ transplants and heart beyond just the artificial production of blood.
and immune cells from skin cells, they are surgery, also draw on dwindling stocks. This is not only of practical importance for
closer to achieving this goal. Previous studies generated new mouse regenerative medicine in terms of potentially
This represents a first step toward the blood cells from skin cells, but the blood yielding a source of new blood or immune
engineering of new human blood cells from cells produced lasted only two weeks after cells, says Lim. It is also interesting from a
skin cells or artificial sources, notes Bing being injected back into mice. Now, Lim and fundamental biological perspective that two
Lim of the A*STAR Genome Institute of his co-workers have succeeded in producing very different cells like skin and blood can be
Singapore, who led the study. artificially skin-derived blood cells that interconverted.
Blood is in short supply and the demand can last up to four months in mice. They The researchers intend to continue to
improve their protocol in mice, but they have
their sights fixed on extending the technique
A*STAR researchers
to human cells so that it can provide a
Reprogramming have identified four
platform to produce new human blood and
transcription factors that
factors
2017 A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore
can reprogram mouse immune cells.

fibroblast cells, causing
S L them to become 1. Cheng, H., Ang, H., Y.-K., EL Farran, C. A., Li, P.,
R B different types of blood Fang, H. T. et al. Reprogramming mouse fibroblasts
and immune cells. into engraftable myeloerythroid and lymphoid
progenitors. Nature Communications 7,
Skin Blood cells 13396 (2016).
46 A*STAR
Human genetics
MUTATION FOUND IN PATIENTS

WITHOUT A NOSE RESEARCHERS DISCOVER A MASTER
REGULATOR OF NOSE DEVELOPMENT.
research fellow in the Reversade lab who led

the project. It's an adult onset degenerative
disease, whereas BAMS is an embryological
developmental disease. The only similarity is
that they have mutations in the same gene.
The diseases are also driven by entirely dif-
ferent types of mutations. While FSHD2 results
from mutations that knock out SMCHD1, the
team believes that BAMS is caused by increased
activity of the gene. Introducing the mutant
gene into frog embryos led to craniofacial defects
similar to those of BAMS patients, and the team
observed the same defects when they increased
expression of the unmutated form of the gene.
While SMCHD1 is clearly a key gene reg-
ulating nose development, its precise function
remains a mystery. SMCHD1 is a repressor,
explains Xue. We think the gain-of-function
mutations cause it to silence more genes than
its supposed to, including genes involved in
nose development.
Finding SMCHD1 gives us a handle to
A young patient with Bosma tackle this question, she adds. Developmental
arhinia microphthalmia genetics research often uses mice as models, but
syndrome (BAMS).
there are no mutant mice lacking a nose; mice
cannot mouth breathe, so they die if they are
born without a nose. Now that we know this
A mutated gene in patients lacking a nose has All 14 people had mutations in the gene gene is a master regulator, we can explore its
Reprinted by permission from Macmillan Publishers Ltd: Nature Genetics (Ref. 1), copyright 2017.
been identified by an international team, a first SMCHD1, none of which were present in the downstream targets and signaling pathways,
step toward understanding nose development parental DNA samples, indicating that they says Xue.
and possible therapies for another condition. were spontaneous mutations. SMCHD1 is Reversade calls the discovery a fascinating
The team, led by researchers from Bruno known to regulate chemical modifications example of how rare conditions can provide
Reversades lab at the A*STAR Institute of to DNA which silence or repress genes, and insights into common diseases, adding that
Medical Biology and the Institute of Molecular this study showed that it is expressed in the team hopes to translate their findings into
and Cell Biology, sequenced DNA from 14 the developing nasal and optical tissues of potential FSHD therapies.
people with Bosma arhinia microphthalmia mouse embryos.
syndrome (BAMS). BAMS is a congenital SMCHD1 is already implicated in a 1. Gordon, C.T., Xue, S. Yigit, G., Filali, H., Chen, K. et al.
De novo mutations in SMCHD1 cause Bosmia arhinia
condition in which patients are born without more common disease, facioscapulohumeral microphthalmia syndrome and abrogate nasal
a nose, and often with eye defects and stunted muscular dystrophy (FSHD). FSHD is a development. Nature Genetics 49,
release of sexual hormones. very different disease, says Shifeng Xue, a 249-255 (2017).

Researchers from A*STAR's Stomach cancer
CANCER
Genome Institute of Singapore
have discovered master regulatory
elements in stomach cancer.
ENHANCER
SWITCHES
FIRST ROADMAP OF STOMACH
CANCER SUPER-ENHANCERS
PAVES THE WAY FOR
NEW TREATMENTS.
A*STAR researchers have homed in on a

potential new way to diagnose and treat
stomach cancer, through the mapping of
an unprecedented catalog of almost 3,800
super-enhancers from stomach cancer
tumor cells.
Gastric or stomach cancer is the worlds
fifth most common cancer and the third
leading cause of cancer death globally,
according to Patrick Tan, the Deputy Executive
Director of A*STAR's Biomedical Research
Council (BMRC).
Tan led the A*STAR Genome Institute of
Singapore research team that mapped more than
100 epigenomic profiles from stomach tumors,
surgically removed from patients in Singapore,
and compared them to normal stomach cells.
They validated these profiles using gastric
cancer data from scientific institutions in Japan,
the United States and South Korea.
Tan says the study is yielding new insights
into gastric cancer that have been overlooked by
previous approaches.
The epigenome consists of chemical tags that
SCIEPRO/Science Photo Library/Getty
attach to the DNA and instruct it. Tan says,

what makes each cell type different one
cancerous and one not, is really which genes are
turned on or off. This is a process we refer to as
gene expression.
48 A*STAR
Tan explains that enhancers are control uncontrolled proliferation. allow the super-enhancers to promote gastric
circuits in the genome which determine which Analyzing stomach cancer and matched cancer growth. They want to develop a
elements are switched on or off. normal samples, the research team investi- method of early diagnosis for stomach cancer
Recently, researchers have discovered gated almost 37,000 enhancers and found by testing for these gastric cancer-specific
super-enhancers: clusters of enhancers 3,759 predicted super-enhancers. The active super-enhancers.
localized to specific regions of the genome. super-enhancers are recognized by a special The team plans to open a laboratory that will
They have broad and powerful effects on gene DNA tag, known as H3K27ac. offer the epigenomic profiling platform they
expression, and are pivotal to cancer and other They also studied 848 gastric cancer developed, to collaborators investigating other
disease processes. patients and showed that those with a cancers and diseases.
Tan says: When one looks at the gene high level of super-enhancer associated
expression patterns controlled by the genes had a worse survival rate than 1. Ooi, W. F., Xing, M., Xu, C., Yao, X., Ramlee, M. K.,
Lim, M. C. et al. Epigenomic proling of primary
super-enhancers, the function of these other patients. gastric adenocarcinoma reveals super-enhancer
genes are all related to different traits of The research team will now focus on heterogeneity, Nature Communications 7,
cancer, including resistance to cell death and cancer therapies that target factors that 12983 (2016).
Immunology
EXISTING DRUGS COULD TREAT

CHIKUNGUNYA
INSIGHT INTO HOW CHIKUNGUNYA SYMPTOMS ARE
TRIGGERED SUGGESTS EXISTING TREATMENTS
COULD BE REPURPOSED TO HELP PATIENTS.
Chikungunya virus infection could be treated joint pain. Since 2004 there have been major T cells, which mediate immune system
with autoimmune therapies currently used for outbreaks in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, responses, play a central role in triggering
other conditions, according to research led by and South and Central America. There are chikungunya-induced joint swelling.
A*STAR scientists. currently no approved treatments. To investigate, Ng and Laurent Renia, her
When transmitted to humans by mosqui- A group led by Lisa F. P. Ng at the colleague at SIgN led the team to transfer
toes, chikungunya causes high fever, head- A*STAR Singapore Immunology Network CD4+ T cells from both healthy and chikun-
aches, joint inflammation and debilitating (SIgN) demonstrated in 2013 that CD4+ gunya-infected mice into T cell receptor-de-
From Ref. 1. Teo et al., some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science.
ficient mice. Only those that received cells

from infected donors suffered joint swelling,
inflammation and skeletal muscle damage
confirming the key role of these T cells in
triggering chikungunya symptoms.
They then carried out proteome wide screening
assays in which CD4+ T cells taken from chikun-
Subcutaneous Subcutaneous
Edema Edema gunya-infected mice were tested against all proteins
generated by the chikungunya virus.
This identified specific segments in
two viral proteins, nsP1 and E2, as those
500m 500m
that stimulate CD4+ T cell responses to
chikungunya. The discovery could be used to
The degree of subcutaneous edema during Chikungunya infection (left) and the fingolimod treated mice (right) help design vaccines against chikungunya and
during the peak of joint swelling.
related viruses.

Applying their findings, the researchers two drugs cyclosporin A and rapamycin correct, and suggest existing T cell suppressive
treated groups of chikungunya-infected mice failed to control the disease symptoms in mice. drugs could provide viable treatment options
with three clinically-approved T cell suppres- Ng and her colleagues stress that the use of for patients.
sive drugs. Tissue samples were then visually fingolomid to treat chikungunya patients with The group believes such drugs could also
assessed by histopathologists. chronic joint pain has yet to be evaluated, but be used to treat inflammation caused by
Fingolomid, usually used to prevent hope their study will lead to further research other insect-spread viruses that is mediated by
multiple sclerosis relapses, successfully reduced on whether it and other immunosuppressive virus-specific CD4+ T cells.
joint swelling, inflammation and muscle drugs could help those with the condition.
damage in the rodents. It did so both when We were pleased with these findings, says 1. Teo, T.-H., Chan, Y.-H., Lee, W. W. L., Lum, F.-M.,
Amrun, S.N. et al. Fingolimod treatment abrogates
given as a prophylactic, and following infection Ng. They demonstrate our previous theory chikungunya virus-induced arthralgia. Science
as a standard therapeutic treatment. The other about the pathogenic role of CD4+ T cells was Translational Medicine 9, eaal1333 (2017)
Polymer chemistry lab-based analytical instruments such as UV
AN EYE FOR
absorption detectors or mass spectrometers,
says Jianwei Xu from the A*STAR Institute
of Materials Research and Engineering,
who led the work. We aimed to develop
a portable, quick, inexpensive and highly
HIGH EXPLOSIVES
sensitive alternative.
Xu focused on fluorescent polymers whose
light emission dims when exposed to vapors
of molecules such as TNT that contain nitro-
groups the nitrogen-rich structure that give
high explosives their energetic properties.
Although explosive-detecting fluorescent
FLUORESCENT POLYMER POINTS THE FINGER AT TRACES OF polymers have been developed before,
EXPLOSIVE DEVICES. there have been obstacles to their practical
use, Xu explains. Some lost part of their
fluorescence in solid form through a process
Bomb plots could be thwarted with the help explosive-detection performance far more robust called aggregation-caused quenching. Others
of a portable system for detecting traces of than previous materials with similar properties. lacked the necessary porosity for explosives
high explosives using fluorescent polymer Many methods have been developed vapor penetration, only retaining an effective
nanoparticles1, developed by A*STAR. to detect traces of high explosives such as response when formed in layers of around 2.5
Coated on to paper, these polymers display an trinitrotoluene (TNT), but most require large, nanometers so thin, the sensor would be
very difficult to fabricate cheaply.
Xu and his colleagues have been devel-
oping polymers that, rather than losing their
light emission in the solid state, become
brighter, an effect known as aggregation-in-
duced emission (AIE). Our previous research
demonstrated that porous films obtained from
Reprinted from Ref. 1 with permission of The Royal Society of Chemistry
AIE active copolymers show a strong response

to the vapor of nitro-compounds, says
Xu. The team has now developed two new
polymers, poly(triphenyl ethene) (PTriPE) and
poly (tetraphenyl ethene) (PTPE), designed
to maximize AIE, porosity and nitro group
sensitivity. The polymers multiple bulky
The polymer-coated polymer readily could detect fingerprints contaminated with traces of four common high phenyl groups help keep them rigid and max-
explosives, including TNT.
imize light emission following aggregation.
50 A*STAR
But in the presence of nitro-groups, electron the pick of the pair, detecting TNT at a We are seeking co-operation with industry to
transfer between polymer and analyte rapidly concentration of five parts per billion, even in commercialize this technology.
quenches the light. polymer layers 1,000 nanometers thick.
1. Zhou, H., Wang, X., Lin, T. T., Song, J., Tang, B. Z. &
Paper sensors fabricated by absorbing This technology could be used at airports, Xu, J. Poly(triphenyl ethene) and poly(tetraphenyl
the polymer nanoparticles on to filter paper ports and for border control for detecting ethene): synthesis, aggregation-induced emission
property and application as paper sensors for
showed high sensitivity for nitro-compound explosives in any explosive-contaminated effective nitro-compounds detection.
particles, says Xu. PTriPE proved to be containers, clothing, boxes or bags, says Xu. Polymer Chemistry 7, 6309 (2016).
Materials
BEDDING IN NEW
LASERS
A SIMPLE AND VERSATILE TECHNIQUE FOR MANUFACTURING
HYBRID LASERS ON DIFFERENT MATERIALS OPENS THE Schematic of
DOOR TO NEW APPLICATIONS FOR PHOTONIC DEVICES. the hybrid laser.
Fabricating hybrid semiconductor lasers on on to other substrates, be it silicon, quartz, or The bonding was then completed at relatively
materials other than the commonly used metal alloys. low temperatures of around 220 degrees Celsius,
silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates has By using an ultrathin layer of silicon oxide allowing the ultrathin layer of silicon oxide
proved challenging. Now, A*STAR researchers to bond the lasers to a silicon substrate, the to conduct heat between the layers, reducing
have developed an innovative technique researchers developed a simpler, safer and more potential damage to the materials, strengthening
that can integrate the lasers on to a range of flexible technique than direct bonding, which the bond and avoiding the need for hazardous
different materials.1 relies on chemical bonding between the surfaces. chemicals, such as Piranha solution and hydro-
Hybrid lasers combine the light-emitting The challenge is to produce a smooth, fluoric acid, used in direct bonding.
properties of group III-V semiconductors extremely thin layer of silicon oxide on the The work demonstrates a versatile on-chip
like gallium arsenide and indium phosphide, surface of the substrate, explains Ng. By laser that can be integrated on to any material
with conventional silicon technologies, growing the film on the silicon substrate, but platform and could lead to new applications for
offering inexpensive photonic and microe- not on the III-V substrate, we greatly reduced photonic devices, such as detector-on-chip and
lectronic devices for application in optical the complexity of the process and improved the modulator-on-chip technologies.
telecommunication systems. strength of the bond between the two materials. The low temperature interlayer approach
Their range of applications, however, After first cleaning the surfaces with an is simpler and much safer than direct bonding,
is limited by the poor light-emitting organic solvent, the researchers exposed the and means that laser manufacturers are not
characteristics of the silicon-on-insulator surface to an oxygen plasma to increase its restricted by the choice of substrate, says Ng.
2017 A*STAR Data Storage Institute
(SOI) wafers mostly used as substrates in adhesive properties. They then initiated the
the fabrication process. This spurred Doris bonding process at ambient temperature by 1. Lee, C. W., Ng, D. K. T., Ren, M., Fu, Y. H., Kay, A. Y .S.
et al. Generic heterogeneously integrated IIIV
Keh-Ting Ng and colleagues from the bringing the two substrates slowly together, to lasers-on-chip with metal-coated etched-mirror.
A*STAR Data Storage Institute to develop an reduce the air trapped between them, ensuring IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum
innovative technique for bonding III-V lasers a much stronger bond. Electronics 22, 1500409 (2016).

VOICES Anand Andiappan Keri McCrickerd

FROM A*STAR
www.research.a-star.edu.sg/blog
Senior Research Scientist, SIgN
We all know
Research Fellow, SICS
If a young
that the genetic child is showing
Voices from A*STAR is a monthly code of DNA healthy weight
blog published on the A*STAR is made up gain as they
Research website. It features a of the bases grow, the por-
personal account of the challenges
A (adenine), tion sizes they
and rewards of a life in science by
A*STAR researchers from a range T(thymine), are consuming
of disciplines. Staff interested in G(guanine) and C(cytosine). Just day-to-day are probably appropriate
contributing to the Voices from like any language, meaning comes for their needs. Here, urging children
A*STAR blog are encouraged to from reading letters in context. To to finish everything on their plate
contact the Managing Editor. understand DNA, the language of may be unnecessary and could prevent
genetics, we need the context of children attending to their own
epigenetics. feelings of hunger and fullness.
NEXT ISSUE
Heres a sneak peek of the material covered
in the next issue of A*STAR Research
Photonics
INVISIBILITY IS
WITHIN SIGHT
The theoretical discovery of transparent
particles that break the previously
accepted limit of visibility opens a new
door in the search for perfect transparency
Immunology Glaucoma Vaccines

THE ROLE OF CRYSTALS EYES OPEN TO A DENGUE TREATMENT
Dave and Les Jacobs/Blend Images/Getty
IN THE DISEASE OF KINGS A PROTECTIVE MUTATION THAT IS ONE FOUR ALL

Gout is associated with unhealthy A genetic mutation that protects against An antibody that targets all four strains
living, but its underlying mechanism glaucoma has been uncovered during an of the virus renews hope for effectively
has been a mystery international study into exfoliation syndrome treating and preventing dengue
52 A*STAR
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC)
is Singapores lead government agency dedicated to fostering Bioinformatics Institute (BII)
world-class scientic research and talent for a vibrant knowledge- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI)
based economy. Clinical Imaging Research Centre (CIRC)
Data Storage Institute (DSI)
A*STAR actively nurtures public-sector research and development
Experimental Power Grid Centre (EPGC)
in biomedical sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and spurs
Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC)
growth in Singapores key economic clusters by providing human,
Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS)
intellectual and industrial capital to our partners in industry and the
healthcare sector. Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN)
Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES)
A*STAR currently oversees the following research institutes, consor- Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC)
tia and centers and supports extramural research with universities, Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R)
hospital research centers, and other local and international partners. Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE)
Institute of Medical Biology (IMB)
Institute of Microelectronics (IME)
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB)
National Metrology Centre (NMC)
Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC)
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS)
Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech)
Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN)
www.astar-research.com

A STAR Research July 2017 - September 2017

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Issue 8

July - September 2017

ORIGINS FACTORIES OF FRESH

Clear. Concise. Convenient.

A*STAR Research is a publication of the Agency

A*STAR Research is published quarterly, Notes from the editors

2017 A*STAR. This publication may be

ISSN 2010-0531 16 Lockdown genes to help reduce IVF failure rates

www.astar-research.com   A*STAR RESEARCH 1

2 A*STAR RESEARCH ISSUE 8 | JULY SEPTEMBER 2017

Notes from the editors

As usual, this is just a glimpse into the offerings

Texture: Rita Petersone-Lazdina/EyeEm/Getty

Microfluidic chips make it possible

BETTER BONDS, LESS BUBBLES

interrupted by an infrequent sound. Responses

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Photonics offices, homes and public spaces. However,

TEXTURED LED GIVES

GREEN LIGHT TO LI-FI

InGaN LED with V-pits was a much better

www.astar-research.com   A*STAR RESEARCH 7

The lipid contents of a fluid that surrounds the

cancer specimens, a false-negative finding

HARNESSING THE PROPERTIES

Characterizing the thermal properties of crys- Determining the thermal characteristics

attracted considerable attention as a two-di- reduces the number of calculations, allowing

www.astar-research.com   A*STAR RESEARCH 9

DISSOLVEABLE PINS AND

Energy battery that combines the best of zinc-air and

HYBRID ZINC BATTERY

BEATS ITS RIVALS

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ISSUE 8 | JULY SEPTEMBER 2017

THE SINGAPORE OUTBREAK

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A*STAR researchers have

LOCKDOWN GENES TO HELP

LIGHT FORCES ELECTRONS

www.astar-research.com   A*STAR RESEARCH 17

Transverse mouse kidney

Mutations in a single gene have long taken sole

mutations in DAZ interacting protein 1-like

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EYE CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

spiral structure known as an alpha helix, but

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Genetically modified zebrafish

ZEBRAFISH LIGHT THE WAY

www.astar-research.com   A*STAR RESEARCH 23

CLEVER DESIGN OF RAIL-LIKE WAVEGUIDES

Optimizing the layout of slot waveguides can eliminate differences in

www.astar-research.com   A*STAR RESEARCH 25

Nanostructured silicon existing MacEtch models and the process

"ONLY AFTER MANY REPEATED TESTS, AND

MacEtch is based on silicons interaction

MAKING THE UNPALATABLE

www.astar-research.com   A*STAR RESEARCH 27

Bone marrow is the

Infection-fighting immune cells known as

targets, our findings provide critical biological

THE NEXT SEGMENT

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2 A*STAR RESEARCH ISSUE 8 | JULY SEPTEMBER 2017

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