NUS Faculty of Science

What began as a tweet on X quickly evolved into a full-scale hackathon organised within just three days by student-entrepreneurs Andrei Loh, Year 1 Data Science and Analytics and his co-founder from @nus.cde.sg , both of whom are passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship. After spotting an announcement from US-based software company Replit on 29 April that its Replit Agent tool would be available for free use for a day, the duo immediately saw an opportunity to bring together aspiring builders and innovators for a rapid hackathon experience. Working against the clock, they coordinated every aspect of the event logistics, from securing judges and partnerships to designing the overall competition structure. Their efforts soon caught the attention of Replit, which came onboard as a sponsor contributing funding in support of the initiative. Despite the short preparation timeline, the team successfully assembled an illustrious judging panel comprising six entrepreneurs and industry professionals. The panel included venture capitalists, the founder of a Y Combinator-backed startup, a Stanford Graduate School of Business alumnus, representatives from KPMG and student founders from Block71. In addition, StartupX, an innovation platform bridging startups and corporates, partnered with the organisers to provide a co-working venue at its One-North headquarters. Over a 2-hour sprintathon, participating teams were tasked to solve a real-world problem using Replit Agent, which is able to autonomously create a full-stack software application given Natural Language prompts. Andrei and his co-founder are currently building a startup focused on crowd-sourcing innovation and creating collaborative opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. Beyond hackathons, the pair are also exploring case competitions and working with companies to organise innovation-driven challenges for students and young professionals. @nussciclub

For @nus.chs student Leo Tan Yong Kang, who reads the Cross-Disciplinary Programme in Environmental Studies (BES), what started as an undergraduate research project eventually took him to the international Species on The Move (2026) conference, where he had the opportunity to present his work on morphological and reproductive differences in widespread species to fellow scientists with a shared interest in evolutionary biology. Beyond the presentations and discussions with researchers from around the world, the trip became a reminder of how science can bring people together through shared curiosity and passion. The experience deepened his confidence as a communicator and reinfoced his conviction to pursue research as a career. “Despite the cultural and geographical differences of the participants, we were able to connect based on our shared interests. That was quite touching for me,” he says. Check out some highlights from Leo’s trip! ✈️ Read more -> link in bio @nus.chs

3 minutes. One slide. World-class research. Pharmacy PhD alumnus Lie Wen is a global 3MT® winner for doing just that. Huge congratulations to Lie Wen for winning 1st prize at the Universitas 21 (U21) Global Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition, edging out competitors from a field of 18 universities. 3MT® challenges researchers to explain their work in just three minutes, to a non-specialist audience. Lie Wen’s talk shows how gut signals can shape appetite. Using zebrafish larvae, he highlights what happens when this signalling is disrupted and how it may lead to overeating. Why this matters: 1️⃣ It makes complex science easy to understand 2️⃣ It connects gut health to the brain in a clear way 3️⃣ It shows how strong storytelling can bring research closer to a wider audience Check out Lie Wen’s 3-minute pitch here -> link in bio @nus.fos

SICC-13: Call for Abstracts! 📅 Submit before the deadline: sicc13.com/call-for-abstracts Don’t miss your chance to present your research at SICC-13 and gain visibility on a global stage. Share your latest findings, connect with experts and contribute to conversations shaping the future of chemistry. #SICC13 #CallForAbstracts #Research #ScienceConference #Chemistry #STEM #ChemNUS #SNIC

What started as studying the laws of physics ended up changing the way @nus.chs ’ Lok Jie Bin sees the world. ⚛️ From exploring theories that describe the world to discovering how physics impacts healthcare through medical imaging and radiotherapy, Jie Bin’s journey revealed the creative possibilities of scientific research and its possible applications in the real world. Undergraduate research brought another lesson. “Designing experiments in both wet and dry labs, troubleshooting setups, analysing data and learning programming skills gave me a deeper sense of independence,” he says. Through his minors in biophysics and medical physics, he also learned to be “more open-minded” and better at integrating knowledge across different fields. Curious where physics can take you? Find out more → link in bio @nus.chs

For Life Sciences alumna Aristia Ho, her love for plants began in her grandmother’s garden, before gradually taking root and growing into a sustaining passion. This eventually led her to her internships and a career at Gardens by the Bay. At work, Aristia supports the planning, execution and upkeep of floral display shows. “My education equipped me with a strong foundation in plant biology and scientific thinking, all of which I draw on regularly in my work,” she says. Check out Aristia’s journey from garden to career → link in bio @nus.fos

Earlier today, we had the pleasure of hosting a lunch with alumni from the @nus.fos . 💙 The gathering brought together alumni across diverse fields — from healthcare and sustainability to data, AI, and quantum technologies — for an afternoon of meaningful conversations and shared perspectives.   The programme featured a sharing by Goh Koon Tong (Science ‘14, CQT PhD ‘19), who reflected on his journey from @nus_singapore into the quantum industry, and how research, mentorship, and global exposure shaped his path as an entrepreneur.   A key highlight of the discussion was the growing impact of AI across industries and how it’s set to reshape education in the years ahead. Alumni shared that while AI will make it easier for students to pick up foundational knowledge, it also makes skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and independent reasoning even more important. Technology can enhance learning, but the ability to think, judge, and act responsibly is something AI can’t replace. We were honoured to be joined by @nuspresident Prof Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85), together with Chief Alumni Officer Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram (Arts & Social Sciences ’89) and Vice Dean of Faculty of Science Assoc Prof Chng Shu Sin (Science '03), who co-hosted the session.   We had a wonderful time reconnecting with Faculty of Science alumni who continue to contribute as mentors, leaders, and changemakers across industries: - Chew Kai Hwa (Science ‘87) - Eugene Ho (Science ‘ 09, PhD ‘14) - Lou Huei Xin (Science ‘94) - Tan Yan Zhou (Science ‘16, MScBA ‘21) - Joyce Tay (Science ‘11) - Karenne Tun (Science ‘94, PhD ‘13) - Zhao Jingyuan (Science PhD ‘ 09)   #NUSAlumni #NUSImpact #LifelongLearning

Congratulations to Prof Hew Choy Sin on receiving the AOS Orchid Research Award, a prestigious international recognition of excellence in orchid science 🌸 Over more than 30 years, his research has advanced the understanding of tropical orchid physiology and cultivation, from carbon dioxide fixation to tissue culture and postharvest practices. His work has not only deepened scientific knowledge, but also contributed to innovations in commercial orchid cultivation and postharvest management, benefiting growers in Singapore and the region Find out more → link in bio @nus.fos

100 internship applications, no offers. So Data Science and Analytics student Bernardino Lintang (@bernard_ino ) looked beyond Singapore, to Indonesia and India. In Indonesia, he worked on fraud detection in a bank, where real-world data quickly showed that what worked in class didn’t always hold up in practice. In India, the shift was less about scale and more about ambiguity. With fewer instructions and more open-ended problems, the work became about deciding what to build, not just how to build it. Across these experiences, the biggest takeaways went beyond technical skills. For Bernardino, it was about learning adaptability to keep moving, even when things weren’t clearly defined. “These overseas experiences expanded my cultural awareness and helped me understand how economic development, public policy, religion and community life shape society,” he says. See how he worked through the challenges → link in bio @nus.chs

May the Fourth be with you! ✨This Star Wars Day (4 May), Sruthi and Yasmeen are back to channel the Force… through physics (and a little gas-lighting 👀). Using electric currents, they bring inert gases to life in brilliant colours 🎨, and reveal the science behind lightning’s signature bluish hue ⚡ This is Episode 2 of a series featuring the NUS Science Demonstration Lab (@nus_sdl ) at @National University of Singapore, Faculty of Science. This hands-on Lab is where science comes alive through interactive experiments and engaging demonstrations. Led largely by NUS students under the faculty’s Young Educators in Science (@nus_yes ) programme, these passionate educators make complex concepts visual, intuitive and memorable for visitors of all ages. To date, the Lab has received more than 47,000 visitors from over 250 organisations, tertiary institutions and schools locally and internationally. #ShapeTheFuture #NUSImpact

From marine fieldwork to ocean philanthropy 🌊 Life Sciences alumna Kelly Tan didn’t expect her career to be shaped by the sea, until a field study dive changed everything. From Labrador Park to Costa Rica and Tioman, what started as curiosity grew into a journey in marine conservation and advocacy. Today, as Associate Director at Temasek Foundation, she works on ocean-focused initiatives that support marine programmes across the region. “Many marine projects have social impacts as well and I wanted to address this. That’s what drew me into the philanthropic space.” Read more → link in bio @nus.fos

For @nus.chs student Janelle Tan (@jan.elletys ), her studies in Life Sciences and Aquatic Ecology take her way beyond the classroom. Some days, it’s a forest trail. Other days, it’s listening closely to the sounds of nature. 🌿 Through her internship at the National Parks Board, she found herself exploring Singapore’s nature parks in a way few ever do. She set up camera traps, tools she had never used before, capturing moments of wildlife in their natural habitats. She also monitored tree phenology, noting the presence of flowers and fruits, and conducted bird surveys, training her ears to pick up bird calls. She found herself navigating new concepts like water quality and canopy cover, courses which reshaped how she saw ecosystems, connecting the living aspects of ecology with the environments that sustain them. Somewhere between the muddy trails, data analysis and the hours of observation, she came back to what she already knows - she loves getting her hands dirty, being outdoors and discovering nature. Curious about where Life Sciences can take you? Find out more → link in bio @nus.chs