Agency for Science Technology and Research
Scientific Research Shows Customised Innovations Can Reduce The Risk Of COVID-19 Transmission
The R&D ecosystem in Singapore has been studying various measures that can help support the safe reopening of the economy as we open up in phases. On top of current safe management measures such as wearing of mask, maintaining safe distancing, limiting social contacts and observing good personal hygiene, these additional solutions will help support …
Creating A Factory “Smart” Enough to Operate in the Dark
Meet Singapore’s Tech Transformers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that have adopted innovation, embraced new technologies and digitalisation to meet the challenges of a disrupted business environment. Behind their transformation is a partnership with A*STAR, involving training and the adoption of technologies to achieve their digital goals. Here, learn more about the evolution of Fong’s …
Food Innovation For The Future – Collaborating For Sustainable Living
Artificial intelligence for crops, super-charged nutrient absorption, and lab-grown alternative proteins. What do these industry buzzwords mean for Singapore’s future of food? And has the current pandemic changed anything? We speak to three companies making waves in the food innovation ecosystem. TAPPING ON CROP INTELLIGENCE Archisen develops and operates systems and solutions to grow local …
Explainer: Testing The Efficacy Of Protective Face Masks
THE BACTERIAL FILTRATION EFFICIENCY (BFE) TEST This test indicates how well a mask filters droplets containing biological agents such as bacteria or viruses. With SARS-CoV-2 thought to be transmitted through droplets, the BFE test is a proxy for the efficacy of a mask in preventing such transmission. Studies indicate that a cough typically …
Strengthening Food Security With R&D
The current Covid-19 situation has brought the issue of food security into sharper focus. Here’s how A*STAR and the Singapore Food Agency are driving R&D efforts to strengthen the country’s food safety and supply. Having to import more than 90 per cent of its food for its population of almost six million, land-scarce Singapore is …
NTU And A*STAR Scientists Develop New Way To Deliver More Drugs Through The Skin
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have showed that applying “temporal pressure” to the skin of mice can create a new way to deliver drugs. In a paper published in Science Advances, the researchers showed that bringing together two magnets so that they pinch and apply pressure to …
Public-Private Collaboration Leads To Finger-prick Antibody Test Kit For COVID-19 That Delivers Results In 15 Minutes
A test kit that can accurately identify SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 15 minutes and employs a lateral flow format, similar to those used in home pregnancy tests, has been co-developed between A*STAR and diagnostics company MP Biomedicals. Serological test kits are especially important for contact-tracing purposes given that there are large numbers of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases …
A Collaboration To Boost Nationwide Mask Production
As Singapore presses on in its fight against COVID-19, the use of face masks have become an integral part of daily lives to complement social distancing and personal hygiene practices. Singapore has been ramping up its masks production capabilities since experiments have shown that wearing a mask helps to prevent the spread of droplets that may carry …
Singapore Scientists Develop Advanced Human Liver Organoids
A long-term research collaboration between A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) has successfully created first-in-class human liver organoids that capture both the functional and structural features of the organ. Notably, the advanced liver organoids are able to replicate structural changes that occur during liver injuries induced by drugs …
Why Some Patients Recover Faster From The Side-Effects Of Antibiotic Treatment
A team of scientists from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s (A*STAR) Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine has identified the microbial factors underlying the response of the gut microbiome to antibiotic treatment. The study discovered a small set of gut bacteria …