News

Phys.org published an article about how researchers from the SUTD have discovered a general theory that describes the thermionic emission from graphene. The article quoted EPD student Chen Yueyi and head of Science, Mathematics and Technology cluster, Prof Ricky Ang.

To read more, please go to https://phys.org/news/2019-10-physicists-mystery-thermionic-emissions-graphene.html
This research highlight can also be found at https://www.sutd.edu.sg/Research/Research-News/2019/10/SUTD-Thermionic-Emission-in-Graphene

SUTD Team Helps Make Leap in Quantum Mechanics

Lianhe Zaobao, 3 Sep 2019, Exploring Chinese Orchestral Music with Physics

SUTD researchers study the pivotal role that Parrondo’s paradox plays in the shaping of living systems and its potential identity as a universal principle underlying biological diversity and persistence.

Inspired by the flashing Brownian ratchet, Parrondo’s paradox is a counter-intuitive phenomenon in which two losing games, when played in a specific order, can surprisingly end up winning. For example, slot machines are designed to ensure that players lose in the long run. “What the paradox says is that there might be slot machines which are subtly linked in such a way that playing either slot machine independently will lead to financial disaster, but switching in between them will eventually leave the player richer than before,” said senior author, Assistant Professor Kang Hao Cheong of the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

To read more, please go to https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190805134043.htm
You can find more details at https://www.sutd.edu.sg/Research/Research-News/2019/8/Paradoxical-Survival-Examining-the-Parrondo-effect

Media Feature of Global Health Technology Course Taught by Science, Mathematics and Technology Faculty, Dr Dawn Koh

Researchers have developed a way to achieve an ultra-high bioelectric signal from human embryonic stem cells using direct current-voltage measurements facilitated by few-layered 2D molybdenum disulfide sheets. This method, which produces cell signals 2 orders of magnitude higher than previous electrical-based detection methods, paves the way for the development of a broadly applicable, fast, and damage-free stem cell detection method capable of identifying pluripotency with virtually any complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor circuits.

For the first time, Singaporean researchers have developed a method using two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D-MoS2) sheets to achieve ultra-high bioelectric signals from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) using direct current-voltage measurements.

This method, which achieved a 1.828 mA cell signal, or 2 orders of magnitude higher than previous electrical-based detection methods, will pave the way for the development of a broadly applicable, fast, and damage-free stem cell detection method capable of identifying pluripotency with virtually any complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor circuits, the researchers say.

“Stem cells are promising starting materials for currently untreated and life-threatening diseases. However, they are limited by readily available methods that can monitor stem cell pluripotency to ensure therapeutic safety. Our method is able to enhance native cell signals feasible for commercialization to ensure therapeutic safety, without altering native cell characteristics.” says Sophia Chan, a PhD Scholar at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

Chan is the first author of a recent ACS Applied Bio Materials paper describing the new technique. Her fellow authors are Agency for Science, Technology and Research research fellow Yaw Sing Tan, Nanyang Technological University research fellow Kan-Xing Wu, Nanyang Technological University assistant professor Christine Cheung, and Singapore University of Technology and Design assistant professor Desmond Loke.

Assistant Professor Desmond Loke and his team has just developed the tiniest thermal guiding device to remove heat in electronics.

This research is reported in Nanowerk News: http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news/newsid=45475.php