Phenomenal advance

By Matthew Chew

Groundbreaking research: Dr Pornpimpol Tipthara, 35, a research fellow at Singapore Phenome Centre, concentrates on analysing the differences between samples from diabetic patients and healthy individuals.

One in three elderly around the world live with either Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia.

However, according to Dr Sean Ng, this can be avoided in the future with advanced research in the field of Phenomics.

By identifying the protein and preventing the fold in it that causes the disease, more elderly might be able to lead a more comfortable retirement.

TWO-OF-ITS-KIND: This is the second phenome centre in the world — the first of its kind is located at Imperial College in London. There are two main machines in the centre; untargeted and targeted. Untargeted machines allow researchers to discover differences worth investigation, while targeted ones help them look for previously identified red flags.

Groundbreaking

Opened in late September, the Phenome Centre places the University at the forefront of groundbreaking medical and biological research.

This has allowed researchers to get a more in-depth understanding of ageing, diabetes and the urban water cycle.

The machines at the centre can be used to determine the breakdown of a patient’s urine, blood and bodily fluids so as to fine-tune the medication that each person receives.

Personalized

Healthcare is on the cusp of a new age of personalised treatment.

Tissue Sample: Machines are able to map the phenomes in a 3D like fashion, where they cannot only identify the composition of the tissue cells, but also the map the phenomes to the specific point in the cell.. They are also used for environmental research in an ongoing project with the PUB. The machines are used to trace how effective a particular bacteria is in treating polluted or waste water.

“We can take blood samples before and after a patient takes a drug, see if it suits the body composition of the patient, and change it accordingly,” said Dr Sean Ng, Director of Research Programme at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine).

Even though the process might sound like a complicated one, it is still time efficient and the centre is able to run a multitude of tests in a day.

Scientific Cooperation: The NIMBELS cluster will enable researchers to gather insights from different fields and acquire more in-depth understanding on matters like ageing, diabetes and the urban water cycle. “The things we do at the Phenome centre are part of a research process that can translate from research to real-life application, and it is important for us to do that,” said Dr Ng.

“The main bulk of the process is automated, which means that we can let it run samples by its own with just a click of a button,” said Dr Ng.

Algorithms

The algorithms in the computer enable scientists to only load the samples and come back later in the day to make sense of the data the machine produces.

Frozen shut: The centre has a few projects underway, such as identifying the factors that contribute to complications in diabetes. This is in partnership with Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Due to its sensitive nature, the fridge that stores all the samples requires a key card that tracks every single access.

The Phenome Centre is part of the new NTU Integrated Medical, Biological & Environmental Life Sciences (NIMBELS) Cluster.

This cluster, including LKCMedicine, Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, and School of Biological Sciences, provides a platform for them to conduct integrated research.