Skip to main content
Home The New Paper
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team

Popular

  • COURT & CRIME
  • Food & Drink
Singapore

TP student helps advance HIV research during internship

This article is more than 12 months old
TP student helps advance HIV research during internship
(From left) Dr Samuel Gan, a principal investigator, with Mr Ron Chiang. They both graduated from TP's biotechnology course. TNP PHOTO: KHALID BABA

He helps publish paper in international science journal on delaying drug resistance in HIV protein after internship at A*Star

Audrey Leong
Jun 11, 2018 06:00 am
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • 0 Engagements

As a 20-year-old intern at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), Mr Ron Chiang never expected to have his name and work published in an international science journal and as first author.

Those dreams came true when in February this year, his work was published in Bioscience Reports, where he found three possible new areas of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that can be targeted for drug development and design.

Now 22, Mr Chiang, a graduate from the diploma in biotechnology in Temasek Polytechnic (TP), worked on the paper with his mentors, Dr Su Chinh, postdoctoral fellow, and Dr Samuel Gan, a principal investigator, in 2016, when Mr Chiang was still an intern with the agency.

"Publishing a paper is not something many people get to do on their internship, so it feels great," the full-time national serviceman told The New Paper.

He was part of the pioneer batch of students in the bioinformatics specialisation, and did the study as part of his final year project in his third year.

He was originally aiming to recreate a study done by Dr Chinh, which sought to inhibit drug resistance in the HIV protein.

Flexibility in use of learning devices after school hours: Minister
Singapore

Flexibility in use of learning devices after school hours: Lawrence Wong

Feb 26, 2021

Related Stories

New engineering, design undergrads at NUS to get common curriculum

CFO and general manager is also a part-time poly student

Mental health tips now part of secondary school curriculum

However, not only was he able to reproduce the study findings, Mr Chiang and Dr Gan also found potential druggable regions as well as treatment methods to delay drug resistance onset.

GOOD NEWS

For the 7,548 people in Singapore who are infected with HIV, the paper spells good news; as their model of drug choice would also delay the virus from mutating further.

"We have evidence to support that this model of drug selection of drugs prevents patients from spending money on less effective drugs," Mr Chiang said.

He tapped on skills he learnt during the course of his study in TP, including programming software such as Python, which he used to automate the scripting process during the study.

Dr Gan, who was also a TP graduate from the diploma in biotechnology, said he hopes the study will make an impact on the HIV research community

"After Ron left, we continued the work he had done and found other drug candidates that can be used against HIV," he said.

The researcher added that poly students who intern with A*Star come in with industry ready skills, giving them a competitive advantage.

"These students come in with industry ready skills they can use in the field. More importantly, they should come in with the passion to succeed," he said.

He credited TP for "starting off a chain of events" that led him to his success as a researcher today.

Dr Gan has seen over 50 interns in the last five years.

He said school internships are beneficial to the industry and the student.

"If Singapore is really serious about science, then we need to groom the next generation to be globally competitive," he said.

Apply to Temasek Poly via EAE

  • Secure a place at Temasek Polytechnic even before taking the O-level examinations
  • Take the direct route to an excellent education now
  • Apply through Temasek Polytechnic's Early Admissions Exercise at www.tp.edu.sg/eae

Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now

Education

Audrey Leong

Read articles by Audrey Leong
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • Newslink -  Purchase this article for republication

Top Stories this Month

Makansutra: Mad for this moist millennial char kway teow
Makan

Mad for this moist and marvellous char kway teow

Feb 25, 2021
Wild boar drags woman for a metre in Punggol attack
Singapore

Wild boar drags woman for a metre in Punggol attack

Feb 22, 2021
Father on late son’s fiancee: She was like a daughter to me
Singapore

Father on late son's fiancee: She was like a daughter to me

Feb 16, 2021
Home
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contact TNP
  • About SPH
  • Privacy Statement
  • Data Protection Policy
  • Member Terms & Conditions
  • Website Terms & Conditions
SPH Digital News Copyright © 2021 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn No. 198402868E