Date: 27-May-2003

Mr. Noah Tu is a Medicinal Chemistry Scientist with S*Bio Pte Ltd (http://www.sbio.com/). He was born in Hong Kong and migrated to Canada with his family. Noah attended the University of Lethbridge in Alberta and University of Victoria in British Columbia, after which he moved to Chicago, Illinois to work with Abbott Laboratories. He moved to Singapore in 2002 to work at S*BIO.

Noah will provide us with an insight into what it takes to become a research scientist, what excites him about his job, and what challenges he faces. What do you do? I am a Medicinal Chemist - this area of research focuses on the synthesis of small chemical molecules for the discovery of therapeutic drug compounds. What is your specific area of expertise? My expertise is in automation technology for drug discovery. Essentially, this is the use of robotics to speed up compound synthesis, high throughput screening and purification of potential drug compounds. My research interest is in the customization of a commercial robotic system to fit multiple R&D needs. Most commercially available systems are not good at handling and scheduling multiple operations at the same time. The problem with this is that if a company uses such a system, it is limited. Working with many different systems would be expensive. Customization of commercial automation platforms enables multitasking and results in cost savings (as the company no longer needs to purchase multiple units). For drug discovery labs in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, utilizing machinery to speed up time-consuming steps is vital. Automated instruments greatly reduce labor expenses, immediately generating cost-savings and improved competitiveness. Research labs requiring higher throughput settings demand more automation. Hence, superior automation setup plays an integral part in the battle for efficiency. Describe a typical day A typical day includes planning and setting up experiments, and finding new ways of approaching them; working on scientific research projects with project team members, and reviewing research papers and scientific journals. How did you decide on this career path and what steps did you take to get here? I have always wanted to be a chemist, because my mother was a successful chemist. While doing my second year undergraduate degree program, my Chemistry Professor asked me to participate in a summer chemistry research project. That was the spark, and this interest continued over the next 2 summers. I decided to further my studies in Chemistry in graduate school. After graduation, I joined Abbott Laboratories as a Medicinal Chemist, and started my career in pharmaceutical research. What do you enjoy most about your work? I enjoy being part of a world-class team that utilizes advanced technologies to explore new frontiers of science. I also enjoy seeing how creativity and new ideas evolve into problem-solving solutions that contribute to the overall success of the company. What are the challenges? The main challenge in Medicinal Chemistry is to keep up with the ever-changing field and stay one step ahead of competition. What are your career goals? To be part of a winning team that brings new drugs to benefit human life. This is what motivates me. What made you decide to move to Singapore for this job? The Biomedical Sciences industry in Singapore is growing at an incredible rate, and the opportunities in this field for researchers are tremendous. I chose to work at S*BIO as it provides me with the opportunities to contribute my skills and expertise, while at the same time, to learn and expand my knowledge. Working in Singapore has allowed me to experience different cultures and to travel around the region. I have also found this country to be a good place to raise a family. What kinds of people do well in this job? Innovative and creative people. Things don't work a lot of the time, and there can be a lot of frustration, so good problem solving techniques is key. Also, a good dose of patience! What are the biggest misconceptions people have about research work? That you need to be a genius and a top-notch student. I think that in order to be a successful scientist you need to have a love and passion for science. Apart from that it's a lot of hard work, and of course, luck plays a role too. Another misconception that some people have is that working in a lab is unsafe. As long as everyone follows the stipulated safety guidelines, and at S*BIO we do have a comprehensive set of safety guidelines and lab operational procedures, then research is as safe as any other job. Click here to visit the S*Bio website (http://www.sbio.com/).