AsianScientist (Could 06, 2024)–In 2023, Professor Katalin Karikó and Professor Anne L’Huillier every acquired the Nobel prize for physiology/medication and physics respectively. Starting their careers within the Eighties, Karikó and L’Huillier confronted main obstacles and encountered quite a few naysayers. Regardless of the challenges, they every constructed illustrious careers and made vital contributions to their fields—Karikó and her accomplice found essential modifications in RNA for the event of mRNA vaccines whereas L’Huillier and her crew made breakthroughs in experimental strategies for the research of electron dynamics.
Karikó and L’Huillier are simply two current examples of how the efforts of ladies in STEM have been more and more acknowledged over time. Whereas it stays that lower than 30 per cent of the world’s researchers are ladies, with extra applications encouraging women and girls to pursue their scientific passions, the variety of ladies in STEM college programs and the workforce are constantly rising.
During the last 25 years, the L’Oréal-UNESCO Fellowship for Girls in Science has supported this trigger globally with a prestigious endowment to assist ladies scientists all around the world advance their analysis. The Singapore version was launched in 2009 and has assisted 27 ladies scientists and disbursed over S$270,000 price of endowment to-date.
This 12 months, L’Oréal Singapore celebrated three excellent ladies researchers. In an awards ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Leow Wan Ru, Dr Yang Le and Dr Xue Shifeng emerged as beneficiaries, every receiving S$10,000 in direction of their analysis in sustainable chemistry, materials engineering and biotechnology. AsianScientist spoke to the three esteemed awardees to search out out extra about their work, motivations and experiences.
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Dr Leow Wan Ru
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Every day, 1.5 million barrels of oil are refined in Singapore to make the chemical compounds that go into what we put on, eat, use and personal. The carbon dioxide launched makes up roughly half of Singapore’s emissions—making the seek for a sustainable different crucial.
Dr Leow Wan Ru, a scientist on the Institute of Sustainability for Chemical compounds, Vitality and Atmosphere labored along with her crew to pioneer a groundbreaking technique for producing ethylene oxide—the 14th most produced chemical globally. Her innovation leverages renewable electrical energy and emits no carbon dioxide, eradicating a lot of the environmental toll related to conventional strategies.
“I consider our analysis could make a big effect on Singapore’s financial system, in addition to decarbonization objectives. The outcomes can profit not solely our nation, however the area as a complete,” stated Leow.
Moreover, Leow shared that her crew is the primary to develop a brand new sort of electrified system that may enhance the speed of ethylene oxide manufacturing by at the very least 10 instances that of prior stories. Leow and her crew proceed to work on renewable strategies to conduct different chemical conversions with equally excessive carbon footprints like terephthalic acid.
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Dr Le Yang
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“Early in my tutorial journey, I acknowledged the transformative potential of natural and polymer supplies, notably within the realm of optoelectronics and versatile electronics,” shared Dr Le Yang, a gaggle chief on the Institute of Supplies Analysis and Engineering. “I intention to advance world well-being by way of analysis—and the highest two common issues are power and healthcare.”
Yang’s work, the Wearable In-situ Sensorics for Well being (WISH) know-how, is a pioneering effort to create non-invasive, real-time, wi-fi and steady chemo-sensing on the pores and skin. By offering sufferers the chance to successfully monitor their well being, the know-how empowers them to take proactive management of their well-being.
The supplies Yang explores have an immense potential to revolutionize healthcare. With additional innovation, Yang envisions a future the place such applied sciences turn out to be integral to every day life, advancing quite a lot of fields together with healthcare, power, communication and human-computer interactions.
As a pacesetter in her discipline, Yang actively contributes to selling variety in STEM fields. She hopes to encourage the following technology of scientists no matter their gender and believes that initiatives just like the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Girls in Science program play a vital position in fostering inclusivity.
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Dr Xue Shifeng
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As a college scholar, Dr Xue Shifeng, now Assistant Professor on the Nationwide College of Singapore, was impressed by watching fish and frog embryos develop from eggs. This expertise set her on a path in direction of understanding the orchestration of genes in embryonic growth and illness.
As we speak, her analysis is centered on the research of epigenetic repression in growth and illness—particularly human congenital issues. Of their work, Xue and her crew recognized the genetic mutations that trigger people to be born with no nostril. The invention represented a major step in direction of understanding the gene’s position in early embryonic growth.
“My crew and I intention to proceed our work with uncommon genetic issues, collaborating with extra clinicians and sufferers. Past genetic mutations, we additionally research gene regulation to grasp how genes activate and off,” she stated. “Many widespread ailments should not brought on by genetic mutations however modifications in how a lot gene merchandise are produced. We hope to develop instruments to show genes on and off at will to be used in analysis and in future remedy.”
All through her profession, Xue has skilled vital private development. One hurdle she continues to work by way of is discovering the arrogance to talk boldly at massive conferences. For Xue, making use of for the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Girls in Science award was an enormous step in direction of reaching her objectives.
“I noticed that to encourage the following technology of ladies in my discipline, I wanted to share my story. This offered me with an important platform to be heard. I consider that science wants extra younger and enthusiastic ladies; it’s not only for the elite few. I’m striving to do my half in serving to these ladies consider in themselves and intention large,” she stated.
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Supply: L’Oreal Singapore
Disclaimer: This text doesn’t essentially mirror the views of AsianScientist or its workers.