Grace Chua Straits Times 3 Jul 10
NUS CHEMIST Li Zhi wants 'to make manufacturing more environmentally benign'.
He is studying biological enzymes that can replace chemical catalysts in reactions. That would eliminate the use of toxic solvents, make more of a product from the same amount of raw material, and produce less heat in the reaction than conventional processes.
Associate Professor Li was among eight Singapore researchers who were awarded a total of $5 million yesterday in the first grant call from a $50 million fund set up by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) last year together with the Economic Development Board (EDB).
The fund was prompted by the need to promote 'greener' manufacturing.
For example, in pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, like those at GSK's Tuas chemical plant, large amounts of chemical solvents and other materials are used. About 100kg of materials go into making a single kilogramme of product. Much of that is pricey metals which need to be recovered, or toxic chemicals which have to be treated or burned.
The eight researchers are from public institutions such as the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research's Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES).
They were picked from 33 applicants, by a committee, peer review, and a scientific advisory board.
Their research looks for ways to cut back on chemicals and make more of a product with less raw material.
Another project, by Professor Reginald Tan from NUS and ICES, aims to make medicines more water-soluble, so human bodies can absorb them better and less of a drug is needed.
Some of the findings can be used in manufacturing as soon as four years from now, said Dr Philip Dell'Orco, GSK's director of process engineering and head of manufacturing sustainability in research and development.
The pharmaceutical industry contributed about $18 billion to Singapore's economy last year, with GSK opening a $600 million vaccine plant and other big names like eye-care product maker Alcon also expanding their presence.
Besides pharmaceutical manufacturing, the chemical methods that researchers are working on may be used to make other substances like detergents or lab chemicals.
And though GSK and the EDB are bankrolling the projects, the rights to whatever is discovered remain with the researchers and their institutions.
Further rounds of projects will look at other aspects of green manufacturing, such as developing efficient technology and treating waste.
In the GSK-EDB fund's 10-year lifespan, a total of seven to eight grant calls are expected, with the next grant call to be announced later this year.
About two-thirds of the fund is for education and research into green manufacturing and chemistry while the remainder is for public health policy research.
