Bacteria is often thought of as harmful yet few know that bacteria can be used for water treatment. To further research the role of bacteria in water treatment, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is partnering with three leading institutions across three continents. Researchers will study the mechanisms of cell-to-cell communication in bacteria. A greater understanding of the microbial will enable us to come up with better solutions for water and wastewater treatment and industrial processes. The result of the study can even help in drug design for human diseases.
The three premiere institutes that NTU is partnering are the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS). The partnership will leverage the strengths of each institution to enhance collective capabilities and establish cutting edge environmental science education and research. This, in turn, will advance excellence in environmental sciences and engineering research as a whole, leading to more effective applications for the industry. The aim is to ensure a better quality of life through clean air, water and land, and sustainability of natural resources.
The collaboration, which is an expansion of NTU's global network in environmental sciences research and development, will also help to propel Singapore's efforts to become a global hub for environment and water for business, investment, research and technology.
"We are happy to expand our network of global partners. HUJI is ranked amongst the top universities in Israel and in the world. UNSW is one of Australia's leading universities, and China's GUCAS is the largest independent institution for postgraduate education in Asia. They are well-respected institutions in the area of biosciences and biotechnology. Environmental biotechnology is also a key capability within NTU's Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) ecosystem. Such formal partnerships will help strengthen the existing person-to-person collaborations, and expand the excellent ties between the countries, open the doors for more world-class research, and allow NEWRI to continue build its leadership in this domain," says Prof Ng Wun Jern, Executive Director of NEWRI, NTU.
NTU President Dr Su Guaning signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dr Deng Yong, University Council Chairman, GUCAS, on 17 February 2009. A week earlier, on 10 February, NTU Provost Prof Bertil Andersson inked the collaboration with Prof Leslie D Field, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), UNSW while on 16 December 2008, he formalised the partnership with HUJI Rector, Prof Sarah Stroumsa.
The scope of the MOUs includes visits by and exchange of staff and post-graduate students for research, teaching, sharing of information, and joint performance of R&D projects.