Post Reflection- GSK

It was a fruitful trip to GSK on 20 Nov. Although it was just a short 3 hours plant tour around the entire plant, I am really impressed with the facilities and technologies they use, both in their lab and their production site. We are shown a video before the start of the talk. This video is to commemorate 40 years of GSK in Singapore. From the talk, I realised that there are multiple plants of GSK in Singapore and the plant that we are visiting is in-charge of pharmaceutical production.

We were then brought for a plant tour directly after the talk. We were split into 2 groups, where 1 group will visit the laboratory and the other group will go visit the production facilities first. I was in the group that visited the laboratory first. There are 2 different laboratories in GSK, technical development laboratory and quality laboratory. They develop the active products in drugs, in the sense that the chemicals within the drugs. We were shown around in technical development laboratory where we saw miniatures of how drug development works in sealed cabinets. We also saw how isolation works in their lab, with 1 glove up to $1000! This is a ridiculous price! There was also a question raised by Miss Lim on the quality of products during transportation. I realised that was a very important question to ask! Such active products will be consumed by the human population, and if there is any slight changes to the chemicals, it might have a disastrous effect on the human population! We then had a short talk with Dr Phillips, the chemist in technical development lab. He answered "BIG" questions by  Nicholas and Bram on how GSK separates enantiomeric drugs. 

We then moved down to the quality lab for short while before moving on to the visit around the production site. The production site is 4 storey-high, that is connected from the top to the bottom. This "factory" is for kilo-scale production of active products in drugs, with a whole series of process from mixing to drying. All revolves around physics and chemistry concepts! 

I have gained much interest in chemical engineering and I really feel that GSK has done much help to society. They developed drugs for the human population and it is a very noble job in GSK. I have considered doing chemical engineering in the future now, other than Life Science and Medicine in University. All these studies bind down to helping the society, so, why not?    

Post Reflection- Life Tech

It was an entire exciting day in Life Tech! It is the trip that I think that was the most interesting in all 3 days! We were given a short briefing on Life Tech Company, a talk very similar to 3M. Our second activity is a hands-on activity in their v & v lab, playing around with polymerase chain reaction. We were first break into 4 groups. I am in Group 2, Polymerase. Our group in-charge is Kit Yeng and she brought us through the entire hands-on project. In this entire activity, we learn how the PCR process works, from collecting samples, then amplifying the samples and finally reading the samples with electrophoresis. We are also told the difference between a core PCR and a real time PCR. A core PCR could only amplify the DNA but not allowing us to quantify the DNA while a real time PCR could do both! We were also taught when the DNA formation could amplify exponentially (When it is above the threshold value in the computer system).

My Work on micro-pipetting 

How PCR works:

1. DNA sample is subjected to high temperature (95 degree celsius) in the hold stage for the machine to warm up, and to denature the DNA (Breaking the double helix to 2 strands of helix)

2. A primer is then inserted, which would bond to the 3 prime site of the DNA, and with the help of an enzyme called polymerase, this primer is then elongated to form our original DNA.

3. A Primer probe is also inserted into this process. This primer probe is very specific and binds to specific site of our single helix of DNA and the fluorescence of the primer probe is then released from the primer probe as the primer is elongated. This then give a signal for the real time PCR to pick up and being recorded in their program. Thus, with a high concentration of fluorescence detected would mean that there is an adequate amount of DNA being amplified.

Electrophoresis System

After our lunch break, we are introduced to product development! It teaches us the various steps as to how a product starts from its thinking stage all the way to the end where it launches and ends. We continue our product that we made from the QiOptiq workshop and evaluate the product in the end.

After tea-break, we are given a talk on career development. We have Life Tech to share about their career and how they ended up in Life Tech. We are also given a valuable lesson on education itself. "We go to school to learn how to learn", this sentence is still revolving around my head till now. Actually, this is very true.... We go to school is actually not really to study on the 9 subjects that we have, but actually to pick up the essence of learning. Mr Siew also mentioned that what is valuable about our study is not about getting tons of awards as it would not be really helpful once you get a job, it is the experience that you gathered that is more important. 

In the end, we hav a plant tour around Life Tech, similar to 3M. We get to see what the plant actually manufactures. Life Tech is very organized in their work area as there are designated areas for different products and all the parts and equipment is placed nicely on shelves. They also have a system to record the attendance of workers and whether the production line is still active. 

In this entire trip, I have benefited greatly from the hands-on activity and the career sharing session as I get to gather more knowledge in science and really reflect on the way of studying that I am using now. Is it just about getting good grades, or do I have the interest to find out more of what I like? Is learning about exams after all? It is a good time to reflect....

Post reflections- 3M

3M visit was held today, 16 Nov! Before we enter the innovation centre in 3M, we have to clean our shoes using their machines. This is really something new! To keep 3M plant clean and dirt-free, there is such machine for visitors and workers to clean their shoes! How unique! We were warmly welcomed by the plant manager, Mr Yap and the operation manager, Mr Mok. A short video was played to introduce the products of 3M. Do you actually know that 3M creates 55000 products, with most products created for the industrial purposes. Mr Yap then gave a brief introduction of 3M companies around the world and Singapore plants. He also told us how 3M spend their time thinking about new products using all the existing concepts of 3M!

We were then brought around to see how 3M actually creates their products. The lockers of 3M companies has their roof slanted downwards to prevent workers to place their items above the lockers. This is to keep the entire working conditions in a clean condition. Their working area is split into 2. 1 area is exposed to UV light rays where items are exposed in optimum condition while the other area is the assembly area for their products. They also have a discussion room for their workers to think of better ideas to improve current products or inventing new items. Lastly, we were brought to a "Clean Room". This is where all their products are exposed to dirt-free environment so that the products maintain high accuracy and precision. Mr Mok told us that this clean room is specially designed. The air that enters this room gives a 1 way flow so that dust particles do not retain in the room. There are also vacuum pipes in the side walls for cleaning once a month. Lastly, workers that enter this room has to be dressed up like a mummy to prevent dust entering the room.

I feel that 3M trip was an excellent one as I see how a small plant could operate so efficiently with their careful planning. I have also seen unique products that I have never seen before and realised the importance of innovation. It is not necessarily very important to create something out from no where, although it might be good. Innovation helps to improve products and create new products from there. I believe that 3M employees are excellent thinkers and are full with ideas. It is a very sad thing that their attachment program was scraped by the previous plant manager, an attachment program for students in 3M will definite inspire many engineers for the society in future!

Post-reflection- QiOptiq

It was a QiOptiq talk by Mr Ronian Siew today. Ms Ivy Wang, a visitor from Life Tech came down and join us in the QiOptiq course. Mr Siew went through with us his journey in life and how he end up choosing optic engineering. He also gave a lesson on lenses, a more unique way compared to normal physics lesson. For example, he came up with an analogy for how a converging lens actually works. He treat light rays as racers and the lens is suppose to make sure that all the racers will end up in the same position on the other side of the lens... So, he used mud to represent the thickness of the lens. As mud would slow down racers, the racers with the shortest would experience most mud in order for all the racers to meet at the same position. It is the same for light, the light rays will slow down more as it passes through the middle of the lens while light rays will slow down less as it enters from the two ends of the lens. Interesting? I feel that this method can make us remember how a lens works, as well as explain why converging lens is able to converge!

We are also suppose to come up with a invention that could successfully see an oral cavity in darkness. Our group, consisting Bram, Nicholas, Jia Qi and me came up with the theory on how our prototype work. We spent a lot of time trying to get the correct orientation and size of the image. We decided to use the flashlight in our phone to shine into the optical fibre that we have and use 2 10x lens placed in front of the camera lens so as to capture the image of a specific part of the oral cavity. There is also 1 group that made a retractable lens that could refocus image as it changes the focal length! How cool is that! 

After this lesson with Mr Siew, I feel that optics could be used everywhere in our daily life and inventions could be made even by us, students! Although it might be a small prototype, I can see great value if our ideas could be adopted and really created into a useful product... 

Theory

Doing Work!

Our lens!

Questions in mind...

QiOptiq

1.       For Qioptiq, how can the diamond-tipped tools cut with precision? Is it done by machines? If it is, how does the curvature of lens could be cut? 
2.  How liquid lenses change between convex and concave lens using a small voltage? What does the small voltage does?
3.  How liquid lenses are made shock-resistance?
4. How can fluorescence detector help in DNA analysis?
5. Other than scratch-free lenses, what other advantages can nighthawks invention help the militants to maneuver in the dark?
6. How does the materials used in making an endoscopy help to successfully maneuver light from one end to the other end? What are the different layers for? Why must there be multiple lenses?
7. How is QiOptiq related in DNA analysis? How can physics be applied in DNA Analysis? 
8. What exactly is laser optics? How it works and what are the main concepts behind them?

GSK

1. What are some of the new medicines that GSK has came up with? Are there any groundbreaking news amid-st research? 
2. Is crystal seeding the best method for creating of medicine? What are some of the limitations? 
3. How has chemical equilibrium helped in the creation of medicine? What reactions do GSK has to consider during the making of medicine? Does all the medicine that GSK created has reversible equations? If not, how can reversible equations be altered to suit human body? 
4. Why does GSK uses ideal gas law? Why not usage of real gas law? 
5. How centrifugal force help in medicine creation? 
6. What are some current drug discovery made by GSK? 

3M

1. What are some inventions made by 3M recently? 
2. Why does 3M promotes innovation? 
3. What are some concepts used in creation of adhesives and security system? 
4. How is barcode recognised in Intelligent Return and Sorter System?
5. Do 3M make all the privacy filter in phone accessories? 

Life Tech  

1. There are many different types of PCR, why are there such differences? How do these differences help in different DNA analysis?

Research!!!

QiOptiq

Personally, I have never heard of Qioptiq before till it was mentioned during our briefing on HCI Engineering Week. By the name, I have always thought it has only got to do with topic of light in physics, like experiments we do in our school that is related to light. After some read-up on QiOptiq, I feel that what we learn in school about light is so fascinating! I didn't know the concept of light could be applied in so many areas in real-life like in automotive and space-related application. Actually, I have never really like Physics as I thought that we only know how to look at equations and minimal real-life application. It seems that I am wrong, just a small topic like light could have such a big company like QiOptiq coming up with inventions and technologies that help in various sectors of economy. I am especially interested with the inventions by Qioptiq in the medical science field as I would like to venture into medicine in future. QiOptiq has many inventions in just this field like Ophthalmology and DNA analysis. I am really interested to find out how is the topic light incorporated into medical science field. Of course, there are other inventions made by QiOptiq in the defence, aerospace and industrial manufacturing sectors that has much value to the 21st century.

3M

I believe that many people have heard 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) many times, but who actually knows its full name? During the briefing for HCI engineering week, Mr Loh asked what does 3M stands for, I am stunned as I really do not know what 3M stands for even though hearing this name for many times. Just hearing 3M, everyone would directly link it to post-it notes, but there are many other items that 3M has designed. It is just that we do not actually bothering seeing all the stuffs around us, paying a little more attention to them. 3M business is really big as it covers 6 different segment in our society, with companies around the world. There is also 1 plant in Yishun, Singapore that manufactures products of 3M. 1 useful product that my cca, Robotics, always use would be the dual-lock from 3M. It helps us manage our playing field and other aspects in robotics.

GSK

GSK is a company that I have heard many times from my friend, Nicholas Lee. He loves chemistry and it is no wonder he would know GSK (GlaxoSmithKline). GSK company is involved in pharmaceutical science and chemical engineering, an aspect that I am venturing in the future! GSK has contributed much to our healthcare industry by inventing vaccines and medicine for mankind. GSK has two global manufacturing and supply sites located in Singapore too. Sciences such as Crystal Seeding and Cetrifugal force is used in producing the medicine and vaccines. One example of widely consumed medicine produced would be our Panadol.  


Life Tech

This is the first time our school is participating in Life Tech in HCI Engineering Week. After some research on Life Tech, I am really excited for the visit there. It has everything on biology! From nature biology to human biology, nothing is left out, even the latest cloning facilities could be found in life tech. One product that is common in life tech would be PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) assay. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a biochemical technology in molecular biology to amplify a single or a few copies of a piece of to thousands copies of a particular DNA sequence for reading purposes. Life tech also ventures in different research in cancer, stem cell and plant sciences, hoping to have some breakthroughs in these fields to help mankind. Can't wait for the visit!

Myself

Hi, everyone. I am Shie Yu Hao from Hwa Chong Institution, class 3P3. I have taken a special programme this year, Science and Math Talent Programme (SMTP). The main reason why I chose this programme is because I have a very strong interest in science and my ambition is to become a doctor. I do not have mastery in subjects involving science and mathematics but I believe that passion and interest in these fields will allow me to obtain mastery very soon. I particularly have a strong passion for biology as I feel that biology is really fascinating and it enables me to know what I am really made of. I also feel very close to nature whenever I study biology. Biology rocks!