TAN Lik Tong

Dr. Tan Lik Tong obtained his BSc (Hon) from the Department of Zoology at the National University of Singapore. In 1993, he was awarded the Japanese Government (Monbusho) Scholarship to pursue MSc (Marine Sciences) research, under the supervision of Professor Tatsuo Higa, at the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.  His MSc research topic was on the isolation and characterization of bioactive secondary metabolites from marine sponges.  His continued interests in marine natural products brought him to Oregon State University at the College of Pharmacy, where he obtained his PhD in Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry.  His PhD dissertation was on the biomedical potential of marine cyanobacteria, conducted at the laboratory of Professor William Gerwick. Subsequently, he undertook Post-Doctoral research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), University of California, San Diego.  His research at SIO involved drug discovery from novel marine microbes as well as chemical ecology of marine algae.  This was at the laboratory of Professor William Fenical.  Before joining NIE, he was Senior Research Chemist at Merlion Pharmaceuticals in Singapore.  Dr. Tan is also a reviewer for many top tier journals, including the Journal of Natural Products, co-published by the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Pharmacognosy.

Academic Background

• PhD Oregon State University, USA
• MSc University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
• BSc (Hons) National University of Singapore

Professional Organisations

• The Singapore Institute of Biology

Courses

• AAY104  Introductory Organic Chemistry
• AAY203  Further Organic Chemisty
• AAY303  Experimental Techniques in Chemistry
• AAY433  Medicinal Chemistry
• AAB301  Biochemistry
• ASK201  Topics in Physical Science for Primary Science Teaching
• MLS810  Plant Secondary Metabolites 
• MLS811  Separation and Analytical Techniques
• MLS822  Bioactive Natural Products and their Derivatives 
• MLS862  Chemical Zoology

Research Interests

• Drug discovery from marine cyanobacteria
• Chemical ecology of marine cyanobacteria
• Isolation and purification of natural products
• Structural elucidation of natural products

Research Grants

• Marine cyanobacteria:  potential source of new therapeutic agents
  Amount awarded:  $61,300
  Period:  Feb 2011 – Jan 2014
  NIE AcRF, Principal Investigator

• New therapeutic agents from marine algae and invertebrates
  Amount awarded:  $100,896
  Period:  Dec 2005 – Aug 2009
  NIE AcRF, Principal Investigator

• Biomedical potential of marine fouling sponges collected from Singapore waters
  Amount awarded:  $4,996.66
  Period:  Jan 2005 – Dec 2007
  SIBiol Research Trust Fund, Principal Investigator

Graduate Supervision

PhD (Research)

• Ashootosh Tripathi, Sole Supervisor.

Master of Science (Life Sciences) Thesis - 6 AU

Master of Science (Life Sciences):  MLS800 (3 AU)