Cytiva is a global provider of technologies and services that advance and accelerate the development and manufacture of therapeutics. - Formerly GE Healthcare Life Sciences, Cytiva was formed as a result of the divestiture of the GE Healthcare Biopharma business to Danaher Corporation

Part of a global innovation team focused on external technology scouting and development of future commercial opportunities

Esco Ventures is the corporate venture arm of Esco Micro Pte Ltd, a family owned producer of laboratory, hospital and pharmaceutical equipment. Esco Ventures invests in innovative life science and biotechnology companies that have potential synergies in Esco Micro’s established businesses or operational capabilities. Led investment and R&D activities in diagnostics, medical devices and life science tools. Responsibilities included formulating investment theses, sourcing new investments opportunities, carrying out due diligence, and post-investment management.• Closed Series A investment in a Boston based diagnostics startup and represented the fund as an observer in board of director meetings• Developed a prototype for a novel immunoassay tool designed for high sensitivity, customizability, and low cost: a key unmet need in the academic and medtech R&D markets.• Established network of investors and entrepreneurs that facilitated access to deal flow in the US and Europe

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is one of the premier research universities in Asia and is home to several world class research centers including the Centre for BioImaging Sciences led by Prof. Paul Matsudaira. Correlated light and electron microscopy (CLEM) using bio-cathodoluminescenceCLEM combines electron and fluorescence microscopy images of a single biological sample in order to produce composite images that have both high resolution and molecular specificity. Obtaining CLEM images, however, is technically demanding, and images are typically distorted as a consequence of requiring two different types of microscopes. The initial discovery that fluorescent proteins and dyes emit fluorescence when stimulated with an electron beam (cathodoluminescence or CL) led to efforts to develop a method to use CL in biological imaging.• Produced detailed characterization of emission spectra of fluorescent proteins and organic dyes, establishing the basis for application of CL in biological imaging• Developed method to enhance CL emission resulting in first ever demonstration of stimulated emission from electron excited chromophores

Carried out postdoctoral research with Professor Marko Lončar in the Laboratory for Nanoscale Optics within the School of Engineering of and Applied Sciences.Projects:Label-free biosensing with photonic crystal nano beam cavitiesOptical cavity sensing methods exploit changes in resonance frequency of resonant nanostructure in response to perturbations in the local refractive index. Using high-Q silicon nanobeam cavities developed in the lab, detection of 10 nm nanoparticles and specific detection of protein down to the single molecule limit was demonstrated.Reference:Quan Q., D.L. Floyd, I.B. Burgess, P.B. Deotare, I.W. Frank, S.K.Y. Tang, R. Ilic, F. Vollmer , and M. Lončar. “Single Particle Detection in CMOS Compatible Photonic Crystal Nanobeam Cavities.” Optics Express 2013 21 (26), 32225-32233.Imaging in harsh and high background environments using fluorescent nano diamondsNanodiamonds containing luminescent defects are chemically inert and are highly fluorescent with little or no photobleaching, making them an ideal probe for harsh the environments encountered in petroleum production. In a joint industry/academic collaboration with Schlumberger and KAUST, methods for tuning size distribution and number of color centers were developed to facilitate use as tracers in oil reservoirs and for applications in biological imaging. Reference:D.L. Floyd, R. Mahfouz, W. Peng, O.M. Bakr, and M. Lončar. “Size-controlled fluorescent nanodiamonds: a facile method of fabrication and color-center counting.” Nanoscale 2013 5 (23), 11776-11782Key Achievements• First demonstration of optical detection of single proteins using a CMOS compatible sensor design• Demonstrated feasibility of large scale manufacture of luminescent nanodiamonds with defined size and NV content, which is critical for many advanced applications.

Doctoral dissertation research was carried out at the laboratories of Profs. Antoine van Oijen (currently at Wollongong University, Australia) and Stephen Harrison.Study of viral membrane fusion through single particle fluorescence imagingMembrane fusion is a key event in the entry of viruses into cells, but the dynamics of this process is still poorly understood. A fluorescence based method to image individual influenza virus particles as they fuse with an artificial cell membrane was developed. By analyzing these ‘molecular movies’ detailed kinetics information was extracted leading to new insights into the molecular mechanism of viral entry and revealed targets for therapeutic intervention.Reference:D.L. Floyd, J.R. Ragains , J.J. Skehel, S.C. Harrison, A.M. van Oijen. “Single particle kinetics of influenza virus membrane fusion.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 2008; 105 (40): 15382-15387.Key Achievements• Organized collaboration and initiated a novel research program that continues to impact the research in both advisors’ laboratories.• Developed a platform including hardware and analysis/modeling software which allowed the study of viruses at early stages in the infection cycle.• Uncovered strong evidence that influenza hemagglutinin functions as a multi-protein complex, which led to a new push towards a universal vaccine.

Biophysics 204: Structural Biology from Molecules to Cells• Composed and delivered lectures, tutored students on problem sets.

Advisor: Gu-Gang ChangProject: Enzymology of malic enzyme. • Performed site-directed mutagenesis studies to study enzyme dimer interfaces.• Measured protein dimerization by analytical ultracentrifugation.

Advisor: Liang TongThesis: Structural biology and enzymology of malic enzyme• Produced and purified recombinant proteins for crystallization.• Crystallized proteins, acquired x-ray diffraction data and assisted in structure determination.• Acquired enzyme kinetics data, characterized inhibition mechanism.

• Led weekly recitation sections to supplement lectures, designed and graded exams