Liu Bin was passionate about mathematics and chemistry when she was in school in China, but she was also interested in painting and cooking. It was her father who encouraged her to pursue a career in science. He himself was a student of the arts and social sciences, but he saw the power of science and thought his daughter should make it her life’s work.

Today, Bin is an internationally recognised scientist, engineer, innovator, and academic leader who has conducted groundbreaking research and made significant contributions to Singapore’s science and technology landscape.

Bin, who is the Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor and Deputy President (Research and Technology) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), is world-renowned in the field of organic functional materials, particularly for her work on polymer chemistry and applications of organic nanomaterials in medicine, environmental monitoring, and energy systems.

Her research on biocompatible luminogens, which began in 2011, has been one of her most significant contributions. Her findings have been used to develop highly sensitive light-up molecular probes and nanoparticle probes that allow for longer-term cell tracing and tumour imaging crucial for cancer research and cell-based therapies.

In 2014, recognising the commercial potential of her research, Bin co-founded Luminicell, an NUS start-up company, to commercialise her probe technology. Luminicell has established partnerships with international and local biotech companies with customers from many countries. The company won the Singapore Business Award in 2021.

Bin’s research has also resolved long-standing scientific debates. Her current work on isomer impurities in carbazole derivatives resolved a 95-year debate on the impact of impurities on carbazole luminescence.

After obtaining her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Nanjing University, Bin came to Singapore to earn her PhD in Chemistry from NUS. It was while she was working on her PhD that she realised she had the potential to be a good scientist.

She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and in 2005 she returned to Singapore and became an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NUS.

Bin’s talent for scientific research was soon evident. In 2006 she received the NUS Young Investigator Award and in the years that followed, her outstanding research led to rapid career progression. In 2016 she was made a full Professor.

A prolific researcher, Bin has over 550 publications and 33 patents, 16 of which are licensed to companies in the US, UK, and Asia. Since 2014, she has been named one of the World’s Most Influential Minds and among the Top 1% Highly Cited Researchers in Chemistry or Materials Science by Thomson Reuters and Clarivate Analytics. Her work has been cited more than 63,000 times, resulting in a high h-index of 129 according to Google Scholar (The h-index is a measure of a researcher’s scholarly impact.)

Bin’s innovative work led to her being awarded the 2021 Centenary Prize by the Royal Society of Chemistry in Britain. The Royal Society of Chemistry has been awarding annual prizes for more than 150 years, and some 50 of its prize winners have gone on to win Nobel Prizes for their pioneering work in the chemical sciences.

In 2022, Bin was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering ‘for bringing organic electronic materials into aqueous media, opening new directions in biomedicine, environmental monitoring, sensors, and electronic devices.’

In 2024, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering inducted Bin to its College of Fellows in recognition of her contributions to the development of nanomaterials for biomedical and energy applications.

Bin has received many other awards and accolades. In 2008, she received the Singapore National Academy of Science’s Young Scientist Award, which recognises young Singapore-based scientists and engineers who have shown great potential to be world-class researchers in their fields of expertise.

In 2016, she received the Singapore President’s Technology Award ‘for her outstanding research on organic nanomaterials for environmental and biomedical applications’. In 2024, she received the Singapore President’s Science Award ‘for her discovery of the role of carbazole isomers in room temperature phosphorescence of carbazole, and subsequent revelation of the transformative impact of isostructural doping on the optical properties of organic semiconductors, opening new avenues of study and application’. She is a Fellow of Singapore Academy of Engineering and Singapore National Academy of Sciences.

In her various administrative positions at NUS, Bin has played a pivotal role in shaping Singapore’s research landscape. Since 2023, as Deputy President (Research and Technology), she has been at the forefront of driving NUS’ research strategy and technological development.

One of her key initiatives has been the development of vibrant innovation clusters across faculties at NUS. She has been particularly instrumental in growing the NUS Sustainability Cluster, aligning the University’s research efforts with global priorities in sustainable development.

Bin has been a driving force in enhancing NUS’s international research reputation. She has established and strengthened partnerships with leading global universities, facilitating knowledge exchange and collaborative research projects.

Passionate about nurturing the next generation of research leaders, Bin has in her 18 years at NUS trained 36 PhD students and 63 post-doctoral fellows and visiting professors. She strongly believes that research should have an impact. In a 2018 interview, she said: “I tell my students, you differ by how you present yourself. It is of utmost importance that you communicate your work effectively and convince others that your work is impactful.”

Bin would like to see more women pursuing careers in science, engineering, and nanotechnology. “Not every girl should be persuaded to do STEM subjects. But if she has an interest, society should provide opportunities for her to pursue her interests.” Her active interest in promoting opportunities for girls and women in science and engineering has contributed to the diversity and inclusivity of Singapore’s scientific community.

Liu Bin was passionate about mathematics and chemistry when she was in school in China, but she was also interested in painting and cooking. It was her father who encouraged her to pursue a career in science. He himself was a student of the arts and social sciences, but he saw the power of science and thought his daughter should make it her life’s work.

Today, Bin is an internationally recognised scientist, engineer, innovator, and academic leader who has conducted groundbreaking research and made significant contributions to Singapore’s science and technology landscape.

Bin, who is the Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor and Deputy President (Research and Technology) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), is world-renowned in the field of organic functional materials, particularly for her work on polymer chemistry and applications of organic nanomaterials in medicine, environmental monitoring, and energy systems.

Her research on biocompatible luminogens, which began in 2011, has been one of her most significant contributions. Her findings have been used to develop highly sensitive light-up molecular probes and nanoparticle probes that allow for longer-term cell tracing and tumour imaging crucial for cancer research and cell-based therapies.

In 2014, recognising the commercial potential of her research, Bin co-founded Luminicell, an NUS start-up company, to commercialise her probe technology. Luminicell has established partnerships with international and local biotech companies with customers from many countries. The company won the Singapore Business Award in 2021.

Bin’s research has also resolved long-standing scientific debates. Her current work on isomer impurities in carbazole derivatives resolved a 95-year debate on the impact of impurities on carbazole luminescence.

After obtaining her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Nanjing University, Bin came to Singapore to earn her PhD in Chemistry from NUS. It was while she was working on her PhD that she realised she had the potential to be a good scientist.

She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and in 2005 she returned to Singapore and became an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NUS.

Bin’s talent for scientific research was soon evident. In 2006 she received the NUS Young Investigator Award and in the years that followed, her outstanding research led to rapid career progression. In 2016 she was made a full Professor.

A prolific researcher, Bin has over 550 publications and 33 patents, 16 of which are licensed to companies in the US, UK, and Asia. Since 2014, she has been named one of the World’s Most Influential Minds and among the Top 1% Highly Cited Researchers in Chemistry or Materials Science by Thomson Reuters and Clarivate Analytics. Her work has been cited more than 63,000 times, resulting in a high h-index of 129 according to Google Scholar (The h-index is a measure of a researcher’s scholarly impact.)

Bin’s innovative work led to her being awarded the 2021 Centenary Prize by the Royal Society of Chemistry in Britain. The Royal Society of Chemistry has been awarding annual prizes for more than 150 years, and some 50 of its prize winners have gone on to win Nobel Prizes for their pioneering work in the chemical sciences.

In 2022, Bin was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering ‘for bringing organic electronic materials into aqueous media, opening new directions in biomedicine, environmental monitoring, sensors, and electronic devices.’

In 2024, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering inducted Bin to its College of Fellows in recognition of her contributions to the development of nanomaterials for biomedical and energy applications.

Bin has received many other awards and accolades. In 2008, she received the Singapore National Academy of Science’s Young Scientist Award, which recognises young Singapore-based scientists and engineers who have shown great potential to be world-class researchers in their fields of expertise.

In 2016, she received the Singapore President’s Technology Award ‘for her outstanding research on organic nanomaterials for environmental and biomedical applications’. In 2024, she received the Singapore President’s Science Award ‘for her discovery of the role of carbazole isomers in room temperature phosphorescence of carbazole, and subsequent revelation of the transformative impact of isostructural doping on the optical properties of organic semiconductors, opening new avenues of study and application’. She is a Fellow of Singapore Academy of Engineering and Singapore National Academy of Sciences.

In her various administrative positions at NUS, Bin has played a pivotal role in shaping Singapore’s research landscape. Since 2023, as Deputy President (Research and Technology), she has been at the forefront of driving NUS’ research strategy and technological development.

One of her key initiatives has been the development of vibrant innovation clusters across faculties at NUS. She has been particularly instrumental in growing the NUS Sustainability Cluster, aligning the University’s research efforts with global priorities in sustainable development.

Bin has been a driving force in enhancing NUS’s international research reputation. She has established and strengthened partnerships with leading global universities, facilitating knowledge exchange and collaborative research projects.

Passionate about nurturing the next generation of research leaders, Bin has in her 18 years at NUS trained 36 PhD students and 63 post-doctoral fellows and visiting professors. She strongly believes that research should have an impact. In a 2018 interview, she said: “I tell my students, you differ by how you present yourself. It is of utmost importance that you communicate your work effectively and convince others that your work is impactful.”

Bin would like to see more women pursuing careers in science, engineering, and nanotechnology. “Not every girl should be persuaded to do STEM subjects. But if she has an interest, society should provide opportunities for her to pursue her interests.” Her active interest in promoting opportunities for girls and women in science and engineering has contributed to the diversity and inclusivity of Singapore’s scientific community.