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
Names Supervision Year graduated
Christopher Talbot Sole Oct 2006
Yoges Selvaraja Sole Oct 2006
Chang Yingyan Main Feb 2008
Tay Choon Yen Sole Dec 2008
Joyce Ng Poh Chuan Sole Apr 2009
Nur Aishah Binte Abdul Rahim Sole Apr 2009
Patrick Tan Hong Meng Main Sep 2010
Annie Lim Huichang Main Apr 2011
Tham Lai Yee Main May 2011

Master of Science (Life Sciences) : MLS800 (3 AU)
Names Supervision Year graduated
Sharizah Binte Mohamed Sole Jun 2009
Jayashree Sitaraman Sole Jun 2009
Lim Mui Gek Co-Supervisor Jun 2009
Sudalai Rajan Sole Jun 2010
Ivan Soh Ban-Hwee Sole Jun 2010
Martin K.P. Sole Jun 2010
Koh Seow Wei Main Jun 2010
Rubina Pasha Co-Supervisor Jun 2010
Gregory Peck Chin Hee Co Supervisor Jun 2010