FROM her time as a PhD student in stem cell biology and genomics, Tan Zi Ying most vividly remembers the long, taxing hours spent on computational research – the early stage in the scientific discovery process largely comprising computer models, simulations and data analysis.

Often, researchers would have to scour libraries for relevant academic literature, collect information from various public databases and ensure they are up to date on every historical development on a particular disease or drug in the last five years.