Building a circular future with chemistry

June 25, 2026

As she prepares to close one chapter and begin another, Tharm Jia Yi, a Chemistry graduate from the Class of 2026, reflects on a journey shaped by curiosity and a drive to create meaningful impact through science.

From navigating complex laboratory experiments to exploring solutions for environmental sustainability, her undergraduate years have not only defined the chemist she has become, but also the scientist she aspires to be.

Science with purpose

Now at the threshold of her career, Jia Yi is focused on developing materials that can be reused and recycled, advancing a future where waste can be given a new lease of life.

“I’m interested in how synthetic materials can address real-world issues such as pollution,” she says.

This interest took root during an undergraduate research project, where she first encountered the creative challenge of organic synthesis. Designing molecules from the ground up revealed both the precision and possibility of chemistry – but she was equally motivated to see how these ideas could extend beyond the laboratory.

That curiosity led to her Final Year Project at the intersection of organic synthesis and environmental chemistry. Her work centred on circular materials designed to break down into reusable components or useful chemicals. Beyond minimising waste, these materials were also engineered to remove contaminants, such as textile dyes and heavy metals from water.

One defining moment came when a newly synthesised material performed exactly as predicted, successfully removing contaminants.

“It felt like watching something I had only seen in textbooks come to life,” she says. “It showed me that scientific ideas can translate into real environmental solutions.”

Precision in practice

Complementing her research, Jia Yi gained industry experience through an internship in food analysis, where she saw how analytical chemistry underpins the safety and quality of everyday products.

Working in a high-throughput laboratory, she analysed food samples to extract micronutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin E and taurine. The role required meticulous sample preparation, careful reagent handling and unwavering attention to detail across large sample volumes and complex extraction processes.

“I learnt things that were never taught in my chemistry classes,” she says. “For example, how different food matrices affect micronutrient extraction and how to troubleshoot when processes don’t go as expected.”

Operating under Good Laboratory Practice standards, she managed workflows of up to 24 samples daily while maintaining data accuracy and consistency – an experience that strengthened both technical discipline and problem-solving ability.

Together, her research and internship experiences reflect a scientist who is equally comfortable exploring new ideas as she is at executing them with precision.

 

Lessons for the future

From tackling unfamiliar analytical techniques to challenging synthesis reactions, Jia Yi discovered that growth starts where comfort ends and by embracing uncertainty. Above all, her journey showed her that meaningful breakthroughs rarely follow a straight path and that “continual learning is essential to scientific progress.”

These experiences now shape her next steps. After graduation, Jia Yi will take on a laboratory-based role in organic synthesis at a pharmaceutical company, where she aims to contribute to applications such as the development of novel and sustainable materials.