Asst. Prof Philippe Schwaller (far left) with Dr Ka Lok Chan (Jacky) (third from left) with other members of the LIAC group.

In the SM3 project, my research focuses on incorporating current chemical knowledge with large language model agents to identify promising reactions, guide experiments, and accelerate reaction discovery.

During my 3-week visit to the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne (EPFL), I met my Principal Investigator, Asst. Prof. Philippe Schwaller, and the talented members of the Laboratory of Artificial Chemical Intelligence (LIAC) group. The group was incredibly welcoming and supportive.

We had numerous discussions in both formal and informal settings; some of the most memorable ones happened in the coffee room and during spontaneous lunch conversations. These exchanges sharpened my current research directions and offered diverse perspectives on both scientific work and career development, while deepening my understanding of the LIAC group’s research culture.

Outside of work, a group trip around Switzerland allowed us to explore the country’s natural and historical beauty together. We got to know each other better and had many opportunities to talk casually about our personal lives and research. I value the strong cohesion and harmony within the group.

The visit to EPFL and meeting with Asst. Prof. Philippe Schwaller and the LIAC group helped to advance my research project. I gained a deeper understanding of the LLM and AI capabilities, the practical challenges for applying them and a broader grasp of the technical details. My next steps are to integrate these discussions and insights into ongoing studies and to explore LLM applications in collaboration with other members of the SM3 group.

Dr Jacky’s research is supported by the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programme.