A research center, the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, is planned for Singapore next year with a focus on such tropical diseases as tuberculosis and dengue fever. The center is expected to receive $220 million in funding from Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis and the Singapore Economic Development Board, the Straits Times reported last week...The center will focus particularly on diseases affecting people in developing countries, the company said..."We want to make an effort to contribute to a research area which is promising in terms of scientific and research opportunities, but would not happen if someone only cared about short-term economic growth."