🔹 Academic & ecosystem perspective:

Prof Yew will examine Singapore’s national approach to advancing engineering biology and precision fermentation, spanning public–private partnerships, biofoundry infrastructure, standards, and pathways from lab innovation to commercial deployment.

🔹 Industry POV:

Armaan will share how Anomaly Bio represents the third wave of industrial biotechnology, distinct from Gen 1 players like Novozymes and Ajinomoto, and Gen 2 companies such as Ginkgo and Amyris, highlighting what it takes to build resilient, scalable industrial bio companies from day one.

Abstract:

Singapore is developing a comprehensive ecosystem for precision fermentation and synthetic biology through strategic integration of research infrastructure, public-private partnerships, and technical standards. This seminar examines Singapore’s national approach to advancing engineering biology capabilities, centered around the National Centre for Engineering Biology (NCEB). The presentation highlights successful public-private collaborations, including partnerships with industry leaders such as Wilmar International and HH Chemical, demonstrating end-to-end capabilities from renewable feedstock conversion to commercial-scale specialty chemical production. Case studies include sustainable bioproduction of 1,3-propanediol (PDO) for bio-based polymers and the BIODEX® fiber series, exemplifying how precision fermentation can reduce carbon emissions by up to 73% compared to petrochemical processes. Singapore’s ecosystem development encompasses seven integrated platforms spanning foundational tools, biofoundry automation, AI-driven strain engineering, bioprocessing innovation, and analytical capabilities. The strategy emphasizes data interoperability, standardization, and metrology – critical enablers for scaling precision fermentation. International collaborations with global biofoundries and participation in ISO technical committees position Singapore at the forefront of developing global standards for cellular agriculture and biomanufacturing. The seminar concludes with Singapore’s vision for sustainable biomanufacturing, aligning precision fermentation with national decarbonization goals and the transformation of Jurong Island into a sustainable chemical hub, while building pathways from laboratory innovation to commercial deployment.

Biography:

Wen Shan YEW is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Biochemistry at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore. He trained as a mechanistic enzymologist with Professor John A. Gerlt from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research is centered on expanding the multi-faceted interface between enzymology, biological chemistry and synthetic biology, in an area he terms “synthetic enzymology”. In particular, his research is focused on the use of structural and mechanistic enzymological knowledge for protein engineering (exploring, defining and modulating substrate specificities), biocatalysis, biotransformation, therapeutic development (against metabolic diseases, infectious diseases, cancer and ageing) and maintenance of planetary health (towards urban sustainability). His research is closely aligned with industrial needs and solutions, and he is currently part of the Wilmar@NUS Corporate Laboratory, the HH@NUS SINERGY Laboratory, the Centre for Precision Fermentation and Sustainability (PreFerS), the National Centre for Engineering Biology of Singapore, and the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein (Bezos@Imperial). He is the Lead PI for the Singapore International Spoke of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and the Deputy Director for the NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (NUS SynCTI).

Armaan Dhanda is the co-founder of Anomaly Bio, a Singapore-based startup that turns microbes into micro-factories to rebuild ingredient supply chains. Anomaly has raised $2.6 million in a pre-seed round involving notable angels such as Akshay Kothari (Notion) and Sean Hunt (Solugen) and was one of five startups selected for The Next Generation Pet Food Program by Mars Petcare and Big Idea Ventures. Armaan’s on a leave of absence from NUS where he was reading Chemical Engineering on the fully-funded S&T Scholarship.