Prof. Won Jae Choi

Associate Professor; Deputy Cluster Director, Food Chemical and Biotechnology

Singapore Institute of Technology

choi.wonjae@singaporetech.edu.sg

An experienced biochemical engineer with more than 20 years of hands-on experiences in public/private sectors for the development of industrial microbial strains/enzymes and bioprocesses. Expertise in providing the vision and leadership required to ensure a high quality of scientific achievement and commercialization along the R&D value chain from scientific proof of concept to manufacturing and business.

Research Interests

  • Production of bio-based specialty ingredients using whole cell and enzymes
  • Waste stream valorization for upcycling and circular economy
  • Bio-prospecting for non-GMO enzyme and strain for industrial application
  • Pilot/commercial scale integrated biorefinery process for bio-based chemicals

Publications

Selected Journals

  • Lo T-M, Hwang IY, Cho H-S, Fedora RE, Chng SH, Choi WJ and Chang MW (2021) Biosynthesis of Commodity Chemicals From Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Lignin. Front. Microbiol. 12:663642
  • Tee-Kheang Ng, Ai-Qun Yu, Hua Ling, Nina Kurniasih Pratomo Juwono, Won Jae Choi, Susanna Su Jan Leong, Matthew Wook Chang (2020) Engineering Yarrowia lipolytica towards food waste bioremediation: Production of fatty acid ethyl esters from vegetable cooking oil. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 129 (1):31-40
  • Md. Mahabubur Rahman Talukder, Puah Sze Min, Choi Won Jae (2019) Integration of cell permeabilization and medium engineering for enhanced enantioselective synthesis of ethyl-S-3-hydroxy-3-phenylpropanoate (S-EHPP). Biochemical Engineering Journal, 148: 24-28
  • Binbin Chen, Hui Ling Lee, Yu Chyuan Heng, Niying Chua, Wei Suong Teo, Won Jae Choi, Susanna Su Jan Leong, Jee Loon Foo, Matthew Wook Chang (2018) Synthetic biology toolkits and applications in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Biotechnol Adv. 36:1870-1881
  • Hossain, GS, Nadarajan, SP, Zhang, L, Ng, TK, Foo, JL, Ling, H, Choi, WJ, Chang, MW (2018) Rewriting the Metabolic Blueprint: Advances in Pathway Diversification in Microorganisms. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY. Feb 12;9:155

Principal Investigators

Prof. Yong-Su Jin

Director of Research (Future Foods); Illinois ARCS Professor of Food Microbiology

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Wen Shan Yew

Associate Professor, Biochemistry

National University of Singapore
Prof. Michael Miller

Professor of Food Microbiology

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Vijay Singh

Founder Professor, Agricultural and Biological Engineering; Director, Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Jeremy Guest

Levenick Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Christopher Rao

Ray and Beverly Mentzer Professor; Dept Head, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Ting Lu

Professor, Bioengineering

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Huimin Zhao

Steven L. Miller Chair, Professor, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Na Wei

Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Prof. Yalin Li

Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Rutgers University
Prof. Chueh Loo Poh

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering

National University of Singapore
Prof. Matthew Chang

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering

National University of Singapore
Prof. Shao Quan Liu

Associate Professor, Food Science & Technology

National University of Singapore
Prof. Susanna Leong

Vice President, Applied Research; Professor

Singapore Institute of Technology
Prof. In Young Hwang

Associate Professor, Food, Chemical and Biotechnology

Singapore Institute of Technology
Prof. Bin Cao

Associate Chair (Research); Associate Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Nanyang Technological University
Dr. Ee Lui Ang

Department Head, Strain Engineering

A*STAR Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation(A*STAR SIFBI)
Dr. Uttam Surana

Research Director, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology

Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Dr. Louise F.H. Funke

Lee Kuan Yew Postdoctoral Fellow, Biomedical Engineering

National University of Singapore
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