Precision Fermentation and Sustainability
Singapore, recognized for its affluence and global acclaim as a food haven, faces a silent challenge: “hidden hunger.” This concern primarily stems from insufficient intake of essential vitamins and micronutrients, whether by choice or circumstance, impacting long-term health.
Precision Fermentation and Sustainability (PreFerS) complements Singapore’s latest food resilience strategy for 2035. While national targets focus on fiber and protein, PreFerS addresses the micronutrient gap through precision fermentation—microbial production of essential vitamins and trace metal-binding proteins.
With this focus, the research portfolio centers on two thrusts: Microbial Cell Engineering and Bioprocess Engineering. These two supporting research thrusts drive breakthroughs in microbial platforms and shape a resilient food for the urban future.
MICROBIAL CELL ENGINEERING
Thrust 1: Microbial Cell Engineering
Microbial cell engineering is at the core of precision fermentation, where it utilizes useful strains of food-grade microbes, which leverage their cell factories to produce high-value proteins. Unlike traditional genetic engineering methods, precision fermentation uses precise genome editing to introduce heterologous metabolic pathways for producing targeted molecules. This method also eliminates potentially toxic metabolites and anti-nutrients while preserving cell properties, ensuring the safe production of food ingredients.
BIOPROCESS ENGINEERING
THRUST 2: BIOPROCESS ENGINEERING
The second thrust brings forward technological advancements in synthetic biology and metabolic engineering for food production that give us not only high output rates but also conversion efficiencies. We will also experience the development of novel food processing technologies that can be used to produce safe, high-quality, and healthy foods using “inedible” ingredients through the process of precision fermentation.