Associate Professor Matthew CHANG (second from left) and his team at NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), including (from left) Ms ZHANG Chenxin, Dr Gazi Sakir HOSSAIN and Dr HE Yuanzhi, are driving research and innovation in the rapidly advancing field of synthetic biology.

(From left to right) Bacteria in cultured mediums are fed sugars to produce compounds such as plastic monomers. These monomers, along with other ingredients, can be incorporated to form hybrid materials for various items, including textiles and common consumer products.