Professor Tuck Seng Wong
BEng(Hons), MSc, PhD (Special distinction), AMIChemE
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Professor of Biomanufacturing
Director of the UK-South East Asia Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub
Co-founder of Evolutor Ltd and ReNewFood Ltd
+44 114 222 7591
Full contact details
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Room C58
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
91直播
S1 3JD
- Profile
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I am a Professor of Biomanufacturing in the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biological Engineering (CMBE) at the University of 91直播. I serve as the Director of the UK-South East Asia Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub, a 拢7.6M initiative supported by the UK鈥檚 Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Additionally, I hold adjunct positions with the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) in Thailand and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in Indonesia.
I have received multiple prestigious fellowships, including the JSPS Invitational Fellowship (2023, declined due to the hub award), the RAEng | The Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship (2019), the Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowship (2016), and the Medical Research Council Career Development Fellowship (2007).
With over two decades of expertise in protein engineering and engineering biology, my research spans diverse applications, including biopharmaceuticals, enzyme biocatalysis, and alternative foods. I authored the textbook 鈥楢 Practical Guide to Protein Engineering鈥 (ISBN: 978-3-030-56898-6), which has been translated into German 鈥楨in praktischer Leitfaden f眉r Protein Engineering鈥 (ISBN: 978-3-031-32826-8). Beyond academia,
I am a serial entrepreneur. In 2022, I co-founded , a 91直播-based biotech spinout focused on developing advanced microbes for biomanufacturing through a proprietary accelerated evolution platform. In 2024, I co-founded , a biotech company dedicated to developing novel protein-based flavouring ingredients to enhance the taste and nutrition of alternative foods.
My passion for biomanufacturing has been shaped by my mentors, including Nobel Laureate Prof. Frances H. Arnold, Prof. Ulrich Schwaneberg, Prof. Sir Alan R. Fersht, and Prof. Alexander Steinb眉chel.
- Research interests
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鈥嬧嬧嬧嬧嬧嬧婱y research is dedicated to the design, development, and optimization of biological systems for sustainable manufacturing. Our biomanufacturing efforts encompass a wide range of applications, including biopharmaceuticals (particularly vaccines), alternative proteins, and enzymes. Additionally, we are committed to advancing the field by developing innovative tools, both biological and physical, that push the boundaries of biomanufacturing. A key focus of our work is applying evolutionary concepts and techniques to enhance the functionality and efficiency of biological systems. We have a long-standing tradition of collaboration with researchers in the Southeast Asian region and a strong track record of successfully commercializing university-based research.
Key research interests:
- Engineering biological systems for enhanced performance using evolutionary concepts and techniques.
- Developing miniaturized devices for biological system engineering.
- Advancing virus-like particle technology for innovative vaccine development and synthetic biology applications.
- Publications
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Books
Journal articles
- . Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 108(1), 526.
- . Biotechnology Journal, 19(7).
- . Open Access Government, 39(1), 468-469.
- . PLoS ONE, 17(1).
- . Bioresource Technology, 126383-126383.
- . Scientific Reports, 11.
- . Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery.
- . Oral Diseases.
- . Metabolic Engineering.
- . Bioresources and Bioprocessing, 6(1).
- . Bioresources and Bioprocessing, 6(1).
- . International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(22).
- . International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(16).
- . Journal of Biotechnology, 303, 53-64.
- . ACS Synthetic Biology, 7(8), 1918-1928.
- . Biotechnology Journal, 12(11).
- . Metabolic Engineering, 44, 253-264.
- . Methods in Molecular Biology, 1472, 205-214.
- . Journal of Biological Engineering, 9, 15-15.
- . AIMS Bioengineering, 2(3), 277-296.
- . AIMS Bioengineering, 2(3), 126-143.
- . Methods in Molecular Biology, 1179, 279-290.
- . Biotechnology Advances, 31(8), 1707-1721.
- . Acta Crystallographica Section F: Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications, 68(9), 1013-1017.
- . 2011 International SoC Design Conference, ISOCC 2011, 310-312.
- . Nucleic Acids Res, 37(20), 6765-6783.
- . Nucleic Acids Res, 37(17), 5701-5713.
- . Nucleic Acids Res, 37(2), 568-581.
- . Biotechnology Journal, 3(1), 74-82.
- . J AM CHEM SOC, 129(18), 5786-+.
- . Biotechnology Journal, 2(1), 133-142.
- . Environmental Microbiology, 9(11), 2645-2659.
- . Biocatalysis and Biotransformation, 25(2-4), 229-241.
- . Biopolymers, 83(5), 467-476.
- A filter paper-based assay for laboratory evolution of hydrolases and dehydrogenases. COMB CHEM HIGH T SCR, 9(4), 289-293.
- . Comb Chem High Throughput Screen, 9(4), 271-288.
- . Journal of Molecular Biology, 355(4), 858-871.
- Sequence saturation mutagenesis (SeSam) of a gene. BioSpektrum, 12(3), 277-279.
- . Journal of Biomolecular Screening, 10(3), 246-252.
- . Biopolymers, 78(5), 259-267.
- . Analytical Biochemistry, 341(1), 187-189.
- . Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 85(3), 351-358.
- . Nucleic acids research, 32(3).
- . Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 14(6), 590-596.
- . Molecular Biotechnology.
- . SynBio, 2(2), 142-173.
- . Microbial Cell Factories, 23(1).
- . Biotechnology and Bioengineering.
- . Journal of Bioprocessing & Biotechniques, 04(03).
- .
Chapters
- , Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- , Methods in Molecular Biology (pp. 123-135). Springer US
- , Engineering of Microbial Biosynthetic Pathways (pp. 245-302). Springer Singapore
- , Directed Enzyme Evolution: Advances and Applications (pp. 201-227). Springer International Publishing
- Protein engineering for lignocellulose degradation In Kumar P, Gurjar BR & Govil JN (Ed.), Environmental Science and Engineering Volume 8: Biodegradation and Bioremediation USA: Studium Press LLC.
- Engineering Ralstonia eutropha for chemical production In Zhang TC, Gurjar BR & Govil JN (Ed.), Environmental Science and Engineering Volume 10: Industrial Processing & Nanotechnology USA: Studium Press LLC.
- Tapping into biodiversity: From metagenomics to industrial enzymes In Gurjar BR, Kumar A & Govil JN (Ed.), Environmental Science and Engineering Volume 2: Biodiversity and Conservation USA: Studium Press LLC.
- Directed evolution: A powerful algorithm for advancing synthetic biology. In Singh V (Ed.), Biotechnology Volume 4: Applied Synthetic Biology (pp. 465-497). USA: Studium Press LLC.
Other
Preprints
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Founder and Director of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
- Editor of Bioresources and Bioprocessing (https://bioresourcesbioprocessing.springeropen.com/)
Links