Chun Kiat Ng (Calvin)

Biography

Dr. Chun Kiat Ng (Calvin) was a recipient of the Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowship and a visiting postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Oxford. He completed his Ph.D. training at the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering and Nanyang Technological University where he worked on biofilm engineering and bio-nanotechnology towards environmental remediation and water purification. He gained extensive experience in microbial biotechnology, advance imaging and analytical techniques to study biofilm metabolism and the use of membrane technology to remove trace organic contaminant from water. He also developed a sustainable method of manipulating biofilm using nanomaterials to remove carcinogenic heavy metals in water. He published more than 10 peer-reviewed papers and a book chapter on biofilm biology and water purification, and he has the technical expertise and passion to understand, harness, and influence microbial biofilm communities towards environmental remediation.

Research Interests

Bacterial biofilms are ubiquitous in natural and engineered environment. While we are beginning to learn more and shed light on the mystery of biofilms, much of the effort by the international scientific community is channelled to eliminate the presence of biofilms or prevent their growth due to their invasive, corrosive and biofouling characteristics in most medical settings and many industrial processes. However, at the right place, biofilms are incredibly useful in providing remediation solutions in domestic or industrial wastewater treatment, environmental contamination treatment, bio-grouting, biocatalysis, carbon capture and biofuel production. Dr. Chun Kiat Ng (Calvin) is interested in harnessing the potential of biofilms towards developing novel and efficient technology that can be deployed in environmental or industrial remediation applications. Current project include in-situ gene delivery into established biofilms for industrial applications and scientific instrument development.

Current Projects

Ultrasound gene delivery in bacterial biofilm

Treatment of industrial wastewater such as waste metalworking fluid

Energy generation and biofuel production from food waste

Impact

Senior Research Scientist
Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR)
Mar 2020 – Present
Suzhou, China
Dr Chun Kiat Ng currently provides remote consultation to help OSCAR Environmental Biotechnology Group manage industrial collaborations in China which focus on biofilm engineering towards detection and removal of contaminants (e.g. pollutants and pathogens) in engineered and environmental settings.

Review Editor
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Mar 2021 – Present
Dr Chun Kiat Ng is invited to join the Editorial Board of Biofilms as Review Editor for Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology based on his expertise as well as his excellent publication record. As a Review Editor and a member of the Editorial Board for the journal of Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, Chun Kiat is responsible for assessing the rigour and validity of the research, and work collaboratively with authors and editors to improve the manuscripts, ensuring only high-quality content is published.

Advisory Editor
Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology (JCTB), Wiley
Apr 2020 – Present
Dr Chun Kiat Ng was invited to join the Advisory Editorial Board in the Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology (JCTB), in association with the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) and Wiley.

Commonwealth Rutherford Fellow
Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford
Apr 2018 – Feb 2020
Oxford, United Kingdom
Dr Chun Kiat Ng was awarded the Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowship to do independent research at the University of Oxford for a tenure of 2 years. He manages multiple research projects and international collaborations on biofilm engineering for the context of detecting and removing contaminants (e.g. pollutants and pathogens) in engineered settings, under the guidance of Professor Ian Thompson and Associate Professor Wei Huang.

Editoral Advisory Panel Member
Nanyang Technological University
Aug 2018 – Aug 2019
Dr Chun Kiat Ng invited to be a member of the Editorial Advisory Panel for Nanyang Technological University’s award-winning magazine, ‘Hey!’, between Aug 2018 to Aug 2019. He helped to shape the development of HEY! as an University communication tool that effectively reaches out to its target audiences of students and young alumni. He provided insights, perspective and knowledge to improve the magazine.

Panel Member
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Dec 2018
London, United Kingdom
Dr Chun Kiat Ng was invited as a Panel member alongside representatives from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Department of International Development (DFID) and Department of Business, Energy and Industrial strategy (BEIS) in a discussion on Opportunities and Challenges of International Collaborations.

Research Fellow
Nanyang Technological University
Aug 2017 – Mar 2018
Singapore
Dr. Chun Kiat Ng researched on microbial-nanomaterial interaction to develop novel applications in water purification, contaminant removal and antibacterial properties, under the guidance of Associate Professor Bin Cao.