Plant Science Research at Nanyang Technological University Just getting started

Nanyang Technological University in Singapore is one of the top ranked universities in the world. Having its roots in engineering NTU in the last 15 years has moved to become a more comprehensive university. This effort has led to the establishment of the School of Biological Sciences in 2001 and the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences in 2005, the latest addition is the Medical School which was established only three years ago. During the initial phase of the expansion of NTU the biomedical science area had been identified as a key area to focus on, leading to an overall program which is highly focused on medical related areas. NTU and particular the School of Biological Sciences has now come to realize that Plant Science/Biology and its importance not only in food production and Oxygen production but also as a source of novel chemistry will be one of the future growth areas for Singapore. NTU’s unique location within one of the most bio diverse regions of the world as well as the state of the art technology in omic technologies available within Singapore makes it an attractive location for plant science research with a different perspective. The presentation today will focus on the “plant science” research that is already going on today at NTU and highlight some of the technology platforms that already exist. This presentation aims to serve as the basis of a discussion on how the Max Plank Institute and NTU could develop closer ties in an effort to develop a synergistic research program between the two institutions.