New microbiome research centre to tackle obesity and chronic diseases

(L-R)   NTU President Professor Subra Suresh, Guest of Honour, Former Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Mr George Yeo, Dean of NTU LKCMedicine Professor Joseph Sung, Supporter and donor of the Centre for Microbiome Medicine Ms Petrina Leong and Programme Director of the Centre for Microbiome Medicine, Associate Professor Sunny Wong at the launch of the new centre.  

NTU Singapore today launched the Centre for Microbiome Medicine – a research facility that aims to improve human health and find new ways to treat diseases by leveraging the microbiome, which are naturally present microorganisms that play a vital role in our wellbeing.

The research centre at NTU Singapore’s LKCMedicine will work with partners including the National Healthcare Group, Imperial College London, and the Singapore-based precision gut microbiome company AMILI to unravel the mechanisms behind microbiome and diseases.  

Thousands of different species of microbes including bacteria and fungi live in and on the human body. In healthy individuals, the microbes exist peacefully. However, in unhealthy individuals, the imbalance of the microbes causes the body to be more susceptible to disorders such as obesity, metabolic diseases, cancers, lung, and skin diseases.

The new research centre is led by Programme Director, Associate Professor Sunny Wong from LKCMedicine, and the facility will focus its research in the areas of Nutrition and Metabolism, Airway and Environment, Cancers, as well as infections and other neurological and skin diseases.

S$2.5 million gift to advance microbiome studies

In support of microbiome research, the new centre also received a S$2.5 million gift from Ms Petrina Leong, Ms Sandy Leong, and Mr Jimmy Leong through the Madam Wang Lee Wah Memorial Fund.