Life Sciences - Product Design & Development, Test & Verification/Clinical Trials
BIOGRAPHY
Dr Gan Eng Seng is currently a lecturer at Republic Polytechnic and is responsible for driving plant research and growth system optimization, and developing curriculum related to agricultural technology. Prior to this, Eng Seng was with an AgTech company as a senior crop scientist, where he helped setup an R&D facility, and managed the core scientific research of increasing yield, reducing crop cycle and improving the quality of the produce.
A plant molecular and developmental biologist by training, Eng Seng earned his PhD from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2015 and did his post-doctoral work at the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL), focusing on the effects of environmental changes on plant growth and the molecular mechanisms underlying such responses. He believes that smart-farming involving automation, IoT and data analytics, is the way to go to feed the world, and hopes to tap on his expertise to contribute to these fields.
PORTFOLIO
Molecular Players in the Plant Flowering Process
Expertise Provided
- Part of the research team that identified enzymes that function in the epigenetic regulation of plant’s flowering, in response not only to heat stress, but also long exposure to cold temperature (vernalization).
- Transgenic plants were created to demonstrate the enzyme’s ability to delay the flowering process. The findings led to the publication of several research articles and a patent filed.
- Provided expertise on controlling temperature, photoperiod and lighting wavelength to affect the flowering of plants.
Expertise Provided
- Life Sciences - Product Design & Development, Test & Verification/Clinical Trials
Stress-enhanced Phytonutrient Content in Plants
Expertise Provided
- As the principal investigator, leading a research team to uncover the effect of stress on plants, utilizing stress to increase the phytonutrient content in several Asian leafy greens.
- In some crops, the team has succeeded in inducing more than 50% increase of the antioxidant capacity.
- The team is currently focusing on selecting the best treatment to give to each crop, and optimizing the growth conditions and nutrient solution formulation to reduce the effect on crop yield.
Expertise Provided
- Life Sciences - Product Design & Development, Test & Verification/Clinical Trials
