Position: Assistant Professor

Yong Zi obtained his BSc in Biochemistry from Imperial College London (UK), earned his PhD from Columbia University (USA) working under Prof. Bridget Carragher, Prof. Clint Potter and Prof. Filippo Mancia, and did his post-doctoral training at The Hospital for Sick Children (Canada) under Prof. John Rubinstein. Trained as a cryogenic electron microscopist, he has solved structures of various macromolecules from ribosomes to membrane proteins, and has a keen interest in methods development. Outside of work, he loves to travel to national parks.

Position: Scientific Manager

Shi Min graduated with a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Queensland. Since then, she has been in various areas of science fulfilling her passion in research. Having years of experience in cell and molecular biology, she is excited to embark on her journey in discovering protein structures. Outside of research, she loves nature and photography!

Position: Lab Technologist

Siwei has a great passion in research and has been exploring various areas of science upon graduation. Having interest in cell and molecular biology, she is interested to explore the field of structural biology. Outside of research, she loves to read in a quiet café.

Position: PhD Student

Jiaming graduated with a BSc in Applied Biology from the Zhejiang University in China. She joined this lab as a coursework master student In October 2022 and will carry out her capstone project focusing on the function and structure of specific membrane protein. In her free time, Jiaming enjoys singing and hiking.

Position: Research Fellow

Aicha obtained her PhD from Montpellier II University (CRBM-CNRS) in France. Her PhD work covered kinases and phosphatases regulating the cell cycle, and was awarded with the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women In Science fellowship. From 2017 to 2022, Aicha joined the NTU Institute of Structural Biology (NISB-SBS) in Singapore and focused her research on the development of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases inhibitors for emerging zoonotic viruses. Aicha has developed a growing interest in Structural Biology and more particularly in Cryo-EM single particle analysis for protein structure determination. Outside of the lab, she enjoys photography while travelling in Southeast Asia.

Position: PhD Student

Zhang Ming (Paul) graduated from Imperial College London (UK) with both a BSc in Biochemistry and an MRes in Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. Always fascinated by the mechanics of nature in microscopic scale, his previous experience in structural biology guided him to further pursue on this route. He is also keen to learn more about drug design and development. Outside of academic life, he is a football fanatic and enjoys living healthily to keep him competitive and active on field.

Position: Research Fellow

Allan received his PhD from Queen Mary University of London (UK) and later moved on to do postdoc in University of California Los Angeles (USA), University of Kentucky (USA) and Academia Sinica (Taiwan). His passion for solving protein structures is due to his desire to uncover unique functional mechanisms or protein structural features, and how to exploit these for drug discovery. Although he is trained as a protein crystallographer, he is now expanding his structural tool by using Cryo-EM. Outside of research, he enjoys bodybuilding, exploring new places and food, watching TV and movies as well as listening to true crime podcasts.

Position: Research Assistant

Graduated from a joint degree program between National University of Singapore and University of Dundee in Drug Discovery Program in 2022, he then started his structural biology training in Centre of Targeted Protein Degradation where he learnt crystallography techniques. Being a visual learner, he grows interest in structural work and currently exploring the Cryo-EM field. Currently, he is working on a collaborative project between Prof Ashok Venkitaraman laboratory with Dr Tan Yong Zi lab. He loves reading manga, play game and working out in his spare time.

Position: Phd Student

Muyuan Niu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology from Beijing University of Chemical Technology and a Master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Imperial College London. His encounter with enzyme modification in his final project unveiled the compelling interplay between protein structures and their functions, propelling him towards a PhD in structural biology. Beyond the lab, Muyuan immerses himself in the worlds of podcasts, anime, gaming, movies, and novels.

Position: Lab Manager

Graduated his BSc. (Hons) in Biochemistry and Ph.D. in Microbial Biotechnology from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), his projects focused on the roles of secreted and membrane-bound proteins in fungal pathogenesis as well as characterization of enzymes expressed in yeast hosts. Fascinated by the structure-function relation of membrane proteins and its significance in drug design, Si Jie joins the lab to deepen his experience in structural biology, especially the usage of Cryo-EM in protein structure elucidation. Outside of research, he enjoys reading novels, watching movies, and walking into the nature.

Position: UROPS Student

Francis is a year 4 life sciences undergraduate doing his UROPS under Prof Tan Yong Zi. With past bioinformatics experience, he is looking to explore various domains of biology and is eager to hone his lab skills. In his free time, he enjoys basketball, swimming and listening to music.