A unique project has been initiated by researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in collaboration with partners in Singapore, addressing the pressing issues of feeding a growing global population and reducing the agricultural impacts on climate change. The project has led to the establishment of the "Centre for Precision Fermentation and Sustainability" (PreFerS), supported by a five-year, $14.8 million grant from Singapore's National Research Foundation, awarded to the Illinois Advanced Research Center at Singapore Ltd. (Illinois ARCS).  

PreFerS aims to improve the production of nutritious, safe, and palatable foods through cutting-edge microbial cell engineering that transforms simple compounds like sugars into essential nutrients such as proteins, fats, and vitamins. This technology is geared towards enhancing food supply chain resilience, minimizing environmental damages from food production, and combating micronutrient deficiencies.  

The PreFerS leadership team is led by Yong-Su Jin, professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at UIUC. The team also includes Ting Lu, professor of Bioengineering; Michael Miller, professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition; and Vijay Singh, professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Additional co-investigators from UIUC are Christopher Rao and Huimin Zhao, professors of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Jeremy Guest and Na Wei, associate professors of Civil and Environmental Engineering; along with Yalin Li, a former Illinois Research Scientist now serving as assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rutgers University.  

The center is strategically placed at the NRF’s Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) on the National University of Singapore campus, benefiting from the proximity to Illinois ARCS offices. This interdisciplinary team is focused on leveraging precision fermentation technologies to innovate in food production, optimizing processes to reduce waste and environmental impacts.  

This collaboration extends internationally, involving numerous Singapore-based researchers and institutions, and is poised to have a significant impact on global food security and sustainability. The efforts at PreFerS are designed not only to meet local food production goals—aiming to supply 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs locally by 2030—but also to serve as a model for sustainable food production practices worldwide.