LI Zhi

Associate Professor LI Zhi leads the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department at the National University of Singapore (NUS). His research focuses on advanced biocatalysis for sustainable manufacturing, bio-based fuels, and functional materials. He holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Vienna (1991), an MEng from Chinese Academy of Forestry (1985), and a BSc from Nanjing University (1982).

Institutional Affiliations: NUS Faculty of Engineering, NUS ChBE Department. His lab actively collaborates with global institutions like A*STAR and the Singapore Catalysis Society. Research highlights include enzyme engineering for cascade reactions, CO₂ utilization, and biomaterial synthesis.

Research Interests: Discovery of novel biocatalysts, engineering of biocatalytic systems, renewable feedstock utilization, and smart material development. Recent work emphasizes cascade biotransformations for chiral chemicals and sustainable processes.

Lab Activities: Hosted international conferences (e.g., Southeast Asia Catalysis Conference 2019), collaborations with industry leaders (GSK, Pfizer), and visits from distinguished researchers like Prof. Zhao Huimin. Student milestones include PhD completions (e.g., Wang Wen, Joel Choo Ping Syong) and postdoc contributions across institutions.

Grants & Labs: Active in grants related to biocatalysis and green chemistry. Lab members include researchers like Dr. Nicholas Goh and PhD students Li Li. Infrastructure includes advanced facilities for biotransformations and material synthesis.