Dr Sing Teng Chua

PhD thesis

Beyond Suspension: Light and Growth Dynamics in Immobilised Algal Cultures

My PhD research focuses on how microorganisms interact with their environments, specifically using the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in hydrogel encapsulation and biofilm formation. This study enhances our understanding of the effects of immobilization and cell crowding on microalgae at a cellular level, particularly regarding light delivery, cell cycle regulation, and nutrient profiles. The study revealed that with increasing self-shading in dense biomass, the heterogeneous aggregated system achieved a more optimal balance between photo-limited and photo-inhibited regimes compared to biofilms, resulting in a higher biological carrying capacity. Additionally, scattering enhancement can be achieved with hydrogel matrix to maximise light delivery efficiency. Through timelapse microscopy and single-cell tracking within microcolonies, I observed variations in cell cycle progression and morphology due to factors like spatial proximity, timing, illumination, and matrix stiffness. These findings provide insights into contact inhibition and microgradients in mass transfer, revealing spatial heterogeneity among cells within colonies.

After the PhD

I am working as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Copenhagen, supported by the Novo Nordisk Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024. My research project, titled "Synergising Bioinspired Coculture and 3D Bioprinting for Mapping and Modelling Optimal Design Principles for Light-driven Bioproduction," focuses on integrating coculture systems and 3D bioprinting technologies.

Furthermore, I am grateful to receive the Newnham College Junior Research Fellowship, and due to begin the new research back in the University of Cambridge from October 2026 onwards.

Publications

• Sing Teng Chua, Jurij Kotar, Michael Kühl, Alison G Smith, Silvia Vignolini, & Pietro Cicuta. Uncoupling growth and division in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii colonies: consistent cell cycle regulation under confinement, ISME Communications, Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2025, ycaf104, https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycaf104
• Baumgartner, J., Chua, S. T., Blunier, M., Gao, F., Arita-Merino, N., Abiusi, F., Archer, L., Cybulski, K., Smith, A. G., Studer, M. H., & Mathys, A. (2025). Comparison of lipid droplet extraction from cell wall-deficient Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with pulsed electric fields or osmotic shock. Bioresource Technology, 434, Article 132764. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2025.132764
• Kui Yu, Sing Teng Chua, Ran Zhao, Alyssa Smith, Michael Kühl, Alison G. Smith, Tom Ellis, Silvia Vignolini. (2026). Artificial Symbiosis for Bulk Production of Bacterial Cellulose Composites. Advanced Materials,  https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202514125