LIM Choon Kiat

Senior Research Fellow, Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore

choonkiat@nus.edu.sg
Level 10 T-Lab
National University of Singapore
5A Engineering Drive 1
Singapore 117411

Lim Choon Kiat

Senior Research Fellow

Principal Investigator

Rong Li

Research Areas

Stem cell biology; Direct reprogramming; Cell line development; Media optimisation; Regenerative medicine

Qualifications

B.Sc. (Hons) in Biological Science; PhD

Biography

Choon Kiat completed his Bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Biological Sciences at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He subsequently completed his PhD and post-doctoral studies at National University of Singapore (NUS) under the mentorship of Professor Roger Foo. His PhD and postdoctoral research centered on direct cardiac reprogramming, where he made the pivotal discovery that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) enhances direct cardiac reprogramming by inhibiting the bromodomain of CBP/p300. Choon Kiat also deepened the field’s understanding by exploring transcriptomic landscape of cardiac reprogramming using single-cell RNA sequencing.

Demonstrating strong entrepreneurial drive, Choon Kiat launched an agritech startup through the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP), and co-founded a therapeutic company focused on lnc-RNA-based heart failure therapies.

To further his passion for innovation, Choon Kiat transitioned into the emerging cultivated meat sector by joining a local startup, Umami Bioworks. There, he played a key role in cell line development and media development for piscine species. Choon Kiat successfully derived and adapted cells from Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) for suspension culture and optimised low-cost, serum-free media, which enabled large-scale production in bioreactors.

Research Interest

Captivated by the intricate regulatory mechanisms and developmental pathways guiding oocyte maturation, Choon Kiat is now dedicated to developing innovative strategies for rejuvenating oocyte to enhance the success rate of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). This research is particularly important in addressing the rising prevalence of infertility associated with medical conditions, and the growing trend of delayed childbearing.

Selected Publications

  1. Lim CK, Efthymios M, Tan W, Autio MI, Tiang Z, Li PY, et al. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) enhances direct cardiac reprogramming by inhibiting the bromodomain of coactivators CBP/p300. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. 2021;160:15-26.
  2. Ankam S, Teo BKK, Pohan G, Ho SWL, Lim CK, Yim EKF. Temporal Changes in Nucleus Morphology, Lamin A/C and Histone Methylation During Nanotopography-Induced Neuronal Differentiation of Stem Cells. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 2018;6:69.
  3. Ankam S, Lim CK, Yim EK. Actomyosin contractility plays a role in MAP2 expression during nanotopography-directed neuronal differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. Biomaterials. 2015;47:20-8.
  4. Teo BK, Wong ST, Lim CK, Kung TY, Yap CH, Ramagopal Y, et al. Nanotopography modulates mechanotransduction of stem cells and induces differentiation through focal adhesion kinase. ACS nano. 2013;7(6):4785-98.