Biography

Dr. Steven Aw is an enthusiastic microbiologist and synthetic biologist with a PhD from Monash University. His research focuses on microbiology, particularly bacteria and fungi, with interests spanning microbial taxonomy, physiology, and secondary metabolite production. Currently, he is using his expertise in microbiology and incorporating synthetic biology into his research. Leveraging advances in synthetic biology, he is actively engaged in metabolic engineering of industrially important microbes, aiming to optimize them for sustainable chemical production and animal feed application. Currently, he is the Research Scientist in CAMS working in the Suntar-CAMS Sustainability Research Laboratory.

Research Interest

• Microbiology (Environmental, Medical, Food)
• Microbial taxonomy
• Natural product research
• Metabolic engineering
• Industrial biotechnology

Educational Background

• PhD in Microbiology – Monash University, 2017
• BSc (Hons) in Medical Bioscience – Monash University, 2012

Working Experience

• Research Scientist – China-ASEAN Marine Science School, Xiamen University Malaysia (2024 - Present)
• Research Engineer – Suntar International Group (2023-2024)

Research Experience

• Co-lead for Suntar-CAMS Sustainability Research Laboratory

Representative Publications

• Effect of morphology and size of halloysite nanotubes on functional pectin bionanocomposites for food packaging applications 
  Maziyar Makaremi, Pooria Pasbakhsh, Giuseppe Cavallaro, Guiseppe Lazzara, Yoong Kit Aw, Sui Mae Lee and Stefana Milioto 
  ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2017
• Burkholderia paludis sp. nov., an antibiotic-siderophore producing novel Burkholderia cepacia complex species, isolated from Malaysian tropical peat swamp soil 
  Kuan Shion Ong, Yoong Kit Aw, Learn Han Lee, Yuen Lin Cheow, Catherine Yule and Lee Sui Mae 
  Frontiers in Microbiology, 2016
• Newly isolated Paenibacillus tyrfis sp. nov., from Malaysian tropical peat swamp soil with broad spectrum antimicrobial activity 
  Yoong Kit Aw, Kuan Shion Ong, Learn Han Lee, Yuen Lin Cheow, Catherine Yule and Lee Sui Mae 
  Frontiers in Microbiology, 2016
• ZnO deposited/encapsulated halloysite–poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposites for high performance packaging films with improved mechanical and antimicrobial properties 
  Rangika Thilan De Silva, Pooria Pasbakhsh, Sui Mae Lee, Yoong Kit Aw 
  Applied Clay Sciences, 2015
• Antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli, Salmonella and enterococci isolated from surface of conventional broiler eggs, "Kampung" chicken eggs and carrying trays from wet markets in Selangor, Malaysia 
  Yoong Kit Aw, Mei-Jean Loong, Chii Xiang Yue, Kok Ming Lee, Sian Yee Ng and Sui Mae Lee 
  Malaysian Journal for Microbiology, 2015
• Draft genome sequences of two antimicrobial-producing Burkholderia sp. strains, MSh1 and MSh2, isolated from Malaysian tropical peat swamp forest soil 
  Kuan Shion Ong, Yoong Kit Aw, Han Ming Gan, Catherine Yule and Sui Mae Lee 
  Genome Announcement, 2014
• Draft genome sequence of Paenibacillus sp. strain MSt1 with broad antimicrobial activity, isolated from Malaysian tropical peat swamp soil 
  Yoong Kit Aw, Kuan Shion Ong, Han Ming Gan, Catherine Yule and Sui Mae Lee
  Genome Announcement, 2014

Prospective PhD/MPhil Applications

I am open to prospective PhD/MPhil applications