Singapore: Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) has set up a new life sciences research cluster that will study the link between the health of a population and the environment.

The NTU Integrated Medical, Biological & Environmental Life Sciences (NIMBELS) Cluster will feature Southeast Asia's first phenome centre, which will tackle key areas of research need, such as in ageing, diabetes, gut microbiomes and the urban water cycle.

NIMBELS is set up in collaboration with life sciences expertise in NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), School of Biological Sciences, Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) and the NTU Institute of Structural Biology.

NTU President Professor Bertil Andersson said, "To achieve breakthroughs in this modern era of biomedical research involving big data, we need a new approach, a new way of thinking about these challenges. We need solutions that bring together not just the best clinical and biomedical minds, but also involving experts in structural biology, environmental life sciences and computing technologies."

NIMBELS will be led by Professor Staffan Kjelleberg, a world expert in environmental microbiology, microbial ecology and biofilm biology.

"This new life sciences cluster that we have formed at NTU will have dedicated new facilities with cutting edge technologies. It offers a unique research environment and capitalises on the interface between life sciences and excellence in engineering to find solutions to health issues," said Prof Kjelleberg, director, SCELSE.