Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology

Dr Lyman Tze Kin Ngiam

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology
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ORCiD  

Lyman received his Bachelor degree with Honours Class I in Biotechnology, majoring in bioprocess technology from The University of Queensland in 2017. He then started his PhD at the University of Queensland-ACWEB in 2019 where his research focuses on bacteriophage treatment against antibiotic resistant bacteria. 


Achievements

  • UQ Research Higher Degree Scholarship (2019-2022), awarded by the University of Queensland

  • UQ Dean’s Commendation for High Achievement 2017

Researcher biography

Dr Lyman Tze Kin Ngiam is a bacteriophage biologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland. His research focuses on understanding bacteriophage–bacterial pathogen interactions, particularly involving ESKAPE pathogens, with the goal of developing effective phage-based biocontrol and therapeutic strategies to combat the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis. Central to Dr Ngiam's work is the study of bacteriophage biology, including phage-bacteria interactions and bacterial defence mechanisms against bacteriophage.

His current research aims to translate fundamental phage biology that can be applied as novel antimicrobial agent. This includes investigating phage optimisation strategies, such as phage training and the use of adjuvants including antibiotics and antimicrobial peptides, to improve phage efficacy and therapeutic potential. In parallel, Dr Ngiam is actively exploring the biotechnological applications of bacteriophages as sustainable bicontrol agent and diagnostics within the agricultural and livestock sectors.

Alongside his phage-based research, Dr Ngiam is also engaged in industry-based multidisciplinary and translational projects within CeASTAR, with strong emphasis on addressing antimicrobial resistance. These projects include development of surveillance tool to monitor AMR in the environment, investigation of novel compounds for disinfection of animal shed and eradication of biofilms in water distrbibution system.

Publications

Journal Articles (5)
Thesis (1)

Journal Articles

Ngiam, Lyman, Weynberg, Karen and Guo, Jianhua (2024). Evolutionary and coevolutionary phage training approaches enhance bacterial suppression and delay the emergence of phage resistance. ISME Communications, 4 (1) ycae082, ycae082. doi: 10.1093/ismeco/ycae082
Wang, Yue, Yu, Zhigang, Ding, Pengbo, Lu, Ji, Mao, Likai, Ngiam, Lyman, Yuan, Zhiguo, Engelstädter, Jan, Schembri, Mark A. and Guo, Jianhua (2023). Antidepressants can induce mutation and enhance persistence toward multiple antibiotics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120 (5) e2208344120, 1-12. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2208344120
Lu, Ji, Yu, Zhigang, Ngiam, Lyman and Guo, Jianhua (2022). Microplastics as potential carriers of viruses could prolong virus survival and infectivity. Water Research, 225 119115, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119115
Ngiam, Lyman, Weynberg, Karen D. and Guo, Jianhua (2022). The presence of plasmids in bacterial hosts alters phage isolation and infectivity. ISME Communications, 2 (1) 75, 75. doi: 10.1038/s43705-022-00158-9
Ngiam, Lyman, Schembri, Mark A., Weynberg, Karen and Guo, Jianhua (2021). Bacteriophage isolated from non‐target bacteria demonstrates broad host range infectivity against multidrug resistant bacteria. Environmental Microbiology, 23 (9) 1462-2920.15714, 1-18. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.15714

Thesis

Ngiam, Lyman (2023). Investigating the potential efficacy and limitations of bacteriophage treatment against antibiotic resistant bacteria. PhD Thesis, Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/a355db9