Project Officer – Keratin Bioplastics Research

About the role

The School of Materials Science and Engineering at NTU is seeking a motivated Project Officer to support an MOE‑funded project on up‑cycling keratinous waste into bioplastics. Working under Prof. Ng Kee Woei, you will help develop, optimise and characterise keratin‑based bioplastic formulations.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive literature reviews and provide regular updates.
• Extract keratin protein from waste streams.
• Formulate and optimise keratin‑based bioplastic recipes.
• Characterise material properties such as mechanical strength, FTIR spectra, SEM morphology, degradability, permeability and water‑contact angle.
• Analyse and interpret experimental data.
• Develop and refine laboratory protocols.
• Manage laboratory inventory and logistical issues.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary internal teams and external partners.
• Prepare periodic progress reports for the funding agency.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, Biology or a related discipline.
• Experience in polymers, biomaterials research and material characterisation.
• Strong communication, writing and coordination abilities.
• Ability to plan and execute experiments with minimal supervision.
• Proactive problem‑solving and adherence to deadlines.

Required skills

• Polymers and biomaterials research
• Mechanical strength testing
• Fourier‑transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
• Degradability testing
• Permeability measurement
• Water‑contact angle measurement
• Data analysis and protocol development