Singapore scientists turn prawn shells and tree branches into medicines and supplements

Associate Professor Yan Ning (left) and Assistant Professor Zhou Kang led the research into converting waste into useful substances. - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Two local scientists have devised a novel process that can turn prawn shells into a drug that treats Parkinson's disease, and pruned tree branches into a nutritional supplement, among other quests to unlock the value hidden in discarded waste products.

The researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) first use chemical processes to break down the waste products into substrates that can then be transformed by bacteria into useful substances.