Dr. Kang Lan Tee Associate Professor
The University of Sheffield (UK)

Bio

Dr Kang Lan Tee is an Associate Professor at the University of Sheffield, where she leads protein-based vaccine research within the UK-South East Asia Vaccine Manufacturing Research Hub, a £7.6 million initiative funded by DHSC and EPSRC. She also co-leads the International Scientific Engagement Board at the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), a £15 million UKRI-funded research hub advancing innovation in alternative proteins. Dr Tee was awarded a Global Challenges Research Fellowship for her work in sustainable manufacturing. Her research spans protein engineering, directed evolution, microbial biotechnology and biomanufacturing, with a strong emphasis on turning biological systems into practical manufacturing platforms. Her work has contributed to advances in robust microbes for manufacturing, virus-like particle-based therapeutics, bioplastics production and sustainable biomanufacturing using waste-derived and CO₂-based feedstocks. She is also the author of the textbook ‘A Practical Guide to Protein Engineering’. Beyond academia, Dr Tee is an active entrepreneur and technology innovator. She co-founded SeSaM-Biotech GmbH, a biotechnology start-up commercialising her work in protein engineering, and later co-founded Evolutor Ltd, which applies adaptive laboratory evolution technologies to improve industrial biomanufacturing strains. In 2024, she also co-founded ReNewFood, a venture developing novel protein-based flavour ingredients for the alternative food industry.