Set up in August 2002, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) has a research team of some 230 scientists from more than 25 countries. They are engaged in various streams of basic and applied research in molecular biology and genetics, covering microbial, plant and animal sciences. They also seek innovative solutions to practical needs for food supply, food safety, human healthcare and renewable bioresources. Among these is the development of low-cost easy-to-use diagnostic kits for the H5N1 bird flu virus.

With a five-year additional grant from the SMF, TLL is carrying out research to improve the yield of the Jatropha plant as a sustainable non-food source of biofuels. TLL is separately training scientists from Aceh, Indonesia, in rice cultivation. Together with a team from Syiah Kuala University, TLL will work on improving a local rice strain to improve yield and shorten the time to harvest. This is part of the pro bono contribution to the post-tsunami reconstruction.