Dr Stephen Summers is a Senior Research Fellow at the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE), National University of Singapore. His research focuses on marine microbial ecology and biofilms, exploring how microbial interactions drive carbon cycling, biofouling and the biodegradation of emerging materials. He works at the interface of fundamental mechanistic discovery and applied innovation, developing nature-inspired strategies for sustainable aquaculture and maritime operations. Stephen collaborates closely with government and industry partners to translate microbiome science into practice, including pilot-scale testing of biomimetic antifouling approaches and real-time sequencing workflows for aquaculture health monitoring. He is also actively involved in training and mentoring early-career researchers and students in environmental microbiology and microbial genomics.