From Munich to Singapore: My time at TUMCREATE with the LightSPAN research group

Introduction

Light is one of the external influences in our lives that we are the least aware of. Light exposure is a key factor not only for sleep rhythm and sleep quality but also for our mood and energy throughout the day. And still, most people know next to nothing about their light exposure or even what a healthy light rhythm looks like. The LightSPAN project investigates how to optimize light exposure for better health and well-being. (https://www.lightspan.org/about)

Singapore is located in close proximity to the equator and therefore provides stable conditions in terms of length of day and light intensity throughout the year. This makes for the perfect environment for research on light.

During my internship in July 2025, I worked as part of the LightSPAN research team to gain scientific work experience in a widely unknown but truly relevant field. In my three weeks in Singapore, I supported the team in the preparations of the first pilot trial and investigated potential modifications to bring the project to other climatic regions as well.

TUMCREATE

The LightSPAN research project is part of the TUMCREATE, a multidisciplinary research platform founded in 2010 to facilitate research collaborations between Singapore and the Technical University of Munich. The Campus for Research Excellence And Technological Enterprise (CREATE) is held by the National Research Foundation Singapore. Other universities that are part of the CREATE Campus include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Cambridge, or the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. TUMCREATE’s research projects span a variety of topics such as Proteins4Singapore, a project for the cultivation of alternative non-animal protein sources and other reverse food engineering approaches. (https://www.tum-create.edu.sg/about/about-tum-create)

My personal experience

On July 10, I arrived in Singapore with a direct flight from Munich a few days before my internship started. This was especially useful to recover from the jet lag and find my way around the city. I stayed in one of the guest rooms in the student accommodations on the campus of the National University of Singapore.

During my internship at the TUMCREATE tower, the team was but a few weeks away from testing the LightUP app and all its components out in the open for the first time, and many preparations were underway. I learned how many hours of work it takes to ready all the components from app availability over device setup to final testings. I saw in action how close the team needed to work together to make the project happen. Additionally, Dr. Resshaya Murukesu, head of the team in Singapore, took the time to show and explain all the aspects of the project and the underlying biological principles to me.

Moreover, it was my task during the time of my internship to come up with and evaluate ways to adapt the project to other climatic regions as well, at the example of Germany. I learned to find and work with recent literature to gain an understanding of the current state of research in the field. I also learned to use Python to extract climatic information from a data bank to compare the light exposure between Singapore and Germany using UV-index data. As the Graphic 1 shows, the amount of light, represented by the UV-index, changes with the seasons in Germany, while staying relatively stable in Singapore. Therefore, the contents of the LightUp app would need to be adapted to include advice on how to cope with these changes in daily life. Structural changes to the app were not needed, since different studies have shown that the seasons have little effect on the circadian rhythm (Friborg et al., 2012).

My working hours depended on the topics of the day and could vary from six to nine hours a day. Usually there was one home office day per week. For lunch, we would go to one of the many restaurants located on the CREATE Campus that offer a variety of typical foods from all parts of Asia. In all parts of Singapore, there are large malls with many shops and places to eat and drink. From chicken rice to beef bowls, there is food for all kinds of tastes. My weekends were filled with trips around the city, for example to the island of Sentosa in the south, the Marina Bay, well known for the Marina Sands and the gardens, or to one of the famous museums such as the Museum of Modern Art. A highlight of my stay in Singapore were the weekly rehearsal fireworks every Saturday leading up to the 60th anniversary of Singapore on August 6th, 2025.

Traveling Singapore

Getting around in Singapore is not only easy but also cheap when using the many MRT or bus stations. You pay with every trip, and while Singaporeans use a special card, a credit card works fine. Just make sure to tap out when exiting the bus or train station, since you pay more than necessary if you don’t. There are 5-day public transportation cards sold that let you take as many rides as you want in five days, but they are unnecessary and overpriced.

All buses, trains, and almost every other building in the city is climatized since Singapore enjoys a steady 30°C throughout the year.

Singapore uses the Singaporean Dollar, but there are barely any occasions to pay with cash. Credit cards are accepted everywhere, and the locals even use QR-code applications like PayNow for their shopping.

I would recommend buying a mobile eSIM card since public Wi-Fi is only available in certain shops or cafés. There are 400GB ones available for S$10 with SIMBA.

Even though moving around in the city is easy, it takes time due to the sheer distances. Planning a trip according to the regions of the city is therefore advised. Regions to explore include the Colonial district and Singapore River, Marina Bay, Chinatown, or Arab Street.

In summary, my internship with the LightSPAN research group was an extraordinary and enriching experience. I am very grateful to have had this great opportunity to gain initial experience in this research team. I would like to thank Mr. Markus Greif, member of the school management team at Otto-von-Taube-Gymnasium in Gauting, as well as Dr. Ralf Laupitz and Mr. Markus Stöckle, directors of TUMKolleg. Most importantly, I would like to express my special thanks to Prof. Manuel Spitschan, Head of LightSPAN research group, and Dr. Resshaya Murukesu, leading the LightSPAN research project in Singapore, and the entire LightSPAN team, who welcomed me so warmly and kindly and made my internship in Singapore an unforgettable, exciting, and enjoyable experience.

Johann Probst