Research interests
1. Bacterial pathogenesis
We are interesting in regulation of pathogenesis of an important opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The specific questions addressed include: (A) the roles of
super-regulator PsrA in quorum sensing and bacterial virulence; (B) how
major secreted components such as pyocyanin, pyoverdine, elastases and
aminopeptidase involved in the bacterial pathogenesis; (C)
identification of the major cytotoxic determinant of a highly virulent
diarrheagenic P. aeruginosa strain B136-33.
We investigate how swarming (left) and pyocyanine production (right) are regulated by PsrA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
2. Nucleotide and RNA technologies
We
are actively developing proprietary technologies in nucleotides and RNA
drug/vaccine synthesis. The aims are to develop novel vaccines and
therapeutics. A number of modified nucleotides are being
synthesized and
incorporated into RNA drugs to make them more potent. The major target
diseases include several RNA virus infections, cancers and diabetic
wounds.
3. Tissue engineering
Taking advantages of excellent strength and biocompatibility of silk
fibroin, and accompanied with air-liquid interface culture, 3D tissue
printing, and microfluidic technologies, unique single layer cell-sheet
and tissues are being engineered in our laboratory. Their applications
include serving as a model of wound healing and bacterial infection, as
well as a temporary skin substitute for second degree burns.
Silk
fibroin film (left) is used to grow cell sheet (middle) in an
air-liquid-interface culture and served as a bacterial infection mode
(right).
We also utilize multicellular spheroid (left) and microfluidic system (right) to engineer tissue.
4. Microbiome and probiotic development
We are using a
number of microbial technologies such as real-time growth monitoring
bioreactor, in vitro tumor model, and fimbriae-based bacterial-surface
display systems to isolate/engineer probiotics that can inhibit growth
of several pathogens and tumors, as well as remove toxic metals (As,
Ni, Ag,...) in our gastrointestinal tract.
We engineer bacteial type III fimbriae for heavy metal binding and surface diaplay systems.
