Robust Control of the Stem Cell Niche

概述跨学科实验室关注一个首要问题：生物控制如何管理 异质性和实现鲁棒性，以及这些机制的颠覆如何增加疾病风险。到 为了解决这个问题，该实验室研究了基本机制，并开发了新技术来探测这种 在高时空分辨率下的活体动物中的过程： 1)该实验室发现，非编码RNA（ncRNA），如长非编码RNA（lncRNA）和microRNA， 可以引发不对称的细胞分裂并限制可塑性。对于健康组织来说不是必需的，ncRNA可以被触发 在炎症诱导的修复性再生过程中开启不对称分裂以保护组织完整性。 2)该实验室发现，快循环和慢循环的肠道干细胞可以通过不对称的 分裂，代表组织的最佳生存策略。 3)为了解决目前移植模型的局限性，该实验室开发了一种新的趋化因子靶向 将人细胞移植到免疫活性小鼠宿主中的技术， 胚胎胸腺建立中枢免疫耐受。 4)一种新设备集成了腹部窗口，3D打印支架和透明石墨烯传感器 首次被设计用于演示肠神经系统的实时记录。 在未来五年，该实验室将探索三个领域： 目标1.阐明调节不对称分裂和保护组织完整性的ncRNA机制， 例如，在一个实施例中，为了了解它们的不对称分离机制，并在细胞中鉴定此类lncRNA和microRNA， 一种系统的方式。 目标2.使用活体成像了解肠干细胞龛的时空动力学， 激光烧蚀和多尺度随机建模。 目标3.使用ATAC-seq和CRISPR-Cas9对肠细胞谱系进行表观遗传学分析和重编程- 基于表观基因组编辑。 愿景具有电气工程背景的PI一直对生物学的能力感兴趣 电路执行强大的功能，非常不精确的组件和看似混乱的架构， 与依赖于精确设备和精心布局设计的人造电路形成对比。的 拟议的研究试图加深我们对组织稳态的理解，并强调了 在动力学和鲁棒性方面潜在的生物电路。该实验室还将开发新的工具， 研究社区提出了一些现在不可能的问题。这项研究将提供新的见解 并为未来的再生医学做出贡献。

Overview The interdisciplinary lab focuses an overarching question: how biological controls manage heterogeneity and achieve robustness, and how subversion of such mechanisms heightens risk for disease. To address this question, the lab studies fundamental mechanisms and develops new technology to probe such processes in live animals at high spatiotemporal resolution: 1) The lab has discovered that non-coding RNA (ncRNA) such as long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and microRNA can initiate asymmetric cell division and limit plasticity. Not essential for healthy tissue, ncRNA can be triggered to turn on asymmetric division to safeguard tissue integrity during inflammation-induced reparative regeneration. 2) The lab discovered that fast- and slow-cycling intestinal stem cells can directly interconvert via asymmetric division, representing an optimal survival strategy for the tissue. 3) To address the limitation of current engraftment models, the lab developed a novel chemokine-targeting technology to engraft human cells into immunocompetent mouse hosts by manipulating cell migration via embryonic thymus to build central immune tolerance. 4) A new device integrating an abdominal window, a 3D-printed scaffold, and a transparent graphene sensor has been designed to demonstrate live recording of the enteric nervous system for the first time. Goals In the next five years, the lab will explore three areas: Goal 1. Elucidating the ncRNA mechanisms that regulate asymmetric division and safeguard tissue integrity, e.g., to understand their mechanism of asymmetric segregation and to identify such lncRNAs and microRNAs in a systematic way. Goal 2. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of the intestinal stem cell niche using intravital imaging, laser ablation, and multiscale stochastic modeling. Goal 3. Epigenetic profiling and reprogramming of intestinal cell lineages using ATAC-seq and CRISPR-Cas9- based epigenome editing. Vision With a background in electrical engineering, the PI has always been intrigued by the ability of biological circuits to perform robust functions with very imprecise components and seemingly messy architectures, in contrast to man-made electrical circuits which rely on precise devices and carefully laid-out designs. The proposed study attempts to deepen our understanding of tissue homeostasis and highlights the sophistication of underlying biological circuitry in terms of dynamics and robustness. The lab will also develop new tools for the research community to ask the kind of questions that are impossible right now. The study will provide new insight into disease conditions and contribute to future regenerative medicine.