Research

Overview

The Liu Centrosome & Cilium Lab (LCCL) seeks to uncover the molecular blueprint that governs the assembly and remodeling of centrosomes and cilia, and to understand how disruption of this blueprint drives human disease.

We combine expansion-enhanced super-resolution microscopy, phosphoproteomics, and single-molecule RNA detection with CRISPR-based genetic screens, mouse models, and infection systems to dissect how these organelles regulate heart development and shape host responses to bacterial infection.

We aim to reveal the core principles behind these remarkable cellular machines and inspire the next generation of scientists to think quantitatively, creatively, and mechanistically.

Decoding the centrosome’s molecular blueprint

Architecture is fundamental to organelle function. We seek to uncover the blueprint that governs centrosome assembly and determine how its disruption reshapes cell organization, signaling, and tissue development.

How cilia remodel during mouse heart development

Centrosomes and primary cilia disassemble as myocytes differentiate. We seek to understand how these dynamic changes contribute to heart development. Using mouse models, we investigate the molecular mechanisms that coordinate organelle remodeling with cardiac morphogenesis. Understanding these processes will provide insight into congenital heart disease and fundamental principles of cell differentiation.

How centrosomes and cilia impact Chlamydia infection

Cells rely on centrosomes and primary cilia to coordinate division, polarity, and signaling, but what happens when they are hijacked by pathogens? We study how infection with Chlamydia, an obligate intracellular bacterium, remodels these critical organelles. By uncovering how bacteria manipulate host organelle structure, we aim to reveal new principles of host-pathogen interaction and cellular defense.

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