Chan Lab

ZJU-UoE Institute, International Campus, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China

In order to divide, the cell undergoes a tightly regulated process called the cell cycle, to accurately duplicate and partition the genome into two daughter cells. An important aspect of the cell cycle is its ability to respond to various cellular stimuli such as mitogen signalling and cellular stress. When the cell cycle fails to respond to these cellular stimuli, human diseases such as cancer arise. By developing and applying cutting edge experimental techniques we aim to untangle this complex signalling pathways that govern the cell cycle.

To study the how cellular signalling pathways interact to regulate the cell cycle, our lab employ three general approaches.

Observe

We generate cell lines expressing fluorescent biosensors which are imaged with a timelapse microscope. These images are then computationally analysed at the single cell level to obtain quantitative information on the signalling events occur within the cell.

Predict

By observing the relationship between the fluorescent biosensors and cell fate decisions, we generate models to predict the cellular mechanism that regulate the cell cycle.

Perturb

Using CRISPR and lentiviral transduction systems, we genetically alter the cellular states of the cell to test our models. We validate this using biochemical and cell biological approaches.