English

Welcome to the Heolab (Optogenetics & RNA Editing Lab)!

We study how cells make decisions—and how to rewrite those decisions when they go wrong. Our lab brings together molecular optogenetics and RNA therapeutics to achieve 4D (space–time) precision in living systems. We don’t treat discovery and translation as separate tracks. Instead, we run them in a single loop: we read molecular signals in real time, write precise interventions, and repair function, moving seamlessly between mechanism and prototype.

On the discovery side, we build reversible biosensors and imaging tools that let us watch molecules—ions, receptors, RNAs—organize and interact inside intact cells, tissues, and awake animals. These readouts reveal when and where signals arise, how they propagate, and which “switches” actually control cellular outcomes.

At the same time, we engineer light‑addressable molecular actuators and Cas13‑based RNA medicines that can be turned on only in critical time windows and in selected cell types. This spatiotemporal, reversible control lets us establish causality, minimize off‑target activity and systemic exposure, and—crucially—restore a cell’s native programs without permanently altering the genome. By tuning calcium dynamics, steering growth‑factor/RTK pathways, or editing/modifying disease‑relevant RNAs, we connect specific molecular events to changes in cell behavior and tissue function.

This integrated read–write–repair pipeline generalizes beyond any single organ system. We apply it across neuroscience, immunity, oncology, infection, and regeneration—wherever precise control over molecular decisions can change outcomes. Our team spans synthetic biology, chemical biology, RNA engineering, imaging, and computation, united by a simple goal: programmable, reversible, and precise therapies that return cells and tissues to their original logic.