Research

Thermostable mRNA vaccines

Messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines have emerged as rapid and versatile candidates to quickly respond to virus pandemics such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, mRNA vaccines face key limitations, one of which is the inherent chemical instability. This project will facilitate the prediction and experimental validation of mRNA stabilities to design stable mRNA vaccine to fight against COVID-19.

Engineering microbes to extend capability of animals

Microbes are gaining more attention due to their significant role in human health and disease. We intend to engineer microbiome with exogenous biological pieces to sense, record and/or deliver therapeutic functions to animals for extended animals’ capabilities toward the environment.

Microbe-microbe interactions

Microbe interact extensively with other species in the microbe community and the interaction can be manipulated. We will explore cell-cell or cell-host interactions for enhanced microbe community functions.

Protein engineering

Targeting the existing issues and challenges in protein functions, we plan to assemble enzyme cascade on membrane vesicle to achieve in vitro one step-methane fixation to biomass.