Continuing Excellence and Innovation in Research
The Department of Biochemistry at the University of Hong Kong continues to innovate and drive both basic and applied research forward at an international level of excellence. Our world-class faculty has raised >$80m in grants in the last five years, including the highly competitive and selective Area of Excellence (AoE) research programme for Developmental Genomics and Skeletal Research. The Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) consistently rates projects from the Department "excellent" on award and on completion.
Members of the department frequently publish in the highest caliber journals. Below are some of the highlights from recent years:
2013
- Wang Z, Cui J, Wang J, Zhang XM, Wong WM, Copeland NG, Jenkins NA, Tanner JA, Cheah KSE, Wu WT, and Huang JD. 2013. Kinesin-1 controls the localization of myofibrils components for their assembly and linkage to the myotendinous junctions. Development 140(3): 617-626
- Liu AJJ, Wu MH, Yan C, Chau KHB, So H, Ng A, Chan A, Cheah KSE, Briscoe J, Cheung M. 2013. Phosphorylation of Sox9 is required for neural crest delamination and is regulated downstream of BMP and canonical Wnt signaling. Proc Natl Aca Sci USA (in press)
2012
- Chan K, Wong H, Jin G, Liu B, Cao R, Cao Y, Lehti, K, Tryggvason K, Zhou Z. 2012. MT1-MMP Inactivates ADAM9 to regulate FGFR2 signaling in calvarial osteogenesis. Dev Cell 22(6): 1176-1190
- Liu B, Ghosh S, Yang X, Zheng H, Liu X, Wang Z, Jin G, Zheng B, Kennedy BK, Suh Y, Kaeberlein M, Tryggvason K, ZhouZ. 2012. Resveratrol rescues Sirt1-dependent adult stem cell decline and alleviates progeroid features in laminopathy-based progeria. Cell Metabolism 16(6): 738-750
- Xu F, Wang W, Wang P, Li MJ, Sham PC, Wang JW. 2012. A fast and accurate SNP detection algorithm for next-generation sequencing data. Nat Commun3:1258
2011
- Leung VYL, Gao B, Leung KKH, Melhado IG, Wynn SL, Au TYK, Dung NWF, Lau JYB, Mak ACY, Chan D, Cheah KSE. 2011. SOX9 governs differentiation stage-specific gene expression in growth plate chondrocytes via direct concomitant transactivation and repression. PLoS Genetics 7: e1002356
- Jin G, Zhang F, Chan KMJ, Wong HLX, Liu B, Cheah KSE, Liu X, Mauch C, Liu D, Zhou Z. 2011. MT1-MMP cleaves Dll1 to negatively regulate Notch signalling to maintain normal B-cell development. EMBO J 30: 2281-2293
- Kok KH, Lui PY, Ng MH, Siu KL, Au SW, Jin DY. 2011. The double-stranded RNA-binding protein PACT functions as a cellular activator of RIG-I to facilitate innate antiviral response. Cell Host & Microbe 9: 299-309
- Krishnan V, Chow MZY, Wang Z, Zhang L, Liu X, Zhou Z. 2011. Histone H4 lysine 16 hypoacetylation is associated with defective DNA repair and premature senescence in Zmpste24-deficient mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 108: 12325-12330
- Liu C, Fu X, Liu L, Ren X, Chau CK, Li S, Xiang L, Zeng H, Chen G, Tang LH, Lenz P, Cui X, Huang W, Hwa T, Huang JD. 2011. Sequential establishment of stripe patterns in an expanding cell population. Science 334: 238-241
2010
- Chan CP, Mak TY, Chin KT, Ng IOL, Jin DY. 2010. N-linked glycosylation is required for optimal proteolytic activation of membrane-bound transcription factor CREB-H. Journal of Cell Science 123: 1438-1448
- Tsang KY, Chan D, Bateman JF, Cheah KSE. 2010. In vivo cellular adaptation to ER stress: survival strategies with double-edged consequences. Journal of Cell Science 123: 2145-2154
2009
- Gao B, Hu J, Stricker S, Cheung MCH, Ma G, Law KF, Witte F, Briscoe J, Mundlos S, He L, Cheah KSE, Chan D. 2009. A mutation in lhh that causes digit abnormalities alters its signalling capacity and range. Nature 458: 1196-1200
- Tang VHM, Siu KL, Wong CM, Jin DY. 2009. Loss of yeast peroxiredoxin Tsa1p induces genome instability through activation of the DNA damage checkpoint and elevation of dNTP levels. PLoS Genetics 5: e1000697
2008
- Cai K, Tse LY, Leung C, Tam PKH, Xu R, Sham MH. 2008. Suppression of lung tumor growth and metastasis in mice by adeno-associated virus-mediated expression of vasostatin. Clinical Cancer Research 14: 939-949
2007
- Tsang KY, Chan D, Cheslett D, Chan WCW, So CL, Melhado IG, Chan WY, Kwan KM, Hunziker EB, Yamada Y, Bateman JF, Cheung KMC, Cheah KSE. 2007. Surviving ER stress is coupled to altered chondrocyte differentiation and function. PLoS Biology 5: e44
- Yang N, Tanner JA, Zheng B, He ML, Lu L, Jiang JQ, Shum KT, Lin Y, Wong KL, Lin MC. 2007. Bismuth Complexes Inhibit the SARS Coronvirus. Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) 46: 6464-6468
2006
- Ching YP, Chan SF, Jeang KT, Jin DY. 2006. The retroviral oncoprotein Tax targets coiled-coil centrosomal protein TAX1BP2 to induce centrosome overduplication. Nature Cell Biology 8: 717-724
- Liu J, Chau CH, Liu H, Jang BR, Li X, Chan YS, Shum DKY. 2006. Upregulation of chondroitin 6-sulphotransferase-1 facilitates Schwann cell migration during axonal growth. Journal of Cell Science 119: 933-942
2005
- Kiernan AE, Pelling AL, Leung KKH, Tang ASP, Bell DM, Teasse C, Lovell-Badge RH, Steel KP, Cheah KSE. 2005. Sox2 is required for sensory organ development in the mammalian inner ear. Nature 434: 1031-1035
- Liu B, Wang J, Chan KM, Tjia WM, Deng W, Guan X, Huang JD, Li KM, Chau PY, Chen DJ, Pei D, Pendas AM, Cadiñanos J, López-Otín C, Tse HF, Hutchison C, Chen J, Cao Y, Cheah KSE, Tryggvason K, Zhou Z. 2005. Genomic instability in laminopathy-based premature aging. Nature Medicine 11: 780-785