Functional Characterization of Two E3 Ubiquitin Ligases (PUB2 and PUB4) and the EXTRA LARGE G PROTEINS in Arabidopsis (PI: Professor XIA Yiji) As sessile organisms, plants need to adjust their growth and development according to ever-changing environments. Environmental cues and…

Role of USF methylation and epigenetic modifications in lipogenic gene repression during starvation (PI: Dr. Roger Wong) Background Mammals employ intricate and precise endocrine control to maintain a constant supply of metabolic energy. Transcription of genes encoding enzymes involved in…

Regulatory Roles of Tonicity-responsive MicroRNAs in Osmoregulatory Functions of the gills of Japanese Eels (PI: Professor Chris Wong) Homeostatic regulation of fluid and electrolyte balance is a vital process for guiding many cellular functions. It is crucial for upholding osmotic…

Stress resistance genes as the new engineering target for environmental control of airborne bacteria (PI: Dr. LAI Ka Man) Over the past 70 years, studies have attempted to determine the survival of airborne bacteria and the associated effects of environmental…

Roles of two Nudix proteins in epigenetic control of plant immunity (PI: Professor Yiji Xia) Plants use complex signaling networks to fine-tune defense pathways in response to pathogen attack, leading to broad transcriptional reprogramming. Epigenetic mechanism/chromatin remodeling plays a vital…

Divergence of perivitelline fluid proteins in association with the change in egg deposition environment in apple snails: A transcriptomic and proteomic approach Apple snails of the family Ampullariidae exhibit unusually diverse reproductive strategies: while some genera deposit eggs underwater, other…

Will hypoxia and ocean acidification alter biofilms and hence disrupt their role as a signpost for marine larval settlement? (PI: Dr. Jill Chiu) Hypoxia and ocean acidification are amongst the major environmental threats to many marine populations and ecosystems worldwide.…

The Arabidopsis redox-sensitive bZIP68 protein: does it function as a redox sensor in the oxidative stress response? (PI: Professor Yiji Xia) Redox signaling occurs when cellular redox homeostasis is perturbed. Redox signaling has increasingly been recognized as an important mechanism…