He focuses on the structure of genetic material [12.11.21]
The Covid-19 pandemic has also left its mark on the Online Courier: Among other things, since the beginning of the pandemic there was not enough time to conduct the traditional welcome interviews with new professors. With the start of this winter semester, we are making up for lost time in the form of written questionnaires: 18 new professors have started at Hohenheim since shortly before the pandemic began. One of the first of these is Jun. Prof. Dr. Chang Liu.
The plant geneticist has headed the newly established Department of Epigenetics since March 1, 2020. In 2017, he received an ERC Starting Grant from the European Research Council for his research - at that time he was still at the University of Tübingen. His main focus is on the three-dimensional structure of DNA and its effects on plant cell function.
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Mr. Liu, Epigenetics is the name of your department. What exactly is that?
The subject of “Epigenetics” concerns scientific research solving problems relevant to understanding how genetic modifications, which do not change the DNA sequence, influence various aspects of activities of the genome. For example, the gene expression, i.e. how the genetic information is expressed and manifested in an organism. The prefix “epi” specifically means that there are no changes in the DNA sequence.
Could you please outline your path to Hohenheim for us?
I did two rounds of postdoctoral training: one was at the Temasek life sciences laboratory in Singapore, where I mainly worked on plant epigenetics, and the other was at the Max Plank Institute in Tübingen, where my project was about chromatin organization. Chromatin is the basic genetic material of the cell nuclei.
Alle neuen Profs... |
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In 2015, I joined the ZMBP (Zentrum für Molekularbiologie der Pflanzen) at Tübingen University as a junior group leader. At the ZMBP, my research projects focused on plant functional genomics, that is, it was about the interaction of genes. Essentially, these projects were at the interface between epigenetics and three-dimensional chromatin organization.
What puzzle would you like to solve with your research?
Actually, I have a pair of puzzle pieces that are intimately connected: first, how is transcriptional regulation executed to achieve an orchestrated gene expression profile? To put it simply, how is the translation of genetic information from DNA to RNA regulated so that you get a particular result? Second, how can we use this knowledge to make plants grow better?
What project would you tackle if you could have unlimited resources and possibilities?
I would develop a platform that allows plant researchers to effectively study molecular mechanisms underlying transcriptional regulation at a single-nucleus level.
At the moment, working with a heterogeneous sample is a major challenge for researchers from the field of plant functional genomics. Generally speaking, a “heterogeneous sample” means that it consists of cells with different cellular identities. Let us take the following example to explain: imagine that you are holding a leaf in your hand. It can be considered as simple as “a piece of leaf” – but in fact, it is composed of different cell types, such as cells making the veins, cells forming the protective surface, or cells carrying on photosynthesis, etc. Thus, if you use it in experiments, the readout will be the average, and you will lose potential information specifically associated with one cell type.
Fachgebiet Epigenetik |
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Jun.-Prof. Dr. Chang Liu leitet seit 1.3.2020 das neue Fachgebiet Epigenetik. Es handelt sich um eine Juniorprofessur mit Tenure-Track, gefördert durch das Bund-Länder-Programm zur Förderung des wiss. Nachwuchses. Diese Professuren sind auf 6 Jahre befristet und werden bei Bewährung in eine reguläre Professur umgewandelt. mehr |
Another technical challenge I would hope to overcome with my platform would be the limited information that currently available single-cell methods can obtain. For instance, it is extremely difficult to simultaneously measure gene expression and epigenetic modifications of the same nucleus. In most cases, if researchers want to collect this information, they have to do experiments separately – of course, on different batches of materials. My wish would be for my platform to be highly robust in generating multiple-dimensional datasets.
What research topics are you currently working on?
We are currently running several projects with different model plants. With Arabidopsis (common name: mouse-ear cress), we are investigating how specific genomic regions are located in designated compartments in the nucleus. With Marchantia (liverwort), we are studying how chromatin can fold and form special structures and influence gene expression. We have also launched a project to explore how the epigenome and three-dimensional chromatin organization regulate tomato development.
Can students work with you on your research?
Sure. We already have Master’s and doctoral students working on their thesis projects.
What do you want to teach your students?
Our department offers courses on epigenetics and functional genomics. We have two practical modules in which students can learn routine techniques concerning plant molecular biology (of course, the focus is on Genomics).
Besides that, we also teach students bioinformatics and bioinformatics programming.
What does good teaching mean to you?
In my opinion, good teaching delivers students a message that science is exciting, dynamic, and entertaining, not dull or dry textbook stuff. Good teaching also inspires students’ curiosity and creativity. I aim to transfer fundamental knowledge of the course content to students while instilling in the students an appreciation for active learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
Where can your graduates work after their studies?
Students passionate about molecular biology can continue their journeys of scientific discovery in a research lab in academia or a corporation. The work does not need to be specifically related to plant science – the knowledge of epigenetics, chromatin, and transcriptional regulation that students have learned from plants can be easily transferred to research on other living organisms. With knowledge of bioinformatics and computing, graduates who love “big data” can work as bioinformaticians.
What good advice would you like to give students?
Students are highly encouraged to take advance of the broad spectrum of opportunities that the Hohenheim campus offers to design their future careers.
Do you like working in Hohenheim, Mr. Liu?
Absolutely. In particular, I started working on the campus during the pandemic, which pressures and challenges everybody. The campus is well-organized with a friendly working environment, and I have been receiving tremendous support from colleagues from different units on my teaching and research.
What do you do in your free time?
I love reading historical novels or biographies. With my children, I enjoy playing computer games.
Thank you very much, Mr. Liu!
Interview: Elsner
