Yuguang Liu,
Assistant Professor and Associate Consultant, Microbiome Program,
Mayo Clinic
Dr. Yuguang Liu is an Assistant Professor and Associate Consultant in the Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Immunology, as well as the Microbiome Program, Center for Individualized Medicine at Mayo Clinic. She is also affiliated with Trained as an electrical engineer, Yuguang Liu’s research interests focus on developing microfluidic technologies for various applications, from basic and translational research in medicine to the exploration of the limits of life on extraterrestrial bodies. She has expertise in developing microfluidic devices for studying the genomic adaption of single microbial cells under unusual environments, interaction between immune and microbial cells, rapid bacterial diagnosis and monitoring immune responsiveness to cancer immunotherapies. Yuguang Liu is also a recent awardee of Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) R35 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
Single Cell Sequencing Reveals Non-Random Genetic Alterations in a Cyanobacterium During the Biology and Mars Experiment (BIOMEX)
Thursday, 4 April 2024 at 10:00
Add to Calendar ▼2024-04-04 10:00:002024-04-04 11:00:00Europe/LondonSingle Cell Sequencing Reveals Non-Random Genetic Alterations in a Cyanobacterium During the Biology and Mars Experiment (BIOMEX)The Space Summit 2024 in Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
Understanding the impact of long-term exposure of microorganisms to
space is critical in understanding how these exposures impact life
during extended human missions. Here, we subjected Nostoc sp. CCCryo
231-06, a cyanobacterium capable of surviving in extreme conditions, to a
23-month stay at the International Space Station (BIOMEX, on the
EXPOSE-R2 platform) and returned it to Earth for single-cell whole
genome analysis. We used a microfluidic platform to isolate single
cells, and amplify femtograms of DNA in a precisely controlled manner
with minimal contamination, and sequenced their whole genome to identify
the genomic changes in single Nostoc cells. The variant profile showed
that biofilm and photosystem associated loci were the most altered, with
an increased variant rate of synonymous base pair substitutions. We
concluded that the combined effect of complex cosmic radiation and UV
exposure may result in synergistic damage effects, with a higher number
of synonymous variants with simultaneous exposure to cosmic and UV
radiations. The cause(s) and evolutionary implications of the non-random
synonymous genomic substitutions observed at the single cell level
under long-term cosmic exposure warrants further investigation, and may
revolutionize our views on how evolution occurs at the single cell, and
also population level.
Add to Calendar ▼2024-04-03 00:00:002024-04-04 00:00:00Europe/LondonThe Space Summit 2024The Space Summit 2024 in Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
Add to Calendar ▼2024-04-04 10:00:002024-04-04 11:00:00Europe/LondonSingle Cell Sequencing Reveals Non-Random Genetic Alterations in a Cyanobacterium During the Biology and Mars Experiment (BIOMEX)The Space Summit 2024 in Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
