Yick Hin Ling 凌翊軒

  • Fellowship in 2020 at Johns Hopkins University

Dr. Yick Hin Ling completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Philosophy degrees at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and went on to earn my PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Hong Kong. During his PhD, he worked with Karen Yuen to understand how centromeric transcription controls chromosome segregation. Supported by the Croucher Fellowship, he is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biology at Johns Hopkins University with Carl Wu. His research focuses on employing live-cell super-resolution imaging techniques to study the regulation of transcription machinery across space and time.

Research
RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription is an immensely complex process, involving steps from initiation and elongation to termination, each requiring a diverse cohort of proteins that assemble on chromatin with precise spatiotemporal coordination. Single-molecule approach allows the characterization of molecular trajectories one at a time, from their diffusive search to chromatin engagement and protein interaction in living cells. My postdoctoral work involved developing single-molecule spatiotemporal mapping techniques in living yeast to uncover the diffusive confinement of RNA polymerase II around active genes. This confinement, which depends on its disordered C-terminal domain (CTD), facilitates an effective search on chromatin targets for transcription activation (link). My research currently focuses on addressing the dynamic landscape of RNAPI, RNAPII, and RNAPIII transcription-associated protein interactions in the nuclear space with sub-second resolution, and on pushing the state of the art in single-molecule imaging.

Selected Publications:
YH Ling, Z Ye, C Liang, C Yu, G Park, J Corden, C Wu. (2023). Disordered C-terminal domain drives spatiotemporal confinement of RNAPII to enhance search for chromatin targets. Preprint available at bioRxiv, 2023.2007.2031.551302, doi:10.1101/2023.07.31.551302.

YH Ling*, Y Chen, KN Leung, KM Chan, WK Liu. (2023). Cell cycle regulation of the psoriasis associated gene CCHCR1 by transcription factor E2F1. PLOS ONE, 18(12), e0294661. *Corresponding author. 

YH Ling and KW Yuen. (2019). Centromeric non-coding RNA as a hidden epigenetic factor of the point centromere. Curr Genet, 65(5):1165-1171.

YH Ling and KW Yuen. (2019). Point centromere activity requires an optimal level of centromeric non-coding RNA. PNAS, 116(13):6270-6279.

YH Ling, CC Wong, KW Li, KM Chan, P Boukamp, WK Liu. (2014). CCHCR1 interacts with EDC4, suggesting its localization in P-bodies. Exp Cell Res, 327(1):12-23.

Website:
yhinling.com