- Max Planck Croucher Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2023 at Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
About Isaac Wong’s work
Isaac works in the fields of biophysics and cell biology and his research is currently focused on the biogenesis and biophysical properties of non-membrane bound organelles. Isaac has made significant discoveries in the field of centrosome biogenesis. He has demonstrated that centrioles generate a pulse of Polo/PLK1 activity, which stimulates the mitotic pericentriolar material (PCM) assembly prior to mitosis. This groundbreaking finding provides a compelling explanation for why Polo/PLK1 kinase is universally required for mitotic PCM assembly.
Biography
Isaac is currently conducting his research at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, with the support of a Max Planck Croucher Postdoctoral Fellowship. Previously, he had earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Cell Biology from the University of Oxford (Balliol College). Isaac’s outstanding academic achievements have been recognised by over 30 awards during his undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
中文簡介
王於2016年加入英國牛津大學路維癌症研究所的盧教授實驗室，參與研究愛潑斯坦-巴爾病毒非編碼核糖核酸甲基化與鼻咽癌的關係。2018年，加入鄧恩爵士病理研究所的納芙教授實驗室，專注研究中心粒(Centriole)及其周圍物質(Pericentriolar Material)的生成機制。他於2021年從牛津大學貝利奧爾學院獲得分子細胞生物學博士學位。此後，他開始和德國馬克斯普朗克分子細胞生物學和遺傳學研究所的凱曼教授合作研究無膜細胞器的形成和生物物理特徵。
在博士研究期間，王為中心體(Centrosome)領域作出重大貢獻。他證明中心體進入有絲分裂(Mitosis)前，會產生一次Polo類激酶(Polo/PLK1)脈沖，刺激中心粒周圍物質的組裝。他同時利用數學模型模擬中心粒調控Polo類激酶的方法。此外，他證明細胞週期蛋白依賴型激酶(Cdk/Cyclins)能磷酸化(Phosphorylate)中心粒蛋白Ana2。Ana2是組成中心粒的關鍵，在合成期(S-phase)被磷酸化後可以抑制中心粒的組裝。這發現首次在分子層面闡述中心粒只在合成期組裝的原因。