Yubo ZHANG | Genomics Award | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Yubo ZHANG | Genomics Award | Best Researcher Award

👨‍🏫Profile Summary

As a senior genomic scientist with over a decade of experience specializing in 3D genome research, I have a proven track record of leveraging cutting-edge technologies to investigate the dynamic functions of transcription factors (TFs) and genes within intricate genomes. My work has significantly contributed to enhancing our understanding of enhancer-promoter interactions and gene expression regulation. Currently, I am seeking a role where I can utilize my expertise in translational applications, particularly in identifying novel drug targets and optimizing therapeutic approaches in areas such as cancer and stem cell research.

🌐 Professional Profiles

Education🎓

Certification in Intro + Intermediate Python, CyberWeb Consulting, USA (2012): Enhanced computational skills for genomic data analysis and bioinformatics. Ph.D. in Hydrobiology, Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China (2007): Conducted research on aquatic ecosystems, providing a solid foundation in biological sciences. M.S. in Molecular Biology and Animal Breeding, Huazhong Agricultural University, China (2004): Specialized in molecular biology techniques and genetic breeding strategies. B.S. in Animal Husbandry, Huazhong Agricultural University, China (2000): Acquired fundamental knowledge in animal science and husbandry practices.

🔬 Researcher Experience

Principal Investigator, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenZhen, CAAS, China (2016/05-2023/12): Led research projects focusing on elucidating the mechanisms underlying 3D genome organization and function. Director, NGS Facility, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenZhen, CAAS, China (2016/10-2023/12): Oversaw the operations of the Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) facility, ensuring high-quality genomic data generation and analysis. Research Fellow, National Institutes of Health, USA (2013/04-2016/05): Conducted research on transcriptional regulation and chromatin architecture, contributing to advancements in understanding gene regulation networks. Post-doctoral Fellow, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA (2011/01-2013/03): Investigated the role of chromatin remodeling complexes in gene expression control, utilizing state-of-the-art genomic techniques. Post-doctoral Fellow, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore (2008/01-2011/01): Explored the epigenetic regulation of stem cell differentiation pathways, with a focus on chromatin modifications.

Awards 🏆

The Elite Leading Scientists of CAAS, Category B, China, 2017, The Thousand Talents Plan, Youth, China, 2017, Distinguish Scientist Award, NIH-CAAS, USA, 2016, Overseas High-Caliber Personnel, Level B, ShenZhen, China, 2016, National-Level Talent, ShenZhen, China, 2015, Youth Talent Program, Category A, CAAS, China, 2015, Special Award, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, 2010, Special Award, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, 2009

📝Membership in Societies and Editorial Boards:

Committee, China Anti-Cancer Association (CACA), 2021-present, Editorial Board Member, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 2021-present, Editorial Board Member, Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2021-present, Editorial Board Member, Chinese Journal of Herbivores, 2019-present, Member, The Chinese Society of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, 2019-present, Advanced Member, Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, CAAV, 2018-present, Committee, National Yak Industry Quality Improvement and Efficiency Technology Innovation, 2018-present, Committee, National Special Economic Animal Science and Efficiency Technology Innovation, 2018-present, Deputy Editor-in-Chief/Editorial Board Member, Global Journal of Animal Sciences and Medicine, 2018-present, Committee, National Agricultural Genomics Innovation, 2017-present, Editorial Board Member, Animal Models and Experimental Medicine, 2017-presen

🎖️Research Grants Awarded:

Principal Investigator, Study on the regulation of Sox2 gene in embryonic stem cells by different long-distance gene interactions, National Natural Science Foundation of China, 31970592, 2020.01-2023.12, 0.58 million CNY. (Competitive Project), Principal Investigator, Research and application of key technologies for yak genetic modification and efficient breeding in Taxian County, Shenzhen Science and Technology Program, KCXFZ20201221173205015, 2021.01-2023.12, 4.00 million CNY. (Competitive Project), Principal Investigator, Analysis of synthetic pathways and heterologous expression of active natural products such as anti-tumor and anti-infection (sub-project). National Key Research and Development Program of China, SQ2018YFA090005, 2019.07-2014.06, 1.28 million CNY. (Competitive Project), Principal Investigator, Construction of cross-species three-dimensional genomics platform, Basic scientific research business fund of CAAS, Y2019PT18-02, 2019.01-2019.12, 0.20 million CNY. (Institute Funding), Principal Investigator, “Pearl River Talents Plan” Leading Talents, 2017GC010063, 2017.05-2021.12, 0.81 million CNY. (Competitive Project)

📚Top Noted Publication

  1. Distinct enhancer-promoter modes determine Sox2 regulation in mouse pluripotent cells
    • Source: Genes & Diseases
    • Publication Date: 2024-01
    • DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.11.019
    • Contributors: Lei Huang; Xiusheng Zhu; Qing Li; Dashuai Kong; Qitong Huang; Jing Luo; Siyuan Kong; Yanling Peng; Yubo Zhang

 

  1. MAE-seq refines regulatory elements across the genome
    • Source: Nucleic Acids Research
    • Publication Date: 2023-11-10
    • DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1129
    • Contributors: Yubo Zhang; Xiusheng Zhu; Qitong Huang; Lei, Huang; Jing Luo; Qing` Li; Dashuai Kong; Yi Gu; Xueyan Wang; Chenying Li et al.

 

  1. Exploring the Role of Enhancer-Mediated Transcriptional Regulation in Precision Biology
    • Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
    • Publication Date: 2023-06-29
    • DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310843
    • Contributors: Xueyan Wang; Danli Liu; Jing Luo; Dashuai Kong; Yubo Zhang

 

  1. Genome-wide identification of silencers in human cells
    • Source: Preprint
    • Publication Date: 2023-06-23
    • DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.20.545673
    • Contributors: Xiusheng Zhu; Chao Wang; Dashuai Kong; Jing Luo; Biao Deng; Yi Gu; Siyuan Kong; Lei Huang; Yuwen Liu; Yubo Zhang

 

  1. Nucleosome-Omics: A Perspective on the Epigenetic Code and 3D Genome Landscape
    • Source: Genes
    • Publication Date: 2022-06-22
    • DOI: 10.3390/genes13071114
    • Contributors: Siyuan Kong; Yuhui Lu; Shuhao Tan; Rongrong Li; Yan Gao; Kui Li; Yubo Zhang

 

  1. Baiting out a full length sequence from unmapped RNA-seq data
    • Source: BMC Genomics
    • Publication Date: 2021-12
    • DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-08146-4
    • Contributors: Dongwei Li; Qitong Huang; Lei Huang; Jikai Wen; Jing Luo; Qing Li; Yanling Peng; Yubo Zhang

 

  1. A single-cell genomic strategy for alternative transcript start sites identification
    • Source: Preprint
    • Publication Date: 2021-12-10
    • DOI: 10.1101/2021.12.09.472038
    • Contributors: Yanling Peng; Qitong Huang; Rui Kamada; Keiko Ozato; Yubo Zhang; Jun Zhu

 

  1. Induce Pluripotency via Specific distal enhancer-promoter associations
    • Source: Other
    • Publication Date: 2021-06-10
    • DOI: 10.1101/2021.06.09.447809
    • Contributors: Xiusheng Zhu; Lei Huang; Dongwei Li; Jing Luo; Qitong Huang; Xueyan Wang; Yubo Zhang

 

  1. Comparative Analysis of Super-enhancers Across Mammals Reveals Their High Function Conservation
    • Source: Other
    • Publication Date: 2020-12-08
    • DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-121951/v1
    • Contributors: Yanling Peng; Yubo Zhang

 

  1. Exonuclease combinations reduce noises in 3D genomics technologies
    • Source: Nucleic Acids Research
    • Publication Date: 2020-03-04
    • DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa106
    • Contributors: Yubo Zhang

Dana Laor | Molecular Biology, | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Dana Laor | Molecular Biology| Best Researcher Award

👨‍🏫Profile Summary

Dr. Dana Laor Bar-Yosef is a distinguished molecular biologist renowned for her groundbreaking research in metabolic disorders. She completed her undergraduate studies in biology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, followed by M.Sc. and Ph.D. training at Tel Aviv University under Prof. Martin Kupiec. Her Ph.D. research elucidated the roles of TOR protein kinase in cell signaling and amino acid homeostasis using yeast models. Joining Prof. Ehud Gazit’s lab in 2015, she established innovative in vivo models for studying inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), leading to significant insights and potential therapeutics. Dr. Laor Bar-Yosef’s expertise spans over 15 years, guiding her leadership of the metabolic research group and pioneering the concept of “Metabolostasis.” Her contributions have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the 2020 Ziegler Award, affirming her exceptional impact on medical research in metabolic disorders.

🌐 Professional Profiles

Education🎓

Postdoctoral Researcher in Molecular Biology and Nanotechnology Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 2015-2018, Ph.D. in Molecular Biology
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 2009-2014 Thesis title: “The role of TOR in rapamycin response in the fission yeast” Advisors: Prof. Martin Kupiec and Prof. Ronit Weisman. M.Sc. in Genetics Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 2007-2009 Thesis title: “The TOR pathway regulates cellular growth, gene silencing and telomere length maintenance in the fission yeast” Advisors: Prof. Martin Kupiec and Prof. Ronit Weisman. B.Sc. in Biology
The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 2003-2006

🔬 Researcher Experience

Head of the Metabolic Research Group Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University 2018-Present, Postdoctoral Research School of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University 2015-2018, Graduate Research Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University 2007-2014

 Professional Development  📈

Women Executive Launchpad in HealthTech 8400 Health Network 2022-2023, Health Care Technological Innovation – From Idea to Commercialization Coller School of Management at Tel-Aviv University and Lahav Executive Education 2022

 Teaching Experience📚

Instructor, Introduction to Biology Course Tel Aviv University 2023-2024,  Instructor, “Commercializing University Research” Course
Coller School of Management, Tel Aviv University 2020, Instructor, “Graduate Record Examination Preparation Course”
Tel Aviv University 2014-2015, Teaching Assistant, “Introduction to Genetics” Course Tel Aviv University 2007-2013

Awards 🏆

The Late Breaking News Awards at the 2023 SSIEM Symposium 2023, The Ziegler Award for Research in the Field of Metabolic Disorders
2020, The Herbert and Sharon Glazer Fund Excellence Award 2017 And more…

Funding Acquired💰

The John Templeton Foundation Research Grant 2021-2024, Israel Science Foundation Research Grant 2019-2023, Momentum Fund Investment in Promising Breakthrough Technologies 2021-2023 And more…

 Patents🛠️

Laor, D., & Gazit, E (2018). Integrated drug discovery platform for inborn error of metabolism disorders.
US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/779,054. Pending. Laor, D., Sade, D., and Gazit, E (2021). Integrated drug discovery platform for protein misfolding disorders associated with metabolite accumulation.
Provisional.

 Conference and Scientific Meetings🌐

The first Metabolostasis conference, Israel (2023) Organizing Committee, ILASOL 36th Annual Meeting, Israel (2023)
Organizing Committee and Chair, Rare Connections 2022, Israel A conference dedicated for potential collaborations in the field of rare diseases. ISM 2022 Annual Meeting, Israel The first Israel Metabolomics Meeting, Israel (2022) And more…

 Community Involvement👥

Instructor, Jewish Community Center (JCC), Ohio, USA (2002, 2003) Guided Jewish-American youth about the Israeli Culture in a youth summer camp. Armor Instructor, Israel Defense Forces (2000-2002) Served as an armor guide for regular service and reserve duty soldiers at the Armored Corps School. Counselor, “Maccabi Tzair” Youth Movement, Israel (1996-2000) Served as a counselor and teaching coordinator, mentoring and advocating Israeli youth.

📚Top Noted Publication

  1. TOR complex 2 controls gene silencing, telomere length maintenance, and survival under DNA-damaging conditions
    • Authors: M Schonbrun, D Laor, L López-Maury, J Bähler, M Kupiec, R Weisman
    • Journal: Molecular and cellular biology
    • Volume: 29
    • Issue: 16
    • Pages: 4584-4594
    • Citations: 72
    • Year: 2009

 

  1. Two Decades of Studying Functional Amyloids in Microorganisms
    • Authors: SA Levkovich, E Gazit, D Laor Bar-Yosef
    • Journal: Trends in Microbiology
    • Citations: 68
    • Year: 2021

 

  1. Fibril formation and therapeutic targeting of amyloid-like structures in a yeast model of adenine accumulation
    • Authors: D Laor, D Sade, S Shaham-Niv, D Zaguri, M Gartner, V Basavalingappa, …
    • Journal: Nature communications
    • Volume: 10
    • Issue: 1
    • Pages: 62
    • Citations: 54
    • Year: 2019

 

  1. Yeast models for the study of amyloid-associated disorders and development of future therapy
    • Authors: S Rencus-Lazar, Y DeRowe, H Adsi, E Gazit, D Laor
    • Journal: Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
    • Volume: 6
    • Pages: 15
    • Citations: 45
    • Year: 2019

 

  1. TORC1 regulates developmental responses to nitrogen stress via regulation of the GATA transcription factor Gaf1
    • Authors: D Laor, A Cohen, M Kupiec, R Weisman
    • Journal: MBio
    • Volume: 6
    • Issue: 4
    • Citations: 33
    • Year: 2015
  1. Engineered riboswitch nanocarriers as a possible disease-modifying treatment for metabolic disorders
    • Authors: S Zilberzwige-Tal, D Gazit, H Adsi, M Gartner, R Behl, D Bar-Yosef Laor, …
    • Journal: ACS nano
    • Volume: 16
    • Issue: 8
    • Pages: 11733-11741
    • Citations: 3
    • Year: 2022

 

  1. Integrated drug discovery platform for inborn error of metabolism disorders
    • Authors: E Gazit, L Dana
    • Patent: US Patent App. 17/345,248
    • Citations: 1
    • Year: 2021

 

  1. Mind your marker: the effect of common auxotrophic markers on complex traits in yeast
    • Authors: K Kaplan, SA Levkovich, Y DeRowe, E Gazit, D Laor Bar‐Yosef
    • Journal: The FEBS Journal
    • Year: 2024

 

  1. The von Hippel-Lindau protein forms fibrillar amyloid assemblies that are mitigated by the anti-amyloid molecule Purpurin
    • Authors: V Kumar, V Kaushik, S Kumar, SA Levkovich, P Gupta, DL Bar-Yosef, …
    • Journal: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
    • Volume: 690
    • Pages: 149250
    • Year: 2024

 

  1. Branched-Chain Amino Acid Assembly into Amyloid-like Fibrils Provides a New Paradigm for Maple Syrup Urine Disease Pathology
    • Authors: T Kreiser, I Sogolovsky-Bard, D Zaguri, S Shaham-Niv, D Laor Bar-Yosef, …
    • Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
    • Volume: 24
    • Issue: 21
    • Pages: 15999
    • Year: 2023