Study of Telomere and Telomerase Dynamics

Telomerases play a key role in maintaining the necessary level of chromosomal degradation in all cells and so they are an important target for in depth molecular, genetic, and in vivo investigations. Assistant Professor Chi-Kang Tseng, Graduate Institute of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine (NTUCM), Taiwan, specialises in the molecular biology of ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs), primarily telomerases and spliceosomes and collaborates with clinicians and experts in related fields to ensure his work is as relevant as possible and can potentially be directly translated into a clinical setting. A key focus for Tseng is on the precise molecular biology behind the function and dynamics of RNPs. He and his team conduct in vivo experimentation in cell cultures of induced pluripotent stem cells, and also CRISPR-based gene editing techniques. In addition, the researchers have developed a novel technique for the in vitro analysis of telomerase biogenesis. Tseng and the team are also exploring the action and dynamics of the spliceosome. The researchers' work has direct relevance to four key diseases that are associated with telomerases and/or the spliceosome: Myelodysplastic syndromes; Dyskeratosis Congenita; Parkinson's disease; and cancer.