Mechanisms of macromolecular assembly and the roles of centrosomes in development and disease

The Jao Lab studies the principles of macromolecular assembly and the function of centrosomes, the micron-sized organelles that act as the microtubule-organizing center in animal cells. Current projects include understanding how the cell builds the centrosome and how the intracellular transport of centrosome-related proteins is regulated. The Jao Lab also uses zebrafish as a model system to study the link between centrosome dysfunction and human diseases, including microcephaly and dwarfism.

Cell biology, developmental biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, microscopy, zebrafish genetics, mass spectrometry, CRISPR gene editing, macromolecular assembly, biomolecular condensates, intracellular transport, mRNA metabolism, neurological disorders (e.g., microcephaly)

Jiang X, Ho DBT, Mahe K, Mia J, Sepulveda G, Antkowiak M, Jiang L,Yamada S, Jao LE (2021). Condensation of pericentrin proteins in human cells illuminates phase separation in centrosome assembly. J. Cell Sci., 134(14), Epub 2021/06/22. DOI: 10.1242/jcs.258897. PubMed PMID: 34308971; PMCID: PMC8349556.

Sepulveda G, Antkowiak M, Brust-Mascher I, Mahe K, Ou T, Castro NM, Christensen LN, Cheung L, Jiang X, Yoon D, Huang B, Jao LE (2018). Co-translational protein targeting facilitates centrosomal recruitment of PCNT during centrosome maturation in vertebrates. eLife, 7: e34959. Epub 2018/05/01. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.34959. PubMed PMID: 29708497; PMCID: PMC5976437.

Jao LE, Wente SR, Chen W (2013). Efficient multiplex biallelic zebrafish genome editing using a CRISPR nuclease system. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 110(34): 13904-13909. Epub 2013/08/07. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1308335110. PubMed PMID: 23918387; PMCID: PMC3752207.

UC Davis School of Medicine Synergy Seed Funding (2023–2024)

NIH NIGMS R01 (2022)

NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence (2007)

NIH NHGRI Visiting Fellow Award (Postdoctoral) (2005–2008)