BME Seminar Series: Dr. Chang Lu, Virginia Tech

"Microfluidics for Mapping Epigenomes in the World of Precision Medicine"

Precision medicine requires comprehensive analysis of the molecular drivers of a disease for individual patients and use of the information to devise therapeutic procedures. In the post-genome era, such analysis benefits tremendously from decreasing cost of next-generation sequencing and improvement in big data processing. However, critical technical barrier still exists for establishing genome-wide profiles using tiny amounts of samples extracted from patients and lab animals. In this seminar, I will discuss our efforts on using microfluidics as a versatile platform for profiling epigenomes based on a low number of cells in the context of precision medicine. The epigenome turns on and off genes in a highly dynamic fashion during normal development and diseases, forming another layer of regulation on top of gene sequence. We developed MOWChIP-seq to profile histone modifications using as few as 100 cells (2015 Nature Methods). More recently, we developed microfluidic assays to probe genome-wide DNA methylation. I will discuss our studies of cell-type specific epigenomic landscapes in the context of stem cell differentiation and brain functions using these tools. These new technologies will generate insights into disease processes and help create personalized treatment strategy.

Bio:

Dr. Chang Lu is the Fred W. Bull professor of chemical engineering at Virginia Tech. Dr. Lu obtained his B.S. in Chemistry with honors from Peking University in 1998 and PhD in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2002. He then spent 2 years as a postdoctoral associate in Applied Physics of Cornell University. His research has been in the general area of developing microfluidic technologies for molecular/cellular manipulation and analysis, with recent focus on profiling epigenomes using tiny amounts of samples. These technologies have been useful for understanding disorders and processes such as cancer, stem cell differentiation, and brain development. Dr. Lu received Wallace Coulter Foundation Early Career Award, NSF CAREER Award, and VT Dean’s award for research excellence among a number of honors.