publication – Article-Genomic Labeling

Spuriously transcribed RNAs from CRISPR-sgRNA expression plasmids scaffold biomolecular condensate formation and hamper accurate genomic imaging

CHENLAB Our results indicated that false-positive foci do not result from nonspecific accumulation of sgRNAs as previously speculated. Instead, they pointed to a previously undescribed role of cryptic plasmid transcripts, which arise from spurious transcriptional activities occurring within plasmid DNA regions other than the intended promoter-gene cassette (i.e. transcription unit). These unintended transcripts are sequestered by paraspeckle proteins FUS, SFPQ and PSPC1 rather than accumulating around their producer plasmids, leading to false-positive foci formation. Based on these findings, we presented an easy-to-adapt strategy to minimize the generation of false-positive signals. Read More ›

News – News

Dr. Antony Chen has become an editorial board member of Nucleic Acids Research

Congratulations! Read More ›

Awards – Awards

Dr. Antony K. Chen receives Bayer Investigator Award 2023

CHENLAB Congratulations! Read More ›

publication – Article-HIV Assembly

Roles of RNA scaffolding in nanoscale Gag multimerization and selective protein sorting at HIV membranes

CHENLAB Through systematic comparisons of the nanoscale organizations and dynamics of Gag expressed in the presence or the absence of gRNA (so that cellular RNAs become predominantly packaged), we provide evidence that Gag progresses through quite distinct pathways to multimerize around gRNA or cellular RNAs. We also demonstrated that the two processes may lead to different transmembrane protein compositions in HIV membranes. Read More ›

Awards – Awards

Dr. Jinshan Qin receives 2023 Boehringer Ingelheim Postdoc Fellowship Award

CHENLAB Congratulations! Read More ›