Core Faculty Members

Prof. DUAN, Liting
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, CUHK

ltduan@cuhk.edu.hk
Tel: 3943 8268
Location: ERB1116

Lab webpage: http://duanlab.net/

Liting received a Bachelor degree in Chemistry from Renmin University of China (People’s University of China) in 2010 where she worked on the fabrication and application of micro/nano-patterned structures using hot micro-contact printing. She moved from material engineering to biochemistry/biophysics for her doctoral studies at Stanford University (Ph.D. in Chemistry 2016). Her thesis focused on the development of optogenetic strategies to control intracellular activities. During postdoctoral research, she further studied and engineered the photosensory proteins interactions for optimized optogenetic toolkit at Stanford. In July 2018, she joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the Chinese University of Hong Kong as an Assistant Professor.

2016 Ph.D. in Chemistry, Stanford University
2010 B.S. in Chemistry, Renmin University of China

· Development of optogenetic strategies to control intracellular activities;
· Intracellular signaling;
· Organelle dynamics;

BMEG2011 Biomedical Engineering Laboratory and Hospital Experience
BMEG3140 Molecular and Cellular Engineering Laboratory
BMEG3330 Neuroengineering
ENGG5601 Biomechanics & Biomaterials

2021 Dean’s Exemplary Teaching Award, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Y. Song‡, Z. Zhao‡, L. Xu‡, P. Huang, J. Gao, J. Li, X. Wang, Y. Zhou, J. Wang, W. Zhao, L. Wang, C. Zheng, B. Gao, L. Jiang, K. Liu, Y. Guo , X. Yao, L. Duan*.Using an ER-specific optogenetic mechanostimulator to understand the mechanosensitivity of the endoplasmic reticulum. (2024). Developmental Cell.

X. Liu, L. Xu, Y. Song, X. Li, C. Wong, R. Chen, J. Feng, Y. Gou, Y. Qu, H. Chow, S. Yao, Y. Wang, S. Gao, X. Liu, L. Duan *. Force-induced tail-autotomy mitochondrial fission and biogenesis of matrix-excluded mitochondrial‐derived vesicles for quality control. (2024). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Y. Song, P. Huang, X. Liu, Z. Zhao, Y. Wang, B. Cui*, L. Duan*. Light-inducible Deformation of Mitochondria in Live Cells. Cell Chemical Biology. (2022).

P. Huang, Z. Zhao, L. Duan*. Optogenetic activation of intracellular signaling based on light-inducible protein-protein homo-interactions. Neural Regeneration Research. (2022) Jan;17(1):25-30.

P. Huang, A. Liu, Y. Song, J. Hope, B. Cui, L. Duan*. Optical activation of TrkB signaling. J. Mol. Biol. (2020). 432(13), 3761.

L. Duan‡ , J. Hope‡, S. Guo‡, Q. Ong, A. Fracois, L. Kaplan, G. Sherrer, B Cui*. Optogenetic control of TrkA signaling. ACS Synth. Biol., 2018, 7 (7), 1685.

L. Duan, J. Hope, Q. Ong, H. Lou, N. Kim, C. McCarthy, V. Acero, M. Lin*, B. Cui*. Understanding CRY2 interactions for optical control of intracellular signaling. Nat. Commun., 2017, 8(1),547.

L. Duan‡, D. Che‡, K. Zhang, Q. Ong, S. Guo, B. Cui*. Optogenetic control of molecular motors and organelle distributions in cells. Chem. Biol., 2015, 22(5), 671.

D. Che‡ , L. Duan‡ , K. Zhang, B. Cui*. The dual characteristics of light-induced cryptochrome 2 homo-oligomerization and hetero-dimerization for optogenetic manipulation in mammalian cells. ACS Syn. Biol., 2015, 4 (10), 1124.