隨著次世代定序的發展，各式各樣的體學(omics)以及其單細胞的衍生技術大大擴展了我們對基因調控與分子機制的理解，然而其技術上最大的缺點是他流失了原有細胞或組織的空間訊息。過去十年，空間組分析(spatial omics)的快速進展突破了這個限制，讓我們得以研究完整細胞或組織內基因表達及其調控在空間上的關係。在這個月會裡，我們很榮幸地邀請到三位來自不同面向的講者來為我們介紹單細胞空間轉錄組分析在基礎科學上的應用，公司裡的開發現況與前景，與在藥廠裡新藥開發製程上的幫助。這場演講將提供一個全面的視角，探討單細胞空間轉錄組分析的前沿應用，以及它在不同領域中所帶來的重要突破。我們期待著與大家分享這些令人振奮的發現和技術進展。

In the past decade, substantial progress has been made in bulk omics technologies and their single-cell derivatives, enhancing our understanding of biology and disease mechanisms. However, an unsolved limitation is the loss of spatial information inherent in these techniques, hindering a comprehensive portrayal of fundamental biological processes. To address this, spatial omics have rapidly emerged as a transformative technique, allowing measurements of the spatial distribution of molecules in cells and tissues and thus unlocking the spatial patterns of global gene expression. In this month's  BTBA meeting, we are honored to have three speakers from different perspectives to introduce the applications of single-cell spatial transcriptomics in biology, the current developments and prospects within the company, and its role in the drug development. This presentation will offer a comprehensive perspective, exploring the cutting-edge applications of single-cell spatial transcriptomics and the significant breakthroughs it brings to different fields.

We look forward to sharing these exciting discoveries and technological advancements with everyone.

🗣️本實體活動全程以中文進行

The event will be in Mandarin; hybrid event

▶️ 主題 / Topic: Spatial transcriptomics application from bench to industry

🕘  Time:

2024-02-11 (Sun)  

12:30 pm - 01:00 pm (ET) Networking

01:00 pm - 2:30 pm (ET) Spatial transcriptomics Panel

02:30 pm - 03:00 pm (ET) Networking

03:00 pm - 04:00 pm (ET) BTBA monthly meeting

04:00 pm - 05:00 pm (ET) Lunar New Year Party

📍  Place:

Lehman Hall 201 at Harvard University, MA 02138 (near MBTA Harvard Station)

&  online link (請填寫報名表，會議連結講會在活動幾天前寄出）

P.S. 活動適逢農曆春節期間，現場將提供春節應景小點心，歡迎現場同歡

▶️  Contact:

BTBA聯絡窗口; btba@btbatw.org

▶️  Speakers:

I-Hao Wang 王翊豪

PhD candidate, UMass Chan Medical School

I-Hao, a neuroscience Ph.D. candidate at UMass Chan Medical School, specializes in unraveling the complexities of olfactory neural circuitry in rodents. His doctoral research delves into the intricate wiring of these neural networks and examines how their structural design aids in processing external stimuli. Utilizing advanced spatial single-cell genomics, I-Hao identifies pivotal transcriptional signatures in olfactory sensory neurons. He then employs machine learning techniques to construct a detailed axon projection map within the brain. By analyzing the relationship between this map and sensory responses, I-Hao's work illuminates the process by which neuronal circuitry translates varied chemical structures into distinct patterns of neuronal activation.

I-Hao is currently exploring opportunities in the job market and is eager to leverage his expertise in both wet and dry lab methodologies in future research endeavors. He welcomes connections and is open to discussing potential collaborations or roles. Please don't hesitate to reach out!

Linkedin page:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/i-hao-wang-693934196/

Cheng-Yi Chen 陳政儀

Bioinformatics Scientist at Vizgen, Boston, MA

Cheng-Yi Chen earned his Ph.D. in Developmental Biology from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, MO. His doctoral research centered on germline stem cell development and evolution. In the latter part of his Ph.D., Cheng-Yi developed a keen interest in big data analysis, prompting a career shift towards a hybrid of wet and dry lab methodologies. This led him to postdoctoral research in zebrafish transcriptomics at the NICHD/NIH, where he mastered the entire single-cell RNA sequencing workflow, from library preparation to bioinformatics data analysis.

After turning down the NIH Fi2 grant, an intramural counterpart of the F32 grant, Cheng-Yi joined Vizgen as a Bioinformatics Scientist. In this role, he contributes to customer project design, data quality control and management, R&D software development, and spatial single-cell genomics analysis. With extensive experience in molecular biology, developmental biology, evolution, genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics, Cheng-Yi is passionate about sharing his journey from benchwork to computational roles and his transition from academia to industry.

Linkedin page:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/penguinayee/

Shih-Ying Wu 吳詩盈

Senior Advisor at Eli Lilly and Company, Cambridge, MA

Shih-Ying is a senior advisor in Data Science and Bioinformatics for Next Generation Therapeutics in Lilly Neuroscience, passionate about digital innovation to improve human health. As a computational scientist, she leads projects to support drug development pipelines for neurodegenerative diseases and pain, including transcriptomics, spatial omics, etc. Before joining Lilly, she served as a senior bioinformatics specialist in the Research Computing Group in the IT department at Boston Children’s Hospital, leading bioinformatics projects in collaboration with research labs and investigators from design, pipeline building, data analysis, to interpretation, including whole exon/genome sequencing for patient cohorts, single-cell RNA sequencing to study disease-relevant targets and cell types. She earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering with honors at Columbia University for drug delivery to the brain to treat neurodegenerative diseases, a master's degree in Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics at National Taiwan University, and a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. She has over 18 peer-reviewed journal publications and recognitions including the Lilly Research Laboratory President’s Award. In her leisure time, she enjoys quality time with her family, reading, exploring new places, and learning new skills. She also actively promotes an inclusive and supportive culture.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shih-ying-wu

▶️  Moderators:

Chun-Chen Jerry Yao 姚俊辰

Ph.D. student in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University

Jerry is a graduate student in Harvard’s Molecules, Cells, and Organisms (MCO) program. He earned his BSc at MIT in Brain and Cognitive Science (BCS), where he optimized an in situ sequencing-by-synthesis method in Ed Boyden’s lab and Fei Chen’s lab; he also studied transcription-translation uncoupling in Bacillus subtilis in Gene-Wei Li’s lab. During his gap year before starting at Harvard, he served the Taiwanese army and then worked with Dan Tawfik at the Weizmann Institute to investigate the origin of peptides and the genetic code in the origin of life. For his Ph.D., he hopes to elucidate the principles of biomolecular evolution of enzyme specificity using protein design, evolutionary biology, and high-throughput experimental approaches.

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