We study how macromolecules interact and condense into liquid droplets in cells to promote cellular functions. In our work, we combine optogenetic manipulation, live cell imaging, in vitro reconstitution, biophysical quantification with mathematic modeling. Our current focus is to reveal the mechanism of liquid condensation driven by protein-protein and protein-RNA interactions on telomeres, protective DNA repeats on chromosome ends. We aim to understand how such condensation contributes to telomere elongation, the process of actively adding new telomere DNA that all cancer cells need to undertake to avoid cell death triggered by short telomeres. 

Education

PhD 2011, McGill University

Postdoctoral Training

2015-2018 University of Pennsylvania
2015-2015 Princeton University
2011-2015 Dartmouth College

Department of Biological Sciences
Carnegie Mellon University
601 Mellon Institute
4400 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Phone: (412) 268-3180

E-mail: huaiyinz@andrew.cmu.edu

Website