Dinoflagellates, a major unicellular group (>2000 species), are a significant group of plankton and the intracellular symbiotic microalgae (zooxanthellae) of corals (and many other invertebrates), as well as major causative agents of harmful algal blooms (HABs) and shellfish poisoning syndromes. Dinoflagellates are famous for producing large repertoires of bioactive compounds, including many toxins and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Recent development in genomics and transgenesis make it strategic to consider the group as a new frontier for molecular biotechnology and synthetic biology. Dinoflagellate photosynthetic pigment peridinin-Chla complex is a major model for the study of photobiology, whereas their bioluminescences are seen in vast sea surface. Their chloroplast genomes are reduced to “minicircles”, small plasmid-like circular DNAs (Leung and Wong. 2007) with single gene encoding of 16-20 photosynthetic genes. Recent developments in genomics and transgenesis render the group a new strategic frontier for molecular biotechnology and synthetic biology.
Research in my lab focuses on three inter-related aspects of molecular dinoflagellate cell biology, the architectural organization of liquid crystalline chromosomes, the biogenesis of their cellulosic membranous cell coverings, and Cellular growth and genome duplication cycles. In addition to their ecological profoundness, the lack of nuclear envelope breakdown renders the advantage of studying cellular processes without unwarranted nuclearcytoplasmic cross-contaminating artefacts. These include signal transduction molecules, cell cycle protosome-proteins, nuclearcytoplasmic transport, vesicular transport, macromolecular synthesis etc, with the added ease of cell cycle synchronization (see Research interests)
Prof. Joseph Wong Biosketch
Qualified candidates with genuine research interests please apply directly to Prof. Wong