Research Question

Growth Concordance in Microbes

Cellulose deposition-vesicular transport, membrane-lipid axis, as well as genome physical karyotypes, encompassing the essence of growth concordance, will make a difference in basic and applied sciences. It is also strategic timing in the molecular cell biological investigations of the ecologically profound group of dinoflagellates, which was prior genetically intractable, with long-read sequencing and transgenic technology; this will posit the group in the forefronts of biotechnology and synthetic biology, given the large repertoire of dinoflagellate bioactive compounds. We also isolated a series of novel free-living species, including some with the highest lipid levels, and one with the lowest genome size.

We are also interested in yeast cellular growth biology, especially in the membrane-lipid axis under non-shaking (=stress) condition, in addition to using yeasts as a model for suppression-genetic interaction studies.

Being a key microplankton group, the major harmful algal bloom agents, and the coral-zooxanthellae symbiotic relationship, termination of which is manifested coral bleaching, the dinoflagellates have major footprints on Earth, and in its climate.

Coral bleaching
https://www.aims.gov.au/research-topics/environmental-issues/coral-bleaching/what-coral-bleaching
Red tides
https://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/redtide/index.html
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/red-tide-karenia-brevis/
https://biolum.eemb.ucsb.edu/organism/redtide.html
Bioluminescence
https://latzlab.ucsd.edu/2020/04/29/its-a-bioluminescent-red-tide/
https://latzlab.ucsd.edu/bioluminescence/bioluminescence-questions-and-answers/

Successful PhD candidates receive support for 4 years, potential students are encouraged to apply directly to Prof. Joseph Wong Biosketch; All courses and instructions are conducted in English.

Detailed research interests

Representative Publications

1. Kwok, A.C.M., Leung S.K., and Wong, J.T.Y. (2023) DNA:RNA hybrids are major Dinoflagellate minicircle molecular types. International Journal of Molecular Sciences
2. Kwok, A.C.M., Law, S.P.C. and Wong, J.T.Y. (2023) Oleaginous Heterotrophic Dinoflagellates—Crypthecodiniaceae. Marine Drugs 21 https://www.mdpi.com/1660-3397/21/3/162
3. Kwok, A.C.M., Chan, W.S. and Wong, J.T.Y. (2023) Dinoflagellate Amphiesma: Cellular Growth and Ecdysial dynamics. Marine Drugs 21(2), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21020070
4. Kwok A.C. M., LI. C., Lam, W.T. and Wong J.T.Y. (2022) Responses of Dinoflagellate Cells to Ultraviolet-C Irradiation. Environmental Microbiology.
5. Kwok, A.C.M., Zhang, F., Ma, Z., Chan, W.S., Yu, V.C., Tsang, J.S.H. and Wong, J.T.Y. (2020) Functional responses between PMP3 small membrane proteins and membrane potential. Environmental Microbiology
6. Chan, W.S., Kwok, A.C.M., and Wong, J.T.Y. (2019) Knockdown of dinoflagellate cellulose synthase CesA1 resulted in malformed intracellular cellulosic thecal plates and severely impeded cyst-to-swarmer transition. Frontiers in Microbiology 1010.3389/fmicb.2019.00546
7. Kwok A.C. M. and Wong J.T.Y. (2010) Activities of a walled-bound cellulase is coupled to and is required for cell cycle progression in a dinoflagellate. Plant Cell 22:1281-1298. http://www.plantcell.org/content/22/4/1281
8. Chan, Y.H. and Wong, JTY (2007) Concentration-dependent organization of DNA by the dinoflagellate histone-like protein HCc3. Nucleic Acids Research 35:2573-2583.