Principal Investigator

See-Yeun Ting, Ph.D.  (陳詩允)

Appointment:
Assistant Research Fellow, Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica
Joint Assistant Professor, Genome & Systems Biology, National Taiwan University
Joint Assistant Professor, Graduate Institute of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center
Joint Assistant Professor, Department of Life Science, National Central University

See-Yeun received his B.Sc. in Life Sciences from National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan in 2009. He worked as a research technician in Dr. Soo-Chen Cheng's lab at Academia Sinica before completing his Ph.D. in Biochemistry in Dr. Elizabeth Craig's lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the U.S. From 2017 to 2021, See-Yeun was a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Joseph Mougous's lab in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Washington. In 2021, he returned to Taiwan and established his lab at the Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica.

Chia-En received her B.Sc. degree in Plant Pathology from National Chung-Hsing University and pursued her M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from National Cheng-Kung University. After graduation, she continued working on her project as a research assistant for a year, identifying a novel host factor involved in the colonization and tolerance of enterohemorrhagic E. coli in C. elegans. In 2021, she became a Ph.D. student in the TIGP-MCB program at Academia Sinica and joined in the Ting lab. Chia-En's research goal is to identify and characterize novel pathways by which bacteria defend against interbacterial antagonism.

In the fourth year of her Ph.D. studies, Chia-En published her first-author paper in the Ting lab, demonstrating how bacteria utilize their sugar coat (lipopolysaccharides, LPS) to defend against contact-dependent antagonism (Tsai and Wang et al., 2025, The EMBO Journal). [Research Finding]

Jasmine received her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Medical Laboratory Science from National Cheng-Kung University in Taiwan in 2014 and 2017, respectively. She studied the functions of five unknown genes of the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori J99, regulated by the global post-transcription regulator, CsrA, and their roles in motility. She worked as a research assistant in Dr. Yu-ling Shih's lab at Academia Sinica from 2020-2021. In 2021, she joined the Ting lab as a Ph.D. student, where she aims to study the underlying mechanism of a novel interbacterial effector.

In the fourth year of her Ph.D. studies, Jasmine published her first first-author paper from the Ting Lab, in which she reported the discovery and functional characterization of an interbacterial cysteine protease toxin, Cpe1, and elucidated its mode of action during interbacterial competition (Song and Tsai et al., 2025, PLoS Biology). [Research Finding]

Po-Yin received both bachelor and master degrees in Plant Pathology and Microbiology from National Taiwan University. During her graduate studies, Po-Yin investigated the function of the movement protein, TGB1 in the potexviruses CVX and PiVX during viral infection. In 2022, she joined the Ting lab as a Research Associate, where she employed synthetic biology approaches to understand how microbes communicate with each other in close quarters. Within less than two years, she published her first-author paper in the Ting lab (Chen et al., 2024, Nature Communications). [Research Finding]

In 2024, Po-Yin decided to pursue her doctoral degree in the TIGP-MCB program in the Ting lab. She will employ a high-throughput screening strategy to better understand how the opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, defends itself and attacks its competitors in bacterial communities.

Kiwi grew up in Taipei before moving to southern Taiwan to pursue her passion for biotechnology. In 2023, she joined Dr. Duen-Wei Hsu's laboratory, where she explored bacterial drug resistance and pathogenicity. The following year, she expanded her research experience as a summer intern in the Ting Lab, working alongside Jasmine to investigate the role of the GyrB/ParE topoisomerase in E. coli under attack by the proteolytic effector Cpe1. After earning her bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from National Kaohsiung Normal University, she returns to the Ting Lab as a M.Sc. student in Microbiology (National Taiwan University, College of Medicine), focusing on unraveling the molecular mechanisms by which bacteria deploy specialized nanomachines to outcompete their microbial rivals.

Feng-Qi holds a B.Sc. and a M.Sc. degree in Microbiology from Soochow University in Taiwan. During his graduate studies, he conducted research on coral holobionts, with a specific focus on phages, while working under the mentorship of Dr. Sen-Lin Tang at the Biodiversity Center in Academia Sinica. In 2023, Feng-Qi became a Research Associate in the Ting Lab, where he investigates the intricate interactions between bacteria and phages.

Within less than two years as a Research Associate in the Ting lab, Feng-Qi collaborated with Chia-En and discovered that phages can modulate bacterial community composition in ways that extend beyond direct lysis—by altering the structure of bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS), thereby sensitizing target cells to interbacterial killing (Tsai and Wang et al., 2025, The EMBO Journal). [Research Finding]

Wen-Chien's passion for understanding plant-microbe interactions began during his studies in Plant Pathology at National Chung Hsing University, where he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees. His research on the diverse phenotypes of native Pectobacterium species across different plant hosts sparked a deep curiosity in microbial dynamics. Following graduation, he continued his journey as a research assistant in Dr. Chia-Ching Chu's lab. In 2024, Wen-Chien joined the Ting lab to delve into how bacteria compete and antagonize each other within complex microbial communities.

Hui Ting is from Nangang, Taipei, and has a lifelong passion for nature. This enthusiasm guided her through university, where she gained valuable experience in biological research. At the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, she further honed her laboratory skills and deepened her fundamental knowledge, which she now brings to her role as lab manager in the Ting lab. Beyond her professional interests, Hui Ting enjoys traveling abroad and exploring new places. She also appreciates quiet moments with a good cup of coffee. She is excited to be part of this team, eager to contribute by streamlining lab operations and enhancing the team's research efforts.

Lily grew up in the southwestern Taiwan at Pingtung city, where she got educated and learned her interests in the fundamental biology. Later, she decided to move to the north and began her college career in the Department of Life Sciences at the National Taiwan University. Lily had a broad interest in biological sciences and the one drew her the most attention is the subject of Bacteriology. In 2022, she became an active member in the Ting lab as a Pre-graduate Research Scholar. She is working in the "Defense Team" to investigate how pathogenic bacteria protect themselves from external biotic stress.

In 2023, Lily successfully applied and acquired the Research Grant for University Students from NSTC (National Science and Technology Council). Lily will receive a monthly stipend over the course of the research period in the Ting Lab.

Nia is a visiting professor from the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (DA-NFRDI) in the Philippines. Her research focuses on the Type VI secretion system (T6SS) in marine roseobacters, with the goal of developing innovative biocontrol tools for aquaculture. Nia holds a B.Sc. in Fisheries from the University of the Philippines in the Visayas and is a proud recipient of the Balik Scientist Award. She aims to leverage her expertise to advance aquaculture research and development in the Philippines.
During her Ph.D. training, Nia conducted research at Academia Sinica in Taiwan, where she investigated the molecular mechanisms of the T6SS, a protein secretion nanomachine, in the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens. With twenty years of research experience in molecular biology, microbiology, biotechnology, and aquaculture, Nia has contributed to various institutions, including the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD), the Institute of Biology at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and Academia Sinica in Taiwan. Before joining NFRDI, she served as an Assistant Professor III at the Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, UPV.