Coffee and snacks will precede the presentation at 3 p.m. in the ES&T Atrium.
Bomyi Lim, Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania
"Imaging Genetics: Dynamic gene control in space and time"
Abstract:
Proper gene control across space and time is crucial for the seamless execution of various cellular functions, as too much or too little gene expression in the wrong place or time leads to developmental defects and disease phenotypes. While the importance of gene regulation is well acknowledged, systematic characterization of dynamic gene control is lacking. What is the “normal” range of gene expression, and how does transcriptional kinetics play a role? Given the dynamic nature of cellular processes, it is important to tract gene expression in living cells. Yet, most studies provide limited temporal information. We employ quantitative live imaging to examine the structure-function relationships of genome topology and gene activity and ultimately relate it to phenotypes. We examined the governing equation of dynamic gene control for normal development by perturbing regulatory DNAs and 3D genome organization.
Bio:
Bomyi Lim obtained B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from University of Pennsylvania in 2010. Bomyi received her Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Princeton University in 2015. She worked as an NIH F32 postdoctoral fellow at the Lewis-Sigler Institute of Genomics at Princeton University between 2016-2017. In 2018, she joined University of Pennsylvania as an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. The Lim lab focuses on characterizing the normal range of gene expression kinetics that ensures normal development, using a combination of genome editing, quantitative live imaging, and mathematical modeling. Bomyi received R35 Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) for early-stage investigators in 2020 and the NSF CAREER award in 2021.