Xiaokang
Lun
Assistant Professor
Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development
We develop single-cell and 'omics technologies to systematically profile how variabilities in intracellular signaling networks, protein-protein interactions, and spatial protein organizations contribute to diseases like cancer. By identifying signaling responses linked to cancer treatment susceptibility, we aim to discover new druggable targets to improve patient outcomes.
Assistant Professor Xiaokang Lun will not be at the College until January 2025.
Research statement
Our lab uses mass cytometry to profile the states and dynamics of up to 40 intracellular phosphorylation sites on key signaling proteins in single cells. This comprehensive measurement enables us to precisely determine the signaling and physiological states of each individual cell, including growth, proliferation, and responses to stress and inflammation, and to understand how these signaling activities integrate to determine cell fate.
We also develop technologies based on DNA engineering to enhance the sensitivity and coverage of protein post-translational modification assessment and protein-protein interaction analysis. Combined with advanced single-cell and omics approaches, our methods allow for in-depth exploration of intracellular signaling networks and physical interaction networks in health and diseases.
Using these methods, we aim to comprehensively interrogate the heterogeneous intracellular signaling networks involved in cancer progression. We seek to identify intracellular signaling responses underlying diverse susceptibility to cancer treatments and specific kinase inhibitors in clinical settings, ultimately aiming to enhance outcomes for cancer patients through the discovery of new druggable targets.
Education and background
Education
PhD in Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Switzerland, 2018
MSc in Biomedical Sciences, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 2013
BSc in Biology, Wuhan University, China, 2011
Fellowships and awards
SNF Postdoc.Mobility fellowship awarded by Swiss National Science Foundation, February 2021–July 2022
SNF Early Postdoc.Mobility fellowship awarded by Swiss National Science Foundation, August 2019–January 2021
Huygens Scholarship awarded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, September 2011–August 2013
Selected publications
X.-K. Lun*, K. Sheng*, X. Yu, C. Y. Lam, G. Gowri, M. Serrate, Y. Zhai, H. Su, J. Luan, Y. Kim, D. E. Ingber, H. W. Jackson, M. B. Yaffe and P. Yin, “Signal Amplification by Cyclic Primer Extension Enables High-Sensitivity Single-Cell Mass Cytometry Analysis,” Nat. Biotechnol, July 2024.
X.-K. Lun and B. Bodenmiller, “Profiling Cell Signaling Networks at Single-cell Resolution,” Mol. Cell. Proteom., May 2020.
X.-K. Lun, D. Szklarczyk, A. Gábor, N. Dobberstein, V. R. T. Zanotelli, J. Saez-Rodriguez, C. von Mering, and B. Bodenmiller, “Analysis of the Human Kinome and Phosphatome by Mass Cytometry Reveals Overexpression-Induced Effects on Cancer-Related Signaling,” Mol. Cell, May 2019.
M. A. Rapsomaniki*, X.-K. Lun*, S. Woerner, M. Laumanns, B. Bodenmiller, and M. R. Martínez, “CellCycleTRACER Accounts for Cell Cycle and Volume in Mass Cytometry Data,” Nat. Commun., Feb. 2018.
X.-K. Lun, V. R. T. Zanotelli, J. D. Wade, D. Schapiro, M. Tognetti, N. Dobberstein, and B. Bodenmiller, “Influence of Node Abundance on Signaling Network State and Dynamics Analyzed by Mass Cytometry,” Nat. Biotechnol., Jan. 2017.