LC-MS Instrument Platforms in the Hao Lab:
- Orbitrap Astro Mass Spectrometer (Thermo Fisher)
- Orbitrap Exploris Mass Spectrometer (Thermo Fisher)
- Vanquish Neo Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (Thermo Fisher)
- Vanquish Flex Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (Thermo Fisher)
- Dionex Ultimate 3000 Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (Thermo Fisher)
Research Fundings:
- CAREER Award, National Science Foundation (NSF)
- R01 grant, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Cottrell Scholar, Research Corporation For Science Advancement (RCSA)
- Collaborative grants from NIH and DOD.
- Faculty Startup Fund, UMD
Completed fundings: - Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, Oak Ridge Associated Universities
- UFF from GW; CDRF from GW; Startup from GW
Research Projects:
Proximity labeling MS of the Lysosome
Lysosomes are the terminal sites to break down and recycle cellular wastes through the autophagy pathway. We develop novel and improved proximity labeling mass spectrometry methods to study the highly dynamic microenvironment of the lysosomes in a high-throughput and quantitative fashion.
Dynamic Protein Turnover in Neurons
Dysregulated protein quality control is involved in aging and various diseases. We develop dynamic SILAC proteomic methods to quantify protein turnover rates in human iPSC-derived neurons and the changes of protein half-lives under genetic and cellular perturbations.
Mitochondrial Proteomics and Metabolomics
Mitochondria are the powerhouses and metabolic hubs of the cell. We develop untargeted and targeted LC-MS-based omics approaches to study the mitochondrial dysfunctions in neurodegenerative diseases.
Multi-omics biomarker discovery
Mass spectrometry has become a dominant technology for proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics research to understand physiological and disease processes. We develop integrated multi-omics approach to obtain a comprehensive molecular landscape and network of biomolecules in human neurons, mouse models, and human patients. We aim to discover candidate biomarkers to improve disease diagnosis and treatment for neurological disorders.
More Collaborative Projects:
Multi-omics evaluation to study neurodevelopmental disease using patient fibroblasts.
(in collaboration with Prof. Anne Chiaramello’s group at GW School of Medicine)
3D cancer proteomics in breast cancer mouse model.
(in collaboration with Prof. Rong Li’s group at GW School of Medicine)
Protein interaction studies to understand fundamental mitochondrial biology.
(in collaboration with Prof. Shiori Sekine’s group at University of Pittsburgh)