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Academic Qualifications and Experiences

2021-Pres.      Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore

2019-2021       Research Fellow, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore

2016-2019       Postdoctoral Fellow, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, UK

2011-2016       Ph.D. Cornell University, USA

2010-2011       Research Officer, Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Singapore

2007-2010       B.A. University of Cambridge, UK

Research Areas

Protein translation regulation, Chemical Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology

Research Interests

The accurate and timely production of functional proteins is critically important for cellular activities. Thus, cells have evolved an extensive molecular network to monitor both the quality and quantity of newly synthesized proteins. In particular, the co-translational surveillance of newly synthesized proteins at the ribosome is the earliest point for the cell to assist protein maturation and perform quality control. Our group integrates chemical, biochemical and cell biology approaches to discover and understand novel co-translational pathways that regulate the fate of newly synthesized proteins and their associated mRNAs. Such co-translational molecular network is an emerging and under-examined area of research in a wide range of diseases, including infectious diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and cancers. We aim to capture, identify and characterize the co-translational factors directly involved in these disease processes.

Awards

2017–2020      Human Frontier Science Program Long-Term Fellowship

2016–2017      EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowship

2007–2016      National Science Scholarship, Singapore

2016                Tunis Wentink Prize, Cornell University

2009-2010       Foundation Scholarship, Jesus College, University of Cambridge

2009                Duncan McKie Prize for Natural Science, Jesus College, University of Cambridge

Selected Publications

1. Juszkiewicz S, Slodkowicz G, Lin Z, Freire-Pritchett P, Peak-Chew S, Hegde RS. “Ribosome collisions trigger cis-acting feedback inhibition of translation initiation.” elife 9:e60038 (2020)

2. Lin Z, Gasic I, Chandrasekaran V, Peters N, Shao S, Mitchison TJ, Hegde RS. “TTC5 mediates autoregulation of tubulin via mRNA degradation.” Science 367, 100-104 (2020)

3. Juszkiewicz S, Chandrasekaran V, Lin Z, Kraatz S, Ramakrishnan V, Hegde RS. ZNF598 Is a Quality Control Sensor of Collided Ribosomes. Cell 72, 469-481 (2018)

4. Lin Z, Dong M, Zhang Y, Lee E, Lin H. “Cbr1 is a Dph3 reductase required for the tRNA wobble uridine modification.” Chem. Biol. 12, 995-997 (2016)

5. Lin Z, Su X, Chen W, Ci B, Zhang S, Lin H. “Dph7 catalyzes a previously unknown demethylation step in diphthamide biosynthesis.” Am. Chem. Soc. 136, 6179-6182 (2014)

6. Su X, Lin Z, Chen W, Jiang H, Zhang S, Lin H. “Chemogenomic approach identified yeast YLR143W as diphthamide synthetase.” Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 109, 19983-7 (2012)

7. Lin Z, Yu D, Sum YN, Zhang Y. “Synthesis of Functional Acetylene Derivatives from Calcium Carbide.” ChemSusChem 5, 625-8 (2012)

8. Lin Z, Yu D, Zhang Y. “Propargylic Amines Constructed via Copper-catalyzed Three-component Coupling of Terminal Alkynes, Benzal Halides and Amines.” Lett. 52, 4967-4970 (2011)