I'm thrilled to share my lab's first manuscript identifying that paraspeckle protein NONO regulates active chromatin through allosteric activation of NSD1 on BioRxiv: As a baby PI who started in a literally empty building, we weren't able to do biochem until a year after. Very proud that my PhD student @cheni_hsu pulled this through within 2.5 years! In this study, we uncovered a novel allosteric mechanism of NSD1 central to active chromatin formation and early development. Surprisingly, we identified NONO allosterically stimulates NSD1 through the aromatic pocket of PWWP2 domain in NSD1. NONO deficient stem cells partially phenocopies the defect of neural differentiation in NSD1-null cells. Our work has several key implications in the interplay between paraspeckles and active chromatin, the development of possible allosteric inhibitors for NSD1, and understanding neurodevelopmenal disorders in NSD1- and NONO-mutant patients.

The perfect ending of 2024 with my first senior author paper on engineering biomaterial physical properties for innate immune-mediated cancer immunotherapy. Great job by the Lee lab @FralinBiomed @BEAMvt