Reprogramming Stars #19:Upgrading Cell Fate Conversions with Engineered Reprogramming Factors—An Interview with Dr. Ralf Jauch

REPROGRAMMING STAR: Professor Ralf Jauch leads the protein and cell engineering laboratory at the School of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed). His group aims to boost cellular reprogramming with the help of unconventional factors from exotic species and reengineered biomolecules. To achieve this, they look at the natural evolution of pioneer transcription factors, perform direct molecular evolution in mammalian cells, and use structural information for protein design. With this toolkit, they aim to make new types of stem cells that can help to model and revert age linked disease, enhance the developmental potential of stem cells, and direct stem cell differentiation. The team aims to translate their technologies within the Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology (CTSCB).