Skills:
Molecule biology: Plasmid purification, genomic DNA and RNA isolation and quantitation, Gateway cloning, subcloning, plasmid/retroviral vector construction, DNA recombination, PCR (overlap PCR, real-time PCR, RT-PCR), Site-directed mutagenesis, DNA restriction analysis, Co-immunoprecipitations, Electromobility shift assay (EMSA), SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, Southern blot, Northern blot, North-westerns, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), genotyping. Cell biology: Cell culture (embryonic stem cell, hematopoietic cells, primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF), primary hepatocytes cells isolation and culture, cancer cells and insect cells), freezing/thawing, characterizing, and differentiating primary mouse cells. Cell based assay: Cell transfection, stable production cell lines development, gene overexpression, gene silencing through antisense expression (siRNA and shRNA), dual-luciferase assay, CAT assay, MTT colorimetric assay, Internucleosomal fragmentation assay. Protein expression and purification techniques: Recombinant protein expression from E.coli & mammalian cells; Expertise with protein analytical and assay development techniques including HPLC, affinity chromatography, hydrophobic interaction (HIC), ion exchange (IEX), reversed phase chromatography (RP) and size exclusion (SEC). Virology: Lentiviral expression vector design and construction, lentivirus production and titration, virus isolation, propagation, characterization, purification and titration, viral neutralization assay such as Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT), Micro-cytopathic effect neutralization test (MCPENT). Immunology: Rodent handling & injection techniques, Flow cytometry (FACS); antibody production and purification, antibody and antibody titer characterization, label antibody by FITC and HRP, Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), lymphocyte transformation test, immunofluorescence staining, IFA, ELISA, immunocytochemistry, immunohistochemistry, hemagglutination assay (HA) & hemagglutination inhibition assay (HAI). Biochemistry: in vitro peptide and protein phosphorylation, liposome preparation and test. Instrumentation: LSR II Sorp and FACScantoII for FACS, Zeiss LSM 510 & LSM 710 for confocal microscope, fluorescent microscope, real-time PCR machine, spectrophotometers, spectrofluorometer, sonication devices and ultracentrifuges etc.