Jiaming Bi Email & Phone Number

London Area, United Kingdom

PhD Candidate working under Dr. Foad Rouhani at the Tissue Regeneration and Clonal Evolution Laboratory.

Singapore

I am working with Dr. Giulia Adriani at Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) to develop novel 3D in-vitro vascularized, immunocompetent solid tumour models. I am learning to handle 3D in-vitro multicellular co-cultures from patient-derived and primary cell lines. Adding immune cells to these models improves the physiological relevance of these models and allows for the study of immune cell interactions in differential immunoregulatory tumour environments. I am also familiarizing with the techniques of immunohistochemistry, tissue histology and single-cell transcriptomics.

Cambridge, England, United Kingdom

Under the guidance of Dr. Torsten Krude, I worked on the specification of DNA replication origins as part of my final undergraduate year project in the Department of Zoology (Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge). Unlike most of my peers, I started in the summer of 2022 and thus managed to get a full year's worth of research as a third-year undergraduate student. As such, I made the discovery that oxidised forms of methylation may serve as markers to allow for the specification of DNA replication origins. Over the year, I built proficiency in standard biochemical techniques (e.g. qPCR, Gel Electrophoresis, Immunohistochemistry) as well as refined my techniques in cell culture.Project: Effect of Methylation and Hydroxymethylation on DNA density, and the implications on the specification of DNA replication origins.Summary: ‘Naturally dense’ regions within the genome are correlated with DNA replication origins. I established that hydroxymethylation increases DNA density, and is likely involved in the specification of DNA replication origins. I demonstrated this conclusion through three key lines of evidence:1. Artificial replacement of cytosine with 5-hydroxymethylcytosine increases DNA density, while 5-methylcytosine does not.2. Inhibition of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) leads to heritable, irreversible DNA replication inhibition, suggesting epigenetic control of DNA replication.3. DNMT1 inhibition significantly decreases genomic DNA density at replication origins.My findings bring a new perspective in the field of DNA replication origins, arguing in favor of discrete, epigenetically defined DNA replication origins rather than DNA replication ‘zones’ in higher level metazoans.

Singapore

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I aided in the design and synthesis of a SARS-Cov-2 main protease inhibitor, as part of the Medicinal Chemistry Team in the Experimental Drug Development Centre. Commencing my undergraduate journey during the COVID pandemic meant that my laboratory experience was limited. However, I swiftly acquired essential skills within a week, mastering reaction setup, column chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography. By the second week, I demonstrated my independence, collaborating with the team on synthetic objectives. Over two months, I successfully executed two ten-step synthetic processes to obtain products that were sent for in-vivo testing. Additionally, I synthesized numerous intermediates to support the team's structural syntheses. This internship exposed me to a spectrum of organic chemistry reactions, from basic amine oxidation to ring-closing metathesis. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to attend strategic meetings where the team discussed further chemistry with respect to the in vivo results from our compounds. There was also constant reprioritisation of project goals in relation to the progress of competitors during these strategic meetings, which provided great insight into the process of drug development. Through this experience, I gained valuable firsthand experience in medicinal chemistry, in a system that mirrors the pharmaceutical industry.

Singapore

(Disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic)I assisted with the screening of a malarial genetic library with sera from individuals treated with mefloquine under Laurent Rénia lab in SIgN. I learnt to work with cell cultures as I transfected HEK cells to induce expression of malarial antigens and tested them against individual serum.

Singapore

I undertook a self-driven research project through consecutive school holidays, resulting in the synthesis and characterization of six novel ruthenium arene complexes under the guidance of Dr. Kelvin Tan. Project: Synthesis of novel ruthenium arene complexes with mono-carbonyl analogues of curcumin as its ligands.Summary:The aim of this project was to synthesize planar ruthenium arene complexes with planar ligands such as chalcones and mono-carbonyl analogues of curcumin. - Ligands were selected for their biological activity while considering synthetic feasibility given limited high school laboratory equipment. Without advanced resources such as argon gas lines or high performance liquid chromatography, we made do using reaction schemes that were stable with atmospheric gasses and purified our compounds via crystallization. - The incorporation of these ligands into ruthenium arene complexes to enhance aqueous solubility and bioavailability was then explored. - Through a collaboration with Dr. Peter Lee, found that these arene complexes stabilize quadruplex DNA and inhibit telomerase activity, and thus held potential as chemotherapeutic agents. Our findings were published in Polyhedron, in a paper titled: ‘Ruthenium arene complexes with mono-carbonyl analogues of curcumin as pendant or bridging ligands: Synthesis, anti-cancer activity and interaction with quadruplex DNA.’

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Biological And Biomedical Sciences

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Natural Sciences (Cell And Developmental Biology, Department Of Zoology), First Class Honours

Specialized in Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Zoology Studied the role of genomic methylation and hydroxymethylation in DNA.

High School Diploma, Biology/Biological Sciences, General

Activities and Societies: School Scientist Program (SSP) Students' Science Research Club International Science Youth Forum (ISYF).