Y. Hin LingAssistant Professor

Education

• B.Sc., The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010
• M.Phil., The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013
• Ph.D., The University of Hong Kong, 2017

Research Area

• Genetics, Cell, and Developmental Biology

Research Description

Cells actively regulate gene expression to support cellular processes and respond to changing physiological conditions and environmental cues. These regulatory decisions unfold in seconds to minutes, driven by the coordinated action of transcription machinery on chromatin. My lab combines yeast genetics with single-molecule imaging to dissect the live-cell dynamics of the complete transcriptional landscape, including RNA polymerases I, II, and III, transcription regulators, chromatin, and RNA. By tracking their interactions and spatial organization in real time, we aim to uncover the kinetic rules and molecular logic that shape transcription and RNA processing. Our goal is to define the fundamental principles of rapid and accurate gene expression control, and to reveal how these processes are perturbed in disease, with broad implications for developmental programs and stress responses.

Research Lab Description

We explore how cells regulate gene expression with speed and precision across space and time. Our work is driven by a central question: how do individual biomolecules find one another, interact, and coordinate complex tasks inside a living cell? By combining genetics, cell biology, and biophysics, we study life at its most fundamental level, one molecule at a time.