1. Single-cell technology. Is it more informative to look at gene expression in a whole tissue or every single cell of a tissue? Single-cell molecular analysis has been gaining momentum in various biological disciplines. We have developed some trendy single-cell transcriptomics technologies (also known as single-cell RNA sequencing) such as Smart-seq2, Small-seq and recently Smart-seq3. However, a method that detects and measures several molecular types in a single cell has been highly demanded. In this project, we develop a single-cell multi-omics technology to simultaneously profile several molecular types, including DNA, RNA, and proteins, in an individual cell.

2. Liquid Biopsy. Can we follow up on cancer patients' progress continuously and accurately? Can we have multiple biopsies from a patient at various time points and perform molecular analyses on biopsies? Liquid biopsy (circulating tumour cells and circulating tumour DNA) is the answer. However, isolation and preparation of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) have been traditionally established for enumeration purposes, and it is not optimised for molecular analysis. Here, we aim to design a protocol for isolating viable CTCs from patients' blood using microfluidics to analyse with single-cell RNA sequencing.

3. A whole new tissue culture system. Have we cultured the tumour tissue correctly? How is the culture medium defined currently? Do we have physiological conditions in the dish and incubator? These are the ideas that trigger us to rethink tissue culture again. We are developing an entire tissue culture system near physiological conditions. We will use this culture system for drug testing to obtain drug responses as accurately as possible. We name it the "Physiological Dynamic" (Ph.Dy.) culture system.

4. Precision medicine in pancreatic cancer. Every patient's tumour is different! So, not the same drug works for all patients. Can we find the right drug for the right patient, especially for pancreatic cancer patients? Pancreatic cancer is one of the world's most lethal cancers, with a 5-year survival rate of just ~10%. It is often diagnosed late when the tumour has spread out to the liver and other organs as metastases. Surgery cannot remove metastatic tumours, and chemotherapy is the only option. The question is, which chemotherapy drug works the best for each patient? In this project, we will develop and use various technologies to answer this question.