Liangqi (Frank) Xie, PhD
Assistant Staff
Email: [email protected]
Location: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Research
Ninety eight percent of the human genome is noncoding and contains regulatory elements (enhancers, promoters, insulators, etc.) that form a blueprint for human development. This regulatory genome is often a hotspot for alterations, like genetic mutations, that lead to human diseases, including infections and cancer. The Xie lab deciphers the structure, dynamics and mechanisms of the human regulatory genome, aiming to improve the diagnosis, prophylactic and treatment of human diseases. We develop new molecular tools and integrate imaging and computational techniques, genomics and preclinical models to demystify the human regulatory genome.
Biography
I was mentored by Dr. Robert Tjian (UC Berkeley/HHMI) as a postdoc. I also visited Janelia Research Campus collaborating with Dr. James Zhe Liu.
Education & Professional Highlights
Our research has been supported by awards from American Cancer Society, Ohio Cancer Research, Mathers Foundation, and VeloSano community.
"CIMER Trained Mentor" indicates the principal investigator has completed mentorship training based on curriculum from the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research, aimed at advancing mentoring relationships and promoting cultural change in research.
Research
Ninety eight percent of the human genome is noncoding and contains regulatory elements (enhancers, promoters, insulators, etc.) that form a blueprint for human development. This regulatory genome is often a hotspot for alterations, like genetic mutations, that lead to human diseases, including infections and cancer. The Xie lab deciphers the structure, dynamics and mechanisms of the human regulatory genome, aiming to improve the diagnosis, prophylactic and treatment of human diseases. We develop new molecular tools and integrate imaging and computational techniques, genomics and preclinical models to demystify the human regulatory genome.
Our Team
Selected Publications
Selected publications:
1. Xie L, Dong P, Qi Y,…, Zhang B*, Tjian R*, Liu Z* (2022). BRD2 Compartmentalizes the Accessible Genome. Nature Genetics. Apr;54(4):481-491.
2. Hung KL*, Yost KL*, Xie L*, …, Mischel P, Liu Z, Chang H (2021). EcDNA hubs drive cooperative intermolecular oncogene expression. Nature. *,co-first author
3. Xie L, Liu Z (2021). Single cell Imaging of Genome Organization and Dynamics. Mol Syst. Biol. Jul;17(7):e9653.
4. Xie L, Dong P, …, Tjian* R, Liu Z* (2020). 3D ATAC-PALM: super-resolution imaging of the accessible genome. Nature Methods. 17(4):430-436.
5. Xie L, Torigoe SE, …, Tjian R (2017). A Dynamic Interplay of Enhancer Elements Regulates Klf4 expression in Naïve-pluripotency. Genes & Development. 31(17):1795-1808
6. Knight SC, Xie L, …, Doudna JA*, Tjian R* (2015). Dynamics of CRISPR-Cas9 genome interrogation in living cells. Science. 350(6262):823-6.
Careers
The Xie lab in the Department of Infection Biology and Cancer Biology at the Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic (Cleveland, Ohio) is building a group of biologists, physicians, data scientists, tool builders et al. We are recruiting enthusiastic and motivated researchers to join us to study genome structure, dynamics and regulatory mechanisms in cancer and infection disease.
We integrate cutting-edge super-resolution imaging (Xie et al., Nature Methods, 2020), live cell single molecule imaging (Xie et al., Genes & Development, 2017; Knight, Xie et al., Science, 2015) with modern genomics and genome engineering approaches to study the 4D architecture and dynamics of the mammalian genome (Xie et al., Mol.Sys.Bio, 2021) and the fundamental genome regulatory mechanisms in cancer evolution and infection diseases (King*, Yost*, Xie* et al., Nature, 2021). We seek to understand how the epigenetic network (e.g., writers, reader, effectors), particularly the BET family proteins, regulate genome structure and function (Xie et al, Nature Genetics, 2022) with the hope of discovering novel druggable targets to improve cancer therapeutics and to fight against infection. We are also interested in tool development to label, image and manipulate the human genome to improve disease diagnosis and in dissecting the interplay between genome regulation and other fundamental biological processes (e.g., immune response).
The research positions are supported by the generous startup package and institutional funding from Cleveland Clinic. The compensation is based on NIH standard and commensurate with past research experiences. Excellent insurance and benefit packages are included. The candidates should have a Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree with demonstrated track-records of research publications (e.g., first author peer-reviewed articles) and good English communication skills. Preference will be given to self-driven and detail-orientated candidates. Prior experiences in molecular biology, cell biology, animal models and computation (e.g., Matlab, Python, R) are advantageous.
Successful candidates will perform mentored independent research, lead cutting-edge projects, acquire state-of-the-art imaging experiences and participate in guided collaborations, with the encouragement for developing unconventional ideas, risky projects and interdisciplinary approaches. By the end of the training, we anticipate the trainees to develop multidisciplinary mindsets to solve important biomedical questions and equip with critical thinking, excellent communication and presentation skills ready for their next level of career advancement.
Interested individuals should directly email Dr. Liangqi (Frank) Xie at [email protected] and [email protected]
The email is expected to include
1) A cover letter describing prior research background, future research interests, career goals, and estimated start time.
2) A CV, including publications and contact information for 3 referees.
Research News
The 2023 NIH Director’s Award funds projects with potential to change the trajectory of biomedical science.