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Chenshu Liu

Chenshu Liu

Assistant Professor

610.758.6275
chl524@lehigh.edu
0111 - Iacocca Hall
Education:

Postdoc, University of California, Berkeley;

PhD, Columbia University;

BS, University of Science and Technology of China

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Research Areas

Additional Interests

  • Cell Biology
  • Genetics
  • Meiosis
  • Gamete Development
  • Interdisciplinary Science

Research Statement

The overall goal of my research program is to uncover how quality control is achieved during meiosis. Meiosis is a dynamic cell cycle process that transmits genetic information from one generation to the next, generating gametes (sperm and eggs) that have exactly half the genome content. Errors in meiosis can have severe consequences, including incorrect chromosome numbers in egg cells, a leading cause of infertility, pregnancy loss, and congenital conditions like Down syndrome. Thus, defective meiotic cells must be eliminated as part of a quality control program. Recent breakthroughs suggest that the nuclear envelope of meiotic cells plays a key role in this program. Focusing on developing oocytes –precursors of eggs, we aim to elucidate how the dynamic nuclear envelope detects and responds to chromosomal errors to promote quality control during meiosis. We will use a wide variety of experimental strategies, including high resolution live cell imaging, genetics, synthetic biology, and engineering approaches to fill this fundamental knowledge gap. Our primary experimental organism is the tiny but mighty nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Thanks to its genetic tractability, conserved genes and pathways, and suitability for in vivo light microscopy and genome editing, C. elegans provides a unique “pioneer model” for this new frontier. 

Our recent work discovered that the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo localizes at the nuclear envelope and is required for meiotic quality control. This suggests a new surveillance mechanism involving mechanical force and sets up the stage for exploring how the dynamic nuclear envelope promotes meiotic quality control. Questions we seek to address include (1) How do Piezo channels promote meiotic quality control? (2) How do mechanotransduction pathways at the nuclear envelope coordinate both quality and quantity during oocyte development? and (3) How does nuclear envelope-based meiotic quality control evolve across diverse species? We are building a vibrant research group where science is rigorous, meaningful, and fun. We are committed to creating a supportive environment where every lab member can thrive and grow into the scientist they aspire to be. If you are interested in meiosis, cell biology, mechanotransduction, or physiology, let's chat! More about our work and ways to join can be found here.

Biography

Dr. Chenshu Liu received his bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Science and Technology of China and his PhD in Cell Biology from Columbia University. While at Columbia, Dr. Liu was a student of the Physiology Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. Prior to Lehigh, Dr. Liu was a Life Sciences Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied meiosis and oocyte development using C. elegans as a model organism.

Dr. Liu launched his lab in the Department of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University in fall 2024, focusing on the mechanisms and roles of nuclear envelope dynamics in meiotic quality control. At Lehigh, Dr. Liu teaches courses on the topic of cell biology and serves on the Graduate Recruitment and Fellowship Committee. Dr. Liu is an active member of the #Meiosis4Eva scientific community and an advocate for a supportive environment that fosters exciting discoveries while nurturing individual growth.

Selected Publications

The following is a list of selected publications. For a complete list of my published work and preprints, visit https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4538-5728

*Corresponding author; # Trainees; ¶ Co-first author

Liu, C.* and Dernburg, A.F*. (2024) Chemically induced proximity reveals a Piezo-dependent meiotic checkpoint at the oocyte nuclear envelope. Science DOI: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adm7969 (Also on bioRxiv. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.10.28.564506 )

Liu, C.*, Rex, R., Lung, Z.#, Wang, J.S.#, Wu, F., Kim, H.J., Zhang L., Sohn, L.L., and Dernburg, A.F.* (2023) A cooperative network at the nuclear envelope counteracts LINC-mediated forces during oogenesis in C. elegans. Science Advances doi: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abn5709

Kim, H.J., Liu, C., Zhang, L. and Dernburg, A.F.* (2023) MJL-1 is a nuclear envelope protein required for homologous chromosome pairing and regulation of synapsis during meiosis in C. elegans. Science Advances 9 (6), eadd1453 doi: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.add1453 

Liu, C.*¶, Zhu, R. ¶ and Mao, Y.* (2018) Nuclear actin polymerized by mDia2 confines centromere movement during CENP-A loading. iScience, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2018.10.031 

Zhu, R., Liu, C. and Gundersen, G.* (2017) Nuclear positioning in migrating fibroblasts. Semin Cell Dev Biol, pii: S1084-9521(17)30497-4. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.11.006 

Liu, C., Mao, Y.* (2016) Diaphanous formin mDia2 regulates CENP-A levels at centromeres. The Journal of Cell Biologyvol.213 no.4 415–424, doi: https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201512034

[Highlighted in BiobytesJCB’s Podcast, May 23, 2016; starting 0:10:54

Liu, C., Chuang, J.-Z., Sung, C.-H., and Mao, Y.* (2015) A dynein independent role of Tctex-1 at the kinetochore. Cell Cycle, 14:9, 1379-1388, doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/15384101.2014.1000217

Teaching

Fall 2024: BIOS397 & BIOS431 (#Meiosis4Eva: Frontiers in Reproductive Cell Biology)

Spring 2025: BIOS421 (Molecular Cell Biology I)