Email: thn2 [at] rice.edu
Phone: +1 713.348.4393
August 2010 – Present
Research
Gene expression was thought to be a steady-state process, however, recent data have shown that the expression level of a gene dynamically fluctuates throughout cell cycle. Furthermore, fluctuations in gene expression were shown to be different within single cells of an isogenic population. I’m interested in the origin and the effect of this fluctuation on cell fitness. My research focuses on the galactose-metabolic pathway (the GAL network) in budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. I want to know how different factors, such as glucose (an repressing agent) or gene positions and zygosity, affect the functionality and implementation of the GAL network. To answer these questions, I use microfluidic chips, microscale chemostat, which allow observation at single-cell level. As a result, trajectories of the expression of the GAL network can be tracked and measured. Results of this project will provide data for modeling network implementation under different conditions, and will elucidate characteristics of single-cell behavior within isogenic population.
Background
Bachelor of Engineering: Biotechnology – Nong Lam University, Hochiminh City, Vietnam, 2005
Masters: Biotechnology – University of Queensland, Australia, 2009
Publications
1. C. M. Schmidt, D. L. Shis, T. D. Nguyen-Huu & M. R. Bennett, "Stable maintenance of multiple plasmids in E. coli using a single selective marker." ACS Synthetic Biology 1 (10), 445-450 (2012).
2. Nguyen-Huu, T.D., Mattei, C., Wen, P.J., Bourdelais, A.J., Lewis, R.J., Benoit, E., Baden, D.G., Molgo, J., and Meunier, F.A. (2010). Ciguatoxin-induced catecholamine secretion in bovine chromaffin cells: mechanism of action and reversible inhibition by brevenal. Toxicon 56, 792-796.
3. Mattei, C., Wen, P.J., Nguyen-Huu, T.D., Alvarez, M., Benoit, E., Bourdelais, A.J., Lewis, R.J., Baden, D.G., Molgo, J., and Meunier, F.A. (2008). Brevenal inhibits pacific ciguatoxin-1B-induced neurosecretion from bovine chromaffin cells. PLoS One 3, e3448.
4. Nguyen-Huu, T.D., Mattei, C., Alvarez, M., Wen, P.J., Benoit, E., Bourdelais, A.J., Lewis, R.J., Baden, D.G., Molgo, J., and Meunier, F.A. (2008). Uncovering ciguatoxin-1B mode of action in bovine chromaffin cells: New leads for ciguatera treatment. In Brain Plasticity Symposium 2008 (Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Australia). Abstract and Poster
5. Nguyen-Huu, T., Tran-Nguyen, V., Nguyen-Thai, T., Le-Dinh, D., Bui-Van, L. (2005). Establishing a protocol for detection and quantification of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) by using Real-Time PCR method. Journal of Science and Technology of Agriculture and Forestry (Nong Lam University) 2&3, 209-214 (in Vietnamese).
