Systems Properties of Cells

Functions in all forms of lives are performed through collective behavior of interacting biological molecules in space and time. While reductionist approach in the past decades has successfully identified numerous biological molecules of functional importance, a remaining question is how these molecules function together spatially and temporally as a “system” for cell survival and physiological homeostasis. The Laboratory for Cell Dynamics is working to understand the systems properties of cells, including biological oscillators, switches, and trigger waves especially those that control cell death, proliferation and metabolic homeostasis. We use quantitative experimental approaches, modeling and informatics.

The illustration to the right shows trigger waves of ferroptosis propagating outward from dead cells (the bottom left white dots) through lipid peroxidation signals (the yellow ring between dead and living cells) at the wave fronts. This image is taken from a video by Hannah Co.

• Education
• Achievements & Honors
• Selected publications
• Lab members

• PDF, 2016, Dept. Systems Biology Harvard Med. Sch., USA
• Ph.D., 2008, Dept. Biological Sciences., Univ. California, San Diego, USA
• M.S., 2001, Sch. of Informatics, Univ. Sussex, UK
• B.S., 1998, Dept. Zoology, NTU

• 2019-2023, Academia Sinica Career Development Award
• 2020, 傑出人才基金會留任國內優秀學者

1. Hsieh F.-S, Nguyen P.M.D, Heltberg S.M, Wu C.-C, Lee Y.-C, Jensen H.M, Chen S.-H. Plausible, robust biological oscillations through allelic buffering. Cell Systems. 2024 Nov 20;15(11):1018-1032.e12. PMID: 39504970
2. Co H.K.C, Wu C.-C, Lee Y.-C, Chen S.-H. Emergence of large-scale cell death via trigger waves of ferroptosis. Nature. 2024 Jul;631(8021):654-662. PMID: 38987590
3. Heltberg MS, Lucchetti A, Hsieh FS, Minh Nguyen DP, Chen S.-H, Jensen MH. Enhanced DNA repair through droplet formation and p53 oscillations. Cell, 2022 Nov 10;185(23):4394-4408. PMID: 36368307
4. Huang J.-H*, Co H.K.C*, Lee Y.-C, Wu C.-C, and Chen S.-H, “Multistability maintains redox homeostasis in human cells”, Molecular Systems Biology, 2021 Oct;17(10):e10480. PMID: 34612597
5. Chen S.-H, Forrester W, Lahav G. “Schedule-dependent interactions between anti-cancer treatments”, Science, 2016 Mar 11; 351(6278):1204-1208. PMID: 26965628
6. Chen S.-H, Masuno K, Cooper SB, Yamamoto R.K. “An Incoherent Feed-forward Regulatory Logic underpinning Glucocorticoid Receptor Action”, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Jan 29; 110(5):1964-9. PMID: 23307810
7. Chen S.-H*, Albuquerque CP*, Liang J, Suhandynata R, Zhou H. “A proteome-wide analysis of kinase-substrate network in the DNA damage response”, J Biol Chem, 2010 Apr 23; 285(17):12803-12. PMID: 20190278
8. Chen S.-H, Zhou H. “Reconstitution of Rad53 activation by Mec1 through adaptor protein Mrc1”, J Biol Chem, 2009 Jul 10; 284(28):18593-604. PMID: 19457865