Assistant Professor in Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences,
Dr Liao obtained her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of New South Wales under the supervision of Rick Cavicchioli. During her doctoral research, she developed the first gene transfer system for a psychrophilic haloarchaeon, enabling functional genetic studies and advancing understanding of molecular adaptation in cold-loving archaea. She also integrated advanced microscopy and quantitative proteomics to investigate mechanisms of growth and survival in psychrophilic haloarchaeal species from Deep Lake, Antarctica, significantly advancing the field of archaeal biology. Following her PhD, Dr Liao undertook postdoctoral research in the group of A/Prof Iain Duggin at the University of Technology Sydney, where she focused on archaeal cell structural dynamics and cytoskeletal systems. She was subsequently awarded a Chancellor's Research Fellowship to establish and develop her independent research program.
Dr. Yan Liao leads a research group on Archaeal Cell Biology and Biotechnology at the School of Life Science. Her research centres on understanding the fundamental molecular mechanisms that control… read more
Dr. Yan Liao leads a research group on Archaeal Cell Biology and Biotechnology at the School of Life Science. Her research centres on understanding the fundamental molecular mechanisms that control archaeal cell survival, adaptation, and division, and on translating these discoveries into innovative biotechnological applications.
Dr. Liao has established advanced platforms for gene and genome editing, protein expression and purification, proteomics, and genomics in archaeal systems. She combines these molecular approaches with cutting-edge super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy to investigate cellular processes at high resolution. Through the development of innovative molecular and imaging methodologies, Dr. Liao has significantly advanced the field of archaeal biology. Her work not only deepens fundamental understanding of archaeal cell organisation and function but also positions archaea as powerful and underexplored resources for next-generation biotechnology.
University of NottinghamMedical School Queen's Medical CentreNottingham NG7 2UH
e: life-sciences@nottingham.ac.uk t: +44 (0)115 823 0141 f: +44 (0)115 823 0142