Faculty Profiles - LAI Yong | The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Yong LAI
賴勇

PhD in Microbiology
The University of Hong Kong, 2016

Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

(852) 2358 7237
yonglai@ust.hk
Room CYT2006A
Personal Web

Google Scholar

aDUTdMsAAAAJ

ORCID

0000-0003-0208-4351

Scopus ID

57215285073

Research Interest Publications Projects Teaching Assignment RPG Supervision

Research Interest

Synthetic biology
Microbiome engineering
Living therapeutics and diagnostics
Genome engineering
Functional metagenomics

Publications

All Years 17 2025 0 2024 2 2023 2 2022 3 2021 2 2020 1 2019 7

2024 2

Cas9-assisted biological containment of a genetically engineered human commensal bacterium and genetic elements

Nature Communications, v. 15, December 2024, article number 2096
Hayashi, Naoki; Lai, Yong; Fuerte-Stone, Jay; Mimee, Mark; Lu, Timothy K.
Article

Engineering Microbial Consortia as Living Materials: Advances and Prospectives

ACS Synthetic Biology, v. 13, (9), September 2024, p. 2653-2666
Wang, Shuchen; Zhan, Yuewei; Jiang, Xue; Lai, Yong
Article

2023 2

A systems-level mass spectrometry-based technique for accurate and sensitive quantification of the RNA cap epitranscriptome

Nature Protocols, v. 18, (9), August 2023, p. 2671-2698
Wang, Jin; Chew, Bing Liang Alvin; Lai, Yong; Dong, Hongping; Xu, Luang; Liu, Yu; Fu, Xin-Yuan; Lin, Zhenguo; Shi, Pei-Yong; Lu, Timothy K.; Luo, Dahai; Jaffrey, Samie R.; Dedon, Peter C.
Article

Sub-1.4 cm³ capsule for detecting labile inflammatory biomarkers in situ

Nature, v. 620, (7973), August 2023, p. 386-392
Inda-Webb, M. E.; Jimenez, M.; Liu, Q.; Phan, N. V.; Ahn, J.; Steiger, C.; Wentworth, A.; Riaz, A.; Zirtiloglu, T.; Wong, K.; Ishida, K.; Fabian, N.; Jenkins, J.; Kuosmanen, J.; Madani, W.; Mcnally, R.; Lai, Yong; Hayward, A.; Mimee, M.; Nadeau, P.; Chandrakasan, A. P.; Traverso, G.; Yazicigil, R. T.; Lu, Timothy K.
Article

2022 3

A synthetic transcription platform for programmable gene expression in mammalian cells

Nature Communications, v. 13, (1), October 2022, article number 6167
Chen, William C. W.; Gaidukov, Leonid; Lai, Yong; Wu, Ming-Ru; Cao, Jicong; Gutbrod, Michael; Choi, Gigi C.G.; Utomo, Rachel; Chen, Ying-Chou; Wroblewska, Liliana; Kellis, Manolis; Zhang, Lin; Weiss, Ron; Lu, Timothy K.
Article

Engineered Living Hydrogels

Advanced Materials, v. 34, (26), July 2022, article number 2201326
Liu, Xinyue; Inda, Maria Eugenia; Lai, Yong; Lu, Timothy K.; Zhao, Xuanhe
Article

Engineering the human gut commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron with synthetic biology

Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, v. 70, October 2022, article number 102178
Lai, Yong; Hayashi, Naoki; Lu, Timothy K.
Article

2021 2

High-Throughput CRISPR Screens to Dissect Macrophage-Shigella Interactions

mBio, v. 12, (6), 21 December 2021, article number e02158-21
Lai, Yong; Cui, Liang; Babunovic, Gregory H.; Fortune, Sarah M.; Doench, John G.; Lu, Timothy K.
Article

Zero-Crossing-Based Bio-Engineered Sensor

Proceedings of the Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, v. 2021-April, April 2021, article number 9431409
Liu, Qijun; Riaz, Arslan; Zirtiloglu, Timur; Inda, Maria Eugenia; Jimenez, Miguel; Lai, Yong; Steiger, Christoph; Diamond, Elizabeth; Traverso, Giovanni; Lu, Timothy; Chandrakasan, Anantha; Nadeau, Phillip; Yazicigil, Rabia Tugce
Conference paper

2020 1

Illuminating Host-Mycobacterial Interactions with Genome-wide CRISPR Knockout and CRISPRi Screens

Cell Systems, v. 11, (3), 23 September 2020, p. 239-251
Lai, Yong; Babunovic, Gregory H.; Cui, Liang; Dedon, Peter C.; Doench, John G.; Fortune, Sarah M.; Lu, Timothy K.
Article

2019 1

Quantifying the RNA cap epitranscriptome reveals novel caps in cellular and viral RNA

Nucleic Acids Research, v. 47, (20), 18 November 2019, p. e130
Wang, Jin; Chew, Bing Liang Alvin; Lai, Yong; Dong, Hongping; Xu, Luang; Balamkundu, Seetharamsingh; Cai, Weiling Maggie; Cui, Liang; Liu, Chuan Fa; Fu, Xin-Yuan; Lin, Zhenguo; Shi, Pei-Yong; Lu, Timothy K.; Luo, Dahai; Jaffrey, Samie R.; Dedon, Peter C.
Article

2017 2

A novel regulatory circuit to control indole biosynthesis protects Escherichia coli from nitrosative damages during the anaerobic respiration of nitrate

Environmental Microbiology, v. 19, (2), February 2017, p. 598-610
Lai, Yong; Xu, Zeling; Yan, Aixin
Article

Comparative genome and transcriptome analysis reveals distinctive surface characteristics and unique physiological potentials of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853

BMC Genomics, v. 18, June 2017, article number 459
Cao, Huiluo; Lai, Yong; Bougouffa, Salim; Xu, Zeling; Yan, Aixin
Article

2016 1

Transcriptional Regulation of the Outer Membrane Porin Gene ompW Reveals its Physiological Role during the Transition from the Aerobic to the Anaerobic Lifestyle of Escherichia coli

Frontiers in Microbiology, v. 7, May 2016, article number 799
Xiao, Minfeng; Lai, Yong; Sun, Jian; Chen, Guanhua; Yan, Aixin
Article

2014 1

Cloning and functional analysis of the Gβ gene Mgb1 and the Gγ gene Mgg1 in Monascus ruber

Journal of Microbiology, v. 52, (1), January 2014, p. 35-43
Li, Li; He, Lu; Lai, Yong; Shao, Yanchun; Chen, Fusheng
Article

2012 1

Metabolic Reprogramming Under Microaerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Bacteria

Reprogramming Microbial Metabolic Pathways / edited by Xiaoyuan Wang, Jian Chen, Peter Quinn. Dordrecht, Netherlands : Springer, 2012, p. 159-179
Shan, Yue; Lai, Yong; Yan, Aixin
Book chapter

2011 1

Effects of cyclic AMP on development and secondary metabolites of Monascus ruber M-7

Letters in Applied Microbiology, v. 52, (4), April 2011, p. 420-426
Lai, Yong; Wang, L.; Qing, L.; Chen, Fusheng
Article

Article 2

Cas9-assisted biological containment of a genetically engineered human commensal bacterium and genetic elements

Nature Communications, v. 15, December 2024, article number 2096
Hayashi, Naoki; Lai, Yong; Fuerte-Stone, Jay; Mimee, Mark; Lu, Timothy K.

Engineering Microbial Consortia as Living Materials: Advances and Prospectives

ACS Synthetic Biology, v. 13, (9), September 2024, p. 2653-2666
Wang, Shuchen; Zhan, Yuewei; Jiang, Xue; Lai, Yong

Article 2

A systems-level mass spectrometry-based technique for accurate and sensitive quantification of the RNA cap epitranscriptome

Nature Protocols, v. 18, (9), August 2023, p. 2671-2698
Wang, Jin; Chew, Bing Liang Alvin; Lai, Yong; Dong, Hongping; Xu, Luang; Liu, Yu; Fu, Xin-Yuan; Lin, Zhenguo; Shi, Pei-Yong; Lu, Timothy K.; Luo, Dahai; Jaffrey, Samie R.; Dedon, Peter C.

Sub-1.4 cm³ capsule for detecting labile inflammatory biomarkers in situ

Nature, v. 620, (7973), August 2023, p. 386-392
Inda-Webb, M. E.; Jimenez, M.; Liu, Q.; Phan, N. V.; Ahn, J.; Steiger, C.; Wentworth, A.; Riaz, A.; Zirtiloglu, T.; Wong, K.; Ishida, K.; Fabian, N.; Jenkins, J.; Kuosmanen, J.; Madani, W.; Mcnally, R.; Lai, Yong; Hayward, A.; Mimee, M.; Nadeau, P.; Chandrakasan, A. P.; Traverso, G.; Yazicigil, R. T.; Lu, Timothy K.

Article 3

A synthetic transcription platform for programmable gene expression in mammalian cells

Nature Communications, v. 13, (1), October 2022, article number 6167
Chen, William C. W.; Gaidukov, Leonid; Lai, Yong; Wu, Ming-Ru; Cao, Jicong; Gutbrod, Michael; Choi, Gigi C.G.; Utomo, Rachel; Chen, Ying-Chou; Wroblewska, Liliana; Kellis, Manolis; Zhang, Lin; Weiss, Ron; Lu, Timothy K.

Engineered Living Hydrogels

Advanced Materials, v. 34, (26), July 2022, article number 2201326
Liu, Xinyue; Inda, Maria Eugenia; Lai, Yong; Lu, Timothy K.; Zhao, Xuanhe

Engineering the human gut commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron with synthetic biology

Current Opinion in Chemical Biology, v. 70, October 2022, article number 102178
Lai, Yong; Hayashi, Naoki; Lu, Timothy K.

Article 1

High-Throughput CRISPR Screens to Dissect Macrophage-Shigella Interactions

mBio, v. 12, (6), 21 December 2021, article number e02158-21
Lai, Yong; Cui, Liang; Babunovic, Gregory H.; Fortune, Sarah M.; Doench, John G.; Lu, Timothy K.

Conference paper 1

Zero-Crossing-Based Bio-Engineered Sensor

Proceedings of the Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, v. 2021-April, April 2021, article number 9431409
Liu, Qijun; Riaz, Arslan; Zirtiloglu, Timur; Inda, Maria Eugenia; Jimenez, Miguel; Lai, Yong; Steiger, Christoph; Diamond, Elizabeth; Traverso, Giovanni; Lu, Timothy; Chandrakasan, Anantha; Nadeau, Phillip; Yazicigil, Rabia Tugce

Article 1

Illuminating Host-Mycobacterial Interactions with Genome-wide CRISPR Knockout and CRISPRi Screens

Cell Systems, v. 11, (3), 23 September 2020, p. 239-251
Lai, Yong; Babunovic, Gregory H.; Cui, Liang; Dedon, Peter C.; Doench, John G.; Fortune, Sarah M.; Lu, Timothy K.

Article 1

Quantifying the RNA cap epitranscriptome reveals novel caps in cellular and viral RNA

Nucleic Acids Research, v. 47, (20), 18 November 2019, p. e130
Wang, Jin; Chew, Bing Liang Alvin; Lai, Yong; Dong, Hongping; Xu, Luang; Balamkundu, Seetharamsingh; Cai, Weiling Maggie; Cui, Liang; Liu, Chuan Fa; Fu, Xin-Yuan; Lin, Zhenguo; Shi, Pei-Yong; Lu, Timothy K.; Luo, Dahai; Jaffrey, Samie R.; Dedon, Peter C.

Article 2

A novel regulatory circuit to control indole biosynthesis protects Escherichia coli from nitrosative damages during the anaerobic respiration of nitrate

Environmental Microbiology, v. 19, (2), February 2017, p. 598-610
Lai, Yong; Xu, Zeling; Yan, Aixin

Comparative genome and transcriptome analysis reveals distinctive surface characteristics and unique physiological potentials of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853

BMC Genomics, v. 18, June 2017, article number 459
Cao, Huiluo; Lai, Yong; Bougouffa, Salim; Xu, Zeling; Yan, Aixin

Article 1

Transcriptional Regulation of the Outer Membrane Porin Gene ompW Reveals its Physiological Role during the Transition from the Aerobic to the Anaerobic Lifestyle of Escherichia coli

Frontiers in Microbiology, v. 7, May 2016, article number 799
Xiao, Minfeng; Lai, Yong; Sun, Jian; Chen, Guanhua; Yan, Aixin

Article 1

Cloning and functional analysis of the Gβ gene Mgb1 and the Gγ gene Mgg1 in Monascus ruber

Journal of Microbiology, v. 52, (1), January 2014, p. 35-43
Li, Li; He, Lu; Lai, Yong; Shao, Yanchun; Chen, Fusheng

Book chapter 1

Metabolic Reprogramming Under Microaerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Bacteria

Reprogramming Microbial Metabolic Pathways / edited by Xiaoyuan Wang, Jian Chen, Peter Quinn. Dordrecht, Netherlands : Springer, 2012, p. 159-179
Shan, Yue; Lai, Yong; Yan, Aixin

Article 1

Effects of cyclic AMP on development and secondary metabolites of Monascus ruber M-7

Letters in Applied Microbiology, v. 52, (4), April 2011, p. 420-426
Lai, Yong; Wang, L.; Qing, L.; Chen, Fusheng

2019 1

Quantifying the RNA cap epitranscriptome reveals novel caps in cellular and viral RNA

Nucleic Acids Research, v. 47, (20), 18 November 2019, p. e130
Wang, Jin; Chew, Bing Liang Alvin; Lai, Yong; Dong, Hongping; Xu, Luang; Balamkundu, Seetharamsingh; Cai, Weiling Maggie; Cui, Liang; Liu, Chuan Fa; Fu, Xin-Yuan; Lin, Zhenguo; Shi, Pei-Yong; Lu, Timothy K.; Luo, Dahai; Jaffrey, Samie R.; Dedon, Peter C.
Article

2017 2

A novel regulatory circuit to control indole biosynthesis protects Escherichia coli from nitrosative damages during the anaerobic respiration of nitrate

Environmental Microbiology, v. 19, (2), February 2017, p. 598-610
Lai, Yong; Xu, Zeling; Yan, Aixin
Article

Comparative genome and transcriptome analysis reveals distinctive surface characteristics and unique physiological potentials of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853

BMC Genomics, v. 18, June 2017, article number 459
Cao, Huiluo; Lai, Yong; Bougouffa, Salim; Xu, Zeling; Yan, Aixin
Article

2016 1

Transcriptional Regulation of the Outer Membrane Porin Gene ompW Reveals its Physiological Role during the Transition from the Aerobic to the Anaerobic Lifestyle of Escherichia coli

Frontiers in Microbiology, v. 7, May 2016, article number 799
Xiao, Minfeng; Lai, Yong; Sun, Jian; Chen, Guanhua; Yan, Aixin
Article

2014 1

Cloning and functional analysis of the Gβ gene Mgb1 and the Gγ gene Mgg1 in Monascus ruber

Journal of Microbiology, v. 52, (1), January 2014, p. 35-43
Li, Li; He, Lu; Lai, Yong; Shao, Yanchun; Chen, Fusheng
Article

2012 1

Metabolic Reprogramming Under Microaerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Bacteria

Reprogramming Microbial Metabolic Pathways / edited by Xiaoyuan Wang, Jian Chen, Peter Quinn. Dordrecht, Netherlands : Springer, 2012, p. 159-179
Shan, Yue; Lai, Yong; Yan, Aixin
Book chapter

2011 1

Effects of cyclic AMP on development and secondary metabolites of Monascus ruber M-7

Letters in Applied Microbiology, v. 52, (4), April 2011, p. 420-426
Lai, Yong; Wang, L.; Qing, L.; Chen, Fusheng
Article

No Publications

Teaching Assignment

2024-25 Spring 1 2024-25 Winter 0 2024-25 Fall 1 2023-24 Summer 1 2023-24 Spring 3 2023-24 Winter 0

BIEN5070

Synthetic Biology

CENG1600

Biotechnology and Its Business Opportunities

UROP1100M

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Series 1

BEHI5006	Synthetic Biology
BIEN4940	Bioengineering Industrial Project
UROP3100L	Undergraduate Research Opportunities Series 3

No Teaching Assignments

Research Postgraduate (RPG) Supervision

From January 2022 to December 2025 (As of 15 May 2025)

Current RPGs

Doctor of Philosophy

CHEN, Yutian
Bioengineering
QIN, Ziqing
Bioengineering
ECHAVARRIA GALINDO, Martin
Bioengineering
ZHAN, Yuewei
Bioengineering
WANG, Shuchen
Bioengineering

Master of Philosophy

CHAU, Cheuk Yui Sherman
Bioengineering
ZHAO, Yicheng
Bioengineering

Projects

From January 2023 to December 2025

All Projects 1

No Projects.
Genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen and synthetic gene circuits for inflammatory bowel disease therapy

整合CRISPR-Cas9全基因組篩選與合成基因環路用於炎癥性腸病的治療 Leading

RGC - Early Career Scheme
Project Team (HKUST)
LAI Yong (Lead)
2024 -

Research Interest

Publications

2024 2

2023 2

2022 3

2021 2

2020 1

2019 1

2017 2

2016 1

2014 1

2012 1

2011 1

Article 2

Article 2

Article 3

Article 1

Conference paper 1

Article 1

Article 1

Article 2

Article 1

Article 1

Book chapter 1

Article 1

2019 1

2017 2

2016 1

2014 1

2012 1

2011 1

Teaching Assignment

Research Postgraduate (RPG) Supervision

From January 2022 to December 2025 (As of 15 May 2025)

Current RPGs

Projects

From January 2023 to December 2025

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