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Contact

• workRoom D5 School of Life Sciences
  Queen's Medical Centre
  Nottingham
  NG7 2UH
  UK
• Yan.Liao@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

Dr. Yan Liao obtained her PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia) under the supervision of Professor. Rick Cavicchioli and Dr. Timothy Williams. During her doctoral research, she established the first genetic manipulation system for a cold-adapted archaeon, enabling functional genetic analysis in this group for the first time and creating a new experimental model for studying cold adaptation. Building on this platform, she identified key genomic and proteomic features that allow archaea to survive under low-temperature and nutrient-limited conditions, providing fundamental insights into how cellular functions are maintained in extreme environments.

She subsequently undertook postdoctoral research in the group of A/Prof Iain Duggin at the University of Technology Sydney and then was awarded a Chancellor's Research Fellowship to develop her independent research program. She opened a new research direction through the discovery of a previously unknown archaeal cell division system, and further defined its regulatory networks and identified novel division proteins, revealing new principles underlying the diversity and evolution of cell division across life. Extending this work to ecological interactions, Dr. Liao led the discovery of the first parasitic lifestyle in archaea, uncovering previously unrecognised host-dependent interactions and reshaping our understanding of archaeal ecology and their roles in microbial communities.

In Feb 2026, Dr. Liao joined the º£½ÇºÚÁÏ as an Assistant Professor in Microbiology, and leads a research group exploring the fundamental biology and biotechnological potential of archaea.

Research Summary

Archaea are among the most fascinating yet least understood forms of life on Earth. How do they divide, communicate, and thrive in extreme environments?

My research explores the fundamental biology of archaea, focusing on three key areas:

• Unconventional Cell Division in Archaea

How do archaeal cells divide using machinery distinct from bacteria and eukaryotes?

We investigate FtsZ-based division systems in archaea, where the tubulin-like cytoskeletal protein FtsZ is a key component of the cell division machinery. Our work aims to uncover how FtsZ-based division systems are organised, regulated, and coordinated with other cellular components to drive division, revealing new principles of cytoskeletal dynamics and providing insights into the origin, evolution, and diversification of cellular life.

• Microbial Interactions Across Domains of Life

How do archaea communicate and interact with each other and with bacteria?

We investigate archaea-archaea interactions, including parasitic lifestyles, where cells form physical and metabolic associations. We also explore cross-domain interactions between archaea and bacteria, which are widespread in natural environments but remain poorly understood at the molecular level. By characterising these interactions, we aim to uncover novel mechanisms of cell-cell communication, competition, and cooperation, with implications for understanding microbial ecosystems and identifying new antimicrobial strategies.

• Life at the Edge: Adaptation to Extreme Environments

How do organisms survive and thrive in cold and other extreme conditions?

We integrate genomics, proteomics, and quantitative approaches to investigate the molecular strategies that enable archaeal survival under environmental stress. These include adaptations in membrane composition, protein stability, metabolic pathways, and cellular regulation. By linking molecular changes to cellular function, we aim to define how life evolves to operate at environmental limits, providing insights into fundamental principles of adaptation and survival.

Approach

To address these questions, my group combines genome engineering, genomics, proteomics, and advanced imaging, including super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy. We develop and apply cutting-edge tools to visualise and characterise the key cellular processes at high resolution.

Vision

Beyond fundamental discovery, our work aims to establish archaea as a versatile and underexplored platform for next-generation biotechnology, spanning applications in synthetic biology, biomaterials, and engineered cell factories.

Join the Lab

We are always looking for highly motivated Master's and PhD students, as well as postdoctoral researchers, who are interested in microbial cell biology, advanced imaging, and biotechnology.

We encourage applications from outstanding candidates and are happy to work closely with prospective students and postdoctoral researchers to identify and pursue suitable funding opportunities. These may include UKRI/BBSRC programmes, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships, international scholarships, and other external funding schemes.

Informal enquiries are very welcome.

Selected Publications

• YAN LIAO, SOLENNE ITHURBIDE, CHRISTIAN EVENHUIS, JAN LÖWE and IAIN G. DUGGIN, 2021. Nature Microbiology. 6(5), 594-605
• LIAO, YAN, SHINDE, VINAYA D., HU, DALONG, XU, ZHUANG, SÖDERSTRÖM, BILL, MICHIE, KATHARINE A. and DUGGIN, IAIN G., 2025. Nature Communications. 16(1),
• HAMM, JOSHUA N., LIAO, YAN, VON KÃœGELGEN, ANDRIKO, DOMBROWSKI, NINA, LANDERS, EVAN, BROWNLEE, CHRISTOPHER, JOHANSSON, EMMA M. V., WHAN, RENEE M., BAKER, MATTHEW A. B., BAUM, BUZZ, BHARAT, TANMAY A. M., DUGGIN, IAIN G., SPANG, ANJA and CAVICCHIOLI, RICARDO, 2024. Nature Communications. 15(1),
• YAN LIAO, VERENA VOGEL, SABINE HAUBER, JÃœRGEN BARTEL, OMER S. ALKHNBASHI, SANDRA MAAß, THANDI S. SCHWARZ, ROLF BACKOFEN, DÖRTE BECHER, IAIN G. DUGGIN and ANITA MARCHFELDER, 2021. mBio. 12(4),

• View all publications

• LIAO, YAN, DUGGIN, IAIN G., GIMENEZ, MARIA INES and HUA, ZHENGSHUANG, 2025. Frontiers in Microbiology. 16,
• LIAO, YAN, SHINDE, VINAYA D., HU, DALONG, XU, ZHUANG, SÖDERSTRÖM, BILL, MICHIE, KATHARINE A. and DUGGIN, IAIN G., 2025. Nature Communications. 16(1),
• HAMM, JOSHUA N., LIAO, YAN, VON KÃœGELGEN, ANDRIKO, DOMBROWSKI, NINA, LANDERS, EVAN, BROWNLEE, CHRISTOPHER, JOHANSSON, EMMA M. V., WHAN, RENEE M., BAKER, MATTHEW A. B., BAUM, BUZZ, BHARAT, TANMAY A. M., DUGGIN, IAIN G., SPANG, ANJA and CAVICCHIOLI, RICARDO, 2024. Nature Communications. 15(1),
• ZHOU, YANGKAI, YAN, AN, YANG, JIAWEN, HE, WEI, GUO, SHUAI, LI, YIFAN, WU, JING, DAI, YANCHAO, PAN, XIJIANG, CUI, DONGYU, PEREIRA, OLIVIER, TENG, WENKAI, BI, RAN, CHEN, SONGZE, FAN, LU, WANG, PEIYI, LIAO, YAN, QIN, WEI, SUI, SEN-FANG, ZHU, YUANQING, ZHANG, CHUANLUN and LIU, ZHENG, 2024. Frontiers in Microbiology. 15,
• MILLS, JOSHUA, GEBHARD, L. JOHANNA, SCHUBOTZ, FLORENCE, SHEVCHENKO, ANNA, SPETH, DAAN R., LIAO, YAN, DUGGIN, IAIN G., MARCHFELDER, ANITA and ERDMANN, SUSANNE, 2024. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 121(10),
• YAN LIAO, VERENA VOGEL, SABINE HAUBER, JÃœRGEN BARTEL, OMER S. ALKHNBASHI, SANDRA MAAß, THANDI S. SCHWARZ, ROLF BACKOFEN, DÖRTE BECHER, IAIN G. DUGGIN and ANITA MARCHFELDER, 2021. mBio. 12(4),
• YAN LIAO, SOLENNE ITHURBIDE, CHRISTIAN EVENHUIS, JAN LÖWE and IAIN G. DUGGIN, 2021. Nature Microbiology. 6(5), 594-605
• TIMOTHY J. WILLIAMS, MICHELLE A. ALLEN, YAN LIAO, MARK J. RAFTERY and RICARDO CAVICCHIOLI, 2019. Applied and Environmental Microbiolog. 85(6),
• YAN LIAO, SOLENNE ITHURBIDE, ROSHALI T. DE SILVA, SUSANNE ERDMANN and IAIN G. DUGGIN, 2018. Emerging Topics in Life Sciences. 2(4), 547-559
• ZIZHONG TANG, WEIQIONG JIN, RONG SUN, YAN LIAO, TIANRUN ZHEN, HUI CHEN, QI WU, LIN GOU and CHENLEI LI, 2018. Enzyme and Microbial Technology. 108, 74-81
• TIMOTHY J. WILLIAMS, YAN LIAO, JUN YE, RHIANNON P. KUCHEL, ANNE POLJAK, MARK J. RAFTERY and RICARDO CAVICCHIOLI, 2017. Environmental Microbiology. 19(6), 2210-2227
• Y. LIAO, T. J. WILLIAMS, J. C. WALSH, M. JI, A. POLJAK, P. M. G. CURMI, I. G. DUGGIN and R. CAVICCHIOLI, 2016. Scientific Reports. 6(1),
• Y. LIAO, T. J. WILLIAMS, J. YE, J. CHARLESWORTH, B. P. BURNS, A. POLJAK, M. J. RAFTERY and R. CAVICCHIOLI, 2016. Scientific Reports. 6(1),
• YAN LIAO, CHUN-MEI LI, HUI CHEN, QI WU, ZHI SHAN and XUE-YI HAN, 2013. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. 171(4), 900-915
• YAN LIAO, YAO YOUXU, LIAO YAN, WU QI, LI CHUNMEI, LI YUFEI and RUAN JINGJUN, 2013. CN102206659B 06/19/2013 00:00:00
• YAO YOUXU, LI YUFEI, HOU SHENGQI, LI CHUNMEI, CHEN HUI and LIAO YAN, 2011. Directed evolution of neutral endoglucanase gene by error-prone PCR Chinese Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology. 19(6), 1136-1143
• YAN LIAO, MIN ZENG, ZHEN-FANG WU, HUI CHEN, HONG-NING WANG, QI WU, ZHI SHAN and XUE-YI HAN, 2011. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. 166(3), 549-562