Hong-Yin Wang

Cellular activities are compartmentalized by lipid membranes with complex, dynamic lipid compositions, which determine many collective properties (fluidity, permeability, stiffness, lateral heterogeneity, trans-bilayer asymmetry, etc.) that enable cellular functions. These lipid compositions and membrane properties must be finely regulated through active lipid remodeling to maintain normal cellular function, a process called ‘membrane homeostasis’. Our research focuses on deciphering the mechanisms of membrane homeostasis and its role in cellular physiology and disease development. Specifically, we study (1) membrane asymmetry homeostasis in cell-cell fusion and bone disease; (2) membrane packing homeostasis in plasma membrane function and cellular signaling; (3) membrane lipidome homeostasis in age-associated Alzheimer’s disease