Michael Z. Lin

{{short description|Taiwanese-American biochemist and bioengineer}}

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Michael Z. Lin

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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1973}}

| birth_place = Taipei, Taiwan

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| nationality = American

| fields = Biochemistry

| workplaces = Stanford University

| alma_mater = Harvard University (BA, PhD)
University of California, Los Angeles (MD)

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| doctoral_advisor = Michael E. Greenberg

| academic_advisors = Roger Y. Tsien

| known_for = Genetically encoded voltage indicator, optogenetics, chemogenetics

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Michael Z. Lin (born 1973) is a Taiwanese-American biochemist and bioengineer. He is an associate professor of neurobiology and bioengineering at Stanford University. He is best known for his work on engineering optically and chemically controllable proteins.

Education and career

Lin graduated from Harvard University in 1994 with a degree in biochemical sciences summa cum laude.{{cite web |title=Michael Lin's Profile {{!}} Stanford Profiles |url=https://profiles.stanford.edu/michael-lin |website=profiles.stanford.edu |language=en}} He subsequently trained as a PhD student studying neuronal signal transduction with Michael E. Greenberg at Harvard Medical School, graduating in 2002,{{cite web |title=Chemistry Tree - Michael Z. Lin |url=https://academictree.org/chemistry/peopleinfo.php?pid=15821 |website=academictree.org}} and obtained a M.D. at UCLA in 2004.{{cite web |title=Michael Lin's Profile {{!}} Stanford Profiles |url=https://profiles.stanford.edu/michael-lin |website=profiles.stanford.edu |language=en}} Lin then performed postdoctoral research with Chemistry Nobel Prize Laureate Roger Y. Tsien at UCSD.{{cite web |title=Chemistry Tree - Michael Z. Lin |url=https://academictree.org/chemistry/peopleinfo.php?pid=15821 |website=academictree.org}} Since 2009, he has been a member of the faculty at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Research

During postdoctoral training with Roger Y. Tsien, Lin developed improved red fluorescent proteins{{cite journal |pmid=18454154|year=2008|last1=Shaner|first1=N. C.|last2=Lin|first2=M. Z.|last3=McKeown|first3=M. R.|last4=Steinbach|first4=P. A.|last5=Hazelwood|first5=K. L.|last6=Davidson|first6=M. W.|last7=Tsien|first7=R. Y.|title=Improving the photostability of bright monomeric orange and red fluorescent proteins|journal=Nature Methods|volume=5|issue=6|pages=545–51|doi=10.1038/nmeth.1209|pmc=2853173}}{{cite journal |pmid=19942140|year=2009|last1=Lin|first1=M. Z.|last2=McKeown|first2=M. R.|last3=Ng|first3=H. L.|last4=Aguilera|first4=T. A.|last5=Shaner|first5=N. C.|last6=Campbell|first6=R. E.|last7=Adams|first7=S. R.|last8=Gross|first8=L. A.|last9=Ma|first9=W.|last10=Alber|first10=T.|last11=Tsien|first11=R. Y.|title=Autofluorescent proteins with excitation in the optical window for intravital imaging in mammals|journal=Chemistry & Biology|volume=16|issue=11|pages=1169–79|doi=10.1016/j.chembiol.2009.10.009|pmc=2814181}} and channelrhodopsins,{{cite journal |pmid=19254539|year=2009|last1=Lin|first1=J. Y.|last2=Lin|first2=M. Z.|last3=Steinbach|first3=P.|last4=Tsien|first4=R. Y.|title=Characterization of engineered channelrhodopsin variants with improved properties and kinetics|journal=Biophysical Journal|volume=96|issue=5|pages=1803–14|doi=10.1016/j.bpj.2008.11.034|pmc=2717302|bibcode=2009BpJ....96.1803L}} and pioneered the use of drug-regulated proteases for protein modification in the TimeSTAMP protein labelling method.

Lin's group at Stanford University has engineered proteins with novel functions for optogenetics, chemogenetics, and synthetic biology. Notable inventions include:

Red fluorescent and bioluminescent proteins{{cite journal |pmid=27240196|year=2016|last1=Chu|first1=J.|last2=Oh|first2=Y.|last3=Sens|first3=A.|last4=Ataie|first4=N.|last5=Dana|first5=H.|last6=MacKlin|first6=J. J.|last7=Laviv|first7=T.|last8=Welf|first8=E. S.|last9=Dean|first9=K. M.|last10=Zhang|first10=F.|last11=Kim|first11=B. B.|last12=Tang|first12=C. T.|last13=Hu|first13=M.|last14=Baird|first14=M. A.|last15=Davidson|first15=M. W.|last16=Kay|first16=M. A.|last17=Fiolka|first17=R.|last18=Yasuda|first18=R.|last19=Kim|first19=D. S.|last20=Ng|first20=H. L.|last21=Lin|first21=M. Z.|title=A bright cyan-excitable orange fluorescent protein facilitates dual-emission microscopy and enhances bioluminescence imaging in vivo|journal=Nature Biotechnology|volume=34|issue=7|pages=760–7|doi=10.1038/nbt.3550|pmc=4942401}}{{cite web |last1=Gitig |first1=Diana |title=Watching a cell cycle |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/11/watching-a-cell-cycle |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |date=9 November 2016}}
Optically switchable proteins using an engineered green fluorescent protein{{cite web |title=Phosphorylation at the Flick of a Switch |url=https://www.the-scientist.com/modus-operandi/phosphorylation-at-the-flick-of-a-switch-31588 |website=The Scientist Magazine |language=en}}{{cite journal |last1=Zhou |first1=XX |last2=Fan |first2=LZ |last3=Li |first3=P |last4=Shen |first4=K |last5=Lin |first5=MZ |title=Optical control of cell signaling by single-chain photoswitchable kinases. |journal=Science |date=24 February 2017 |volume=355 |issue=6327 |pages=836–842 |doi=10.1126/science.aah3605 |pmid=28232577|pmc=5589340 |bibcode=2017Sci...355..836Z }}
The ASAP genetically encoded voltage indicator family{{cite journal |last1=Vogt |first1=Nina |title=RAMPing up voltage indicator imaging |journal=Nature Methods |date=January 2020 |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=25 |doi=10.1038/s41592-019-0720-4 |pmid=31907465 |s2cid=209897141 |doi-access=free }}{{cite journal |last1=Villette |first1=V |last2=Chavarha |first2=M |last3=Dimov |first3=IK |last4=Bradley |first4=J |last5=Pradhan |first5=L |last6=Mathieu |first6=B |last7=Evans |first7=SW |last8=Chamberland |first8=S |last9=Shi |first9=D |last10=Yang |first10=R |last11=Kim |first11=BB |last12=Ayon |first12=A |last13=Jalil |first13=A |last14=St-Pierre |first14=F |last15=Schnitzer |first15=MJ |last16=Bi |first16=G |last17=Toth |first17=K |last18=Ding |first18=J |last19=Dieudonné |first19=S |last20=Lin |first20=MZ |title=Ultrafast Two-Photon Imaging of a High-Gain Voltage Indicator in Awake Behaving Mice. |journal=Cell |date=12 December 2019 |volume=179 |issue=7 |pages=1590–1608.e23 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.004 |pmid=31835034|pmc=6941988 }}
Chemical control of protein expression by proteases of RNA viruses{{cite journal |pmid=26214256|year=2015|last1=Chung|first1=H. K.|last2=Jacobs|first2=C. L.|last3=Huo|first3=Y.|last4=Yang|first4=J.|last5=Krumm|first5=S. A.|last6=Plemper|first6=R. K.|last7=Tsien|first7=R. Y.|last8=Lin|first8=M. Z.|title=Tunable and reversible drug control of protein production via a self-excising degron|journal=Nature Chemical Biology|volume=11|issue=9|pages=713–20|doi=10.1038/nchembio.1869|pmc=4543534}}{{cite journal |pmid=29967496|year=2018|last1=Jacobs|first1=C. L.|last2=Badiee|first2=R. K.|last3=Lin|first3=M. Z.|title=StaPLs: Versatile genetically encoded modules for engineering drug-inducible proteins|journal=Nature Methods|volume=15|issue=7|pages=523–526|doi=10.1038/s41592-018-0041-z|pmc=6456726}}
Synthetic proteins that rewire cancer signals to therapeutic activation{{cite web |title=Synthetic Protein for Targeted Cancer Therapy |url=https://www.biotechniques.com/whole-genome-studies/tumor-targeting-protein-could-be-future-of-personalized-cancer-therapy |website=BioTechniques |date=14 May 2019}}{{cite journal |last1=Chung |first1=HK |last2=Zou |first2=X |last3=Bajar |first3=BT |last4=Brand |first4=VR |last5=Huo |first5=Y |last6=Alcudia |first6=JF |last7=Ferrell JE |first7=Jr |last8=Lin |first8=MZ |title=A compact synthetic pathway rewires cancer signaling to therapeutic effector release. |journal=Science |date=3 May 2019 |volume=364 |issue=6439 |pages=eaat6982 |doi=10.1126/science.aat6982 |pmid=31048459|pmc=7053279 }}
SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitors based on modifying HCV protease inhibitors{{Cite journal|last1=Westberg|first1=Michael|last2=Su|first2=Yichi|last3=Zou|first3=Xinzhi|last4=Ning|first4=Lin|last5=Hurst|first5=Brett|last6=Tarbet|first6=Bart|last7=Lin|first7=Michael Z.|date=2020-09-16|title=Rational design of a new class of protease inhibitors for the potential treatment of coronavirus diseases|journal=bioRxiv |url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.09.15.275891v2|language=en|pages=2020.09.15.275891|doi=10.1101/2020.09.15.275891|s2cid=221823586 }}

Awards and honors

Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award in Medical Sciences (2007){{cite web |title=2011-2007 Awardees {{!}} Burroughs Wellcome Fund |url=https://www.bwfund.org/2011-2007-awardees |website=www.bwfund.org}}
National Institutes of Health Director's Pioneer Award (2013)
Rita Allen Foundation Scholar (2016){{cite web |title=Michael Lin |url=https://ritaallen.org/all-scholars/michael-lin |website=Rita Allen Foundation}}
World Molecular Imaging Society Roger Tsien Awardee for Excellence in Chemical Biology (2019){{cite web |title=World Molecular Imaging Society Announces Early Stage Awardees for 2019 |url=https://www.wmis.org/world-molecular-imaging-society-announces-early-stage-awardees-for-2019 |website=World Molecular Imaging Society |date=12 September 2019}}