Nan Hao

Dr Nan Hao

Grant-Funded Researcher (B)

School of Biological Sciences

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


I am a Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellow based in the Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences. My research interests lie in the broad fields of Synthetic Biology, with a focus on combining biochemical studies with mathematical modeling to better understand the "design" features of the genome.

My research aims to advance fundamental knowledge and addresses widespread but poorly understood processes in gene transcription such as transcriptional interference, transcriptional roadblocking, feedback control and DNA looping, all of which are likely to be highly significant for the regulation of gene expression. 

Additionally, I have a strong interest in bacteriophages, and the utilization of phage components for synthetic biology applications and therapeutics. I run a phage discovery program that focuses on identifying and characterizing novel phages from environmental samples as an alternative strategy to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The Diverse World of Phages
The Diverse World of Bacteriophages

 

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2017 - ongoing Synthetic Biology Future Science Fellow (Level B) University of Adelaide and CSIRO joint appointment
    2017 - 2017 ARC DECRA Fellow (Level B) University of Adelaide, Adelaide
    2015 - 2016 ARC DECRA Fellow (Level A) University of Adelaide, Adelaide
    2012 - 2014 Postdoc Research Fellow (Level A) University of Adelaide, Adelaide
    2007 - 2008 Research Assistant University of Adelaide, Adelaide
    2006 - 2007 Research Assistant University of Adelaide, Adelaide
  • Awards and Achievements

    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2021 Award ECR Presentation Award ASBMB Adelaide Protein Group (APG) Australia A$1000
    2019 Award ECR poster award Synthetic Biology Australasia (SBA) Australia A$200
    2019 Award YSP travel fellowship, 27th FAOBMB & 44th MSBMB Conference Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemist & Molecular Biologist Malaysia A$3000
    2017 Research Award Executive Dean's Order of Merit, Daniel Walker Medal for Early Career Research Excellence The University of Adelaide Australia -
    2017 Achievement Finalist for ECR presentation ASBMB Adelaide Protein Group (APG) Australia -
    2017 Invitation Invited Seminar Presentation Epigenetics Consortium of South Australia and Adelaide RNA Special Interest Group Seminar Australia -
    2017 Invitation Invited Pitch US Department of Defence Representative Australia -
    2016 Award Best presentation/poster in the ECR category OCE Cutting Edge Conference in Synthetic Biology Australia A$ 200
    2015 Invitation Invited Speaker School of Biological Sciences Inaugural Research Day - -
    2015 Fellowship ASBMB travel fellowship ASBMB Australia A$ 3000
    2012 Award Poster Award ASBMB ComBio conference Australia A$ 200
    2012 Research Award Postgraduate Academic Achievement Award The University of Adelaide Australia A$ 500
    2012 Award Writing up Award The University of Adelaide Australia A$ 3000
    2011 Award Chinese government award for outstanding self-financed students abroad China Scholarship Council China US$ 6000
    2011 Award Poster prize ASBMB Adelaide Protein Group Australia A$ 200
    2010 Achievement Finalist ASBMB Adelaide Protein Group Student Event Australia -
    2008 Scholarship Adelaide Graduate Fee Scholarship - PhD scholarship The University of Adelaide - -
    2007 Award The Brian & Heather Forster Prize in Biochemistry - Top Honours The University of Adelaide Australia -
    2005 Scholarship Summer Vacation Scholarship The University of Adelaide Australia -
  • Language Competencies

    Language Competency
    Chinese (Mandarin) Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    2008 - 2012 The University of Adelaide Australia PhD in Biochemistry
    2007 - 2007 The University of Adelaide Australia B. Sc. (Honours, First class)
    2004 - 2006 The University of Adelaide Australia B. Sc. (Biomedical Science)
  • Research Interests

Funding

AusHealth (2022-2023) Shearwin, K., Vreugde S., Hao, N., Liu, S., Wormald P.J., Fitridge, R., and Bouras G. $310,144

Improving biorefineries by phage-assisted evolution of cytochrome P450 enzyme activity. BTF New collaboration scheme (2022) Shearwin, K., Bell, S., Hao, N., Whelan, F. Beltrame, L. and Harlington, A. $40,000

Biochemical characterization of S. aureus putative ATP-grasp ligase HypA. School of Biological Sciences EMCR Association Small Grants, The University of Adelaide (2021) Hao, N. $ 1,000

Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemist & Molecular Biologist YSP travel fellowship, 27th FAOBMB & 44th MSBMB Conference (2019) Hao, N. $3,000

Kick-starting the Australian Bioeconomy with Synthetic Biology. Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia), Australian Academy of Science (2019) Gumulya, Y., Kidd, B., Honkanen, S., Rottet, S., Grau, A., Fabris, M., Abbriano, R., Hao, N., Vavitsas, K. $24,900

Developing orthogonal Cas/anti-Cas pairs as building blocks for genetic circuit design. CSIRO FSP Fellowship (2017-2021) Hao, N. $510,000

Nanomachine v2.0. CSIRO SynBio FSP Pitch Award (2018-2019) Hao, N., Shearwin, K.E., Hartley C., Lee L., and Scott C. $10,000

Logic Gate Control for Biodiversity Protection. CSIRO SynBio FSP Pitch Award (2018) Tizard, M., Cooper, C., Kidd, B., Hao, N., Capon, R. $10,000

Understanding and manipulating DNA looping in long range gene regulation. NHMRC Project Grant APP1100651 (2016-2019) Dodd, I.B., Shearwin, K.E., Sneppen, K. and Hao, N. $351,000

Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) travel fellowship (2015) Hao, N. $3,000

Traffic on DNA: interplay between RNA polymerases and DNA-bound proteins. ARC DECRA fellowship DE150100091 (2015-2017) Hao, N. $366,000

Undergraduate Teaching

Human Perspectives (SGDE)

Honours in Biochemistry (research grant proposal and thesis assessment)

Honours in Health and Medical Sciences (research grant proposal and thesis assessment)

Laboratory placement supervision

2023: Sophie Loveys and Amal Mostafa

2022: Sarah Eisemann, Deannon Branch, Julia Leeflang, and Jayden Revink

2021: Jannath Hera, and Sarah Eisemann

2020: Alix Harlington

2019: Emma Becroft

2018: Grace Tulysewski, and Smriti Singh

2017: Grace Tulysewski

2016: Emi Schutz, Daniel Reed

2015: Alejandra Isabel

2014: Trang Pham, Jade Foeng, Andrew J. Hayes, Queenie Tangseefa, Dominique Jackson

2013: Jia Quyen Truong‎, Byron Shue

2012: Duncan McKenzie

2011: Benjamin Lee (exchange student from Singapore)

2010: Lauren A. Watkins

Undergraduate practical demonstrating

2010 semester 2          Level II MBS Practical series B

2010 semester 1          Level III Biochemistry course

2010 semester 1          Level II MBS Practical series A

2010 semester 1          Level II MBS Practical series C

2009 semester 2          Level II MBS Practical series B

2009 semester 1          Level III Biochemistry course

2009 semester 1          Level II MBS Practical series A

2008 semester 2          Level II MBS Practical series B

2008 semester 1          Level III Biochemistry course

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Co-Supervisor Study of bacteriophage protein structures for the production of improved antimicrobial agents Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Ms Sarah Jayne Eisemann
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2018 - 2024 Co-Supervisor Development of the PHEARLESS system and its application for directed protein mutagenesis and characterisation of putative endolysin activity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Hannah Rose Bonham
    2017 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Investigating catalytically inactive Cas proteins as transcriptional roadblocks Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Alana Jane Donnelly
  • Position: Grant-Funded Researcher (B)
  • Phone: 83135362
  • Email: nan.hao@adelaide.edu.au
  • Fax: 83134362
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Molecular Life Sciences, floor 2
  • Org Unit: School of Biological Sciences

Connect With Me
External Profiles