Lian Kirit Vacilia Petra Limperis

Lian Kirit Vacilia Petra Limperis

Research Interest

Short Research Description

Previous Institution: Princeton University

Full Research Description

I grew up in New York City and completed my undergraduate studies in Spring 2019 at Princeton University with degrees in Molecular Biology and Creative Writing.

My molecular biology thesis research at Princeton was conducted in Professor Jared Toettcher's lab, where I sought to understand the role of cytosolic RNA phase separation in translational regulation. In recent years, researchers have been investigating the role of phase separated membraneless organelles – where RNA and proteins can co-localize – in translational control. These RNA-protein bodies (RNPs) in and of themselves are a diverse system that plays roles in single cells as well as in developing organisms. While many studies have been conducted on RNPs in vitro, little research has been performed to investigate their linkage with translational regulation in live cells. In my thesis research, I built an optogenetically controllable RNA-protein clustering system in NIH 3T3 cells, performed confocal microscopy on the system and analyzed fluorescent reporter quantifications to identify whether RNP phase separation plays a role in regulating translation.

I am very excited to pursue my graduate studies in the department and be engaged in the scientific community at Columbia. Outside of being in the lab and at school, I love writing and reading poetry and fiction, spending time with my little sister, and cooking.