Impact
Flowering plants are major sources of food and medicine. They are also primary producers and ultimate energy sources in terrestrial ecosystems. To solve vital problems relevant to everyday food supply, medicine, energy and environmental protection, the investigation of plant molecular mechanisms allows us to create novel, high-value crop varieties with desirable traits and yield. Prof Yu’s vision is to elucidate the complex regulatory networks of plant growth, applying derived knowledge to the challenges of urban farming, biofuel and horticulture.
Collaborations, Achievements & Honours
- Collaborated with global institutions and industrial corporations on research projects, including A*STAR, NTU, Chinese Academy of Science, Zhejiang University, Caltech, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Singrow, Sime Darby and Technospex
- Secured over SGD30 million research grants from the Singapore Food Agency, National Research Foundation, MOE, and A*STAR
- Provided conceptual advances in understanding the gene regulatory networks of plant reproductive development and their potential biotechnological applications in crops
- Created the first set of genome-edited crops including rice and orchid in Southeast Asia
- Published over 130 research papers in reputable journals, including Nature, Science, Nature Genetics, Nature Plants, Developmental Cell, Molecular Cell, PLoS Biology, Molecular Plant, Science Advances, PNAS, and Plant Cell
- Elected Fellow, Singapore National Academy of Science (2020)
- Recipient of the NUS Provost’s Chair (2017 & 2020 & 2023)
- Recipient of the Singapore National Research Foundation Investigatorship (2016)
- Recipient of the Singapore President Science Award (2013)
- Recipient of the NUS Faculty of Science Outstanding Scientist Award (2011)
- Recipient of the NUS Faculty of Science Dean’s Chair (2011)
- Recipient of the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award (2009)
- Recipient of the Singapore Youth Award for Science and Technology (2007)
- Recipient of the NUS Young Researcher Award (2007)
- Recipient of the Singapore National Academy of Sciences Young Scientist Award (2006)
- Recipient of the NUS Overseas Fellowship (2002 & 2003)
- Gold medal for outstanding PhD thesis, International Society of Plant Molecular Biology (2001)
Research Areas
Functional genomics, Plant reproductive development, Phytohormone signaling, RNA biology, Urban farming and Crop Biotechnology
Affiliations
- Temasek Senior Investigator, TLL
- Board Director, TLL
- Provost’s Chair Professor and Head, Department of Biological Sciences, NUS
- Chair of NUS Research Centre on Sustainable Urban Farming
- Resident Member, University Research Committee Expert Panel, NUS
- Plant Biology Advisory Board member, Landmarks (a new Faculty Opinions service)
- International Advisor/Reviewer, Japan National Institute for Basic Biology; Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences and Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; the Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology (IPMB), Academia Sinica, Taiwan; Faculty Biotechnology & Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia; Agricultural Genomics Transversal Postdoctoral Programme, Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG), Spain
- Elected Overseas Expert, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- International Reviewer, the New Cornerstone Investigator Program, China (since 2022)
- Nominated Member, Singapore National Genetic Modification Advisory Committee (GMAC)
- International resident member, the Fellowships Review Committee of the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP), France
- Editorial Committee Member, Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology
- Editorial Advisory Board Member, Wiley Press (Small Structures)
- Editorial Board Member, Cell Press (Molecular Plant, Plant Communications)
- Reviewing Editor, eLife Sciences Publications
- Associate Editor, Public Library of Science (PLoS Genetics)
- Guest Editor, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA
- Senior Editor, Elsevier Press (Advanced Biotechnology, Crop Design)
- Senior Editor, Maximum Academic Press (Seed Biology)
Question
How can we perform high impact research in understanding key genes and the relevant molecular genetic mechanisms underlying plant developmental processes and important agronomic traits?
Approach
By integrating molecular genetic approaches with large-scale sequencing, proteomics and bioimaging tools to study the fundamental mechanisms of plant development in model plants and crops such as Arabidopsis, rice, orchid and leafy vegetables, Prof Yu has been recognised for his outstanding research in plant functional genomics and its biotechnological applications to economically important crops.
Since the start of his career, Prof Yu has been dedicated to uncovering the molecular genetic mechanisms of plant reproductive development, with a focus on flowering time control, floral organ development and phytohormone signalling. This reproductive process determines yield in crop plants and affects the survival of plant varieties that are adapted to changing environment and climatic conditions.
Using Arabidopsis as a model plant, the lab integrates molecular genetic approaches with deep sequencing, proteomics and bioimaging tools to study fundamental mechanisms of cell proliferation and differentiation. It is known to have found the first regulator that controls the transport of florigen that is synthesized in leaves, but transported to the shoot tip to generate flowers. This finding contributes significantly to addressing the famous “Florigen” question raised in the 1930s, and provides key information for manipulating flowering time in crops.
Other breakthroughs include the discovery of a conserved genetic pathway, determining inflorescence architecture across flowering plants, and a “Relief of Repression” mechanism that balances plant growth and defence through modulating two phytohormone pathways. The lab also created the first set of genome-edited crops in Southeast Asia, and distributed many genetic materials produced to over 100 labs in more than 20 countries.
Prof Yu’s research has gained wide international recognition, with publications in many prestigious journals. He has been invited to serve on reputable editorial boards, such as Annual Reviews and Cell Press journals, as well as reviewer over 50 international refereed journals. He was the recipient of numerous research awards, including the Singapore National Research Foundation Investigatorship (2016) and Singapore President Science Award (2013).
Looking ahead, Prof Yu continues to perform high impact research to establish key platform technologies for crop improvement and translate scientific knowledge into a broad range of biotechnological applications. The lab is currently developing novel and high-value plant varieties with desirable traits for the production of food, medicine, and bioenergy in urban farming settings.
Bio
Professor Yu Hao received his Bachelor and Master degrees from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in the 1990s. He later read his PhD at NUS in 2001. After completing postdoctoral training at the California Institute of Technology, he joined the NUS Department of Biological Sciences as an Assistant Professor and TLL as Principal Investigator in 2004. Prof Yu is currently a Temasek Senior Investigator and Board Director in TLL, as well as Provost’s Chair Professor and Head, Department of Biological Sciences, at NUS.
Temasek Senior Investigator
Yu Hao
The lab studies how plant molecular genetics and crop biotechnology can address the challenges of human well-being.
Group Publications
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MCTP controls nucleocytoplasmic partitioning of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTORs during lateral root development
Xuan L, Li J, Jiang Y, Shi M, Zhu Y, Bao X, Gong Q, Xue HW, Yu H, Liu L. -
The phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins OsMFT1 and OsMFT2 regulate seed dormancy in rice
Shen J, Zhang L, Wang H, Guo J, Li Y, Tan Y, Shu Q, Qian Q, Yu H, Chen Y, Song S.1 September 2024 -
Genetic breeding for indoor vertical farming
Teo ZWN, Yu H.2 August 2024 -
Defining context-dependent m6A RNA methylomes in Arabidopsis
Zhang B, Zhang S, Wu Y, Li Y, Kong L, Wu R, Zhao M, Liu W, Yu H.21 October 2024 -
Mass spectrometry-based proteomic landscape of rice reveals a post-transcriptional regulatory role of N6-methyladenosine
Li S-T, Ke Y, Zhu Y, Zhu T-Y, Huang H, Li L, Hou Z, Zhang X, Li Y, Liu C, Li X, Xie M, Zhou L, Meng C, Wang F, Gu X, Yang B*, Yu H*, Liang Z*.1 August 2024 -
N6-methyladenosine-mediated feedback regulation of abscisic acid perception via phase-separated ECT8 condensates in Arabidopsis
Wu X, Su T, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Wong CE, Ma J, Shao Y, Hua C, Shen L*, Yu H*.1 March 2024 -
Optimizing indoor farming: deep learning for predicting plant growth under led light treatments
Verma T, Teo ZW, Gao F, Yu H, Shirota Filho R.1 June 2024 -
GLABROUS INFLORESCENCE STEMS3 binds to and activates RHD2 and RHD4 genes to promote root hair elongation in Arabidopsis
Huang L, Xu N, Wu J, Yang S, An L, Zhou Z, Wong CE, Wu M, Yu H, Gan Y.1 January 2024 -
Shaping the landscape of N6-methyladenosine RNA methylation in Arabidopsis
Wong CE, Zhang S, Xu T, Zhang Y, Teo ZW, Yan A, Shen L*, Yu H*.1 March 2023 -
Recent advances in the plant epitranscriptome
Shen L*, Ma J, Li P, Wu Y, Yu H*.7 March 2023