Date of birth: 10 September 1971 Place of birth: Shuicheng, P.R. China Citizenship: Italian
Education
1997-2001     1996-1997     1992-1994     1988-1992	Ph.D. in Mycology. Institute of Microbiology, ETH-Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Dissertation title: Identification and characterization of genes involved in the fruitbody initiation of basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus. MSc in Biotechnology with Distinction. Department of Virology, Wageningen Agricultural University, Wageningen, the Netherlands. Dissertation title: Characterization, sequence and functional analysis of the helicase gene of Spodoptera exigua multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus. MSc in Virology. Department of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P.R. China. Dissertation title: Bacillus thuringiensis toxin gene expression in Autographa californica Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus in Spodoptera frugiperda cells. BSc in Virology with Distinction. Department of Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, P.R. China. Dissertation title: Cloning and expression of Hepatitis B virus e gene in Bacillus subtilis; generation of monoclonal antibodies.
Languages
Chinese (mother tongue), English (thorough knowledge), Italian (satisfactory), Japanese (reading), German (basic); French (basic).
Employment History
2008-present 2005-2008   2001-2005   1997-2001 1994-1996		Scientific Officer. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Parma, Italy. Project leader on life science researches. University of Genova / Advanced Biotechnology Center, Genova, Italy. Postdoctoral Researcher. University of Genova / Advanced Biotechnology Center, Genova, Italy. Teaching Assistant. ETH-Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Junior Research Fellow. Wageningen Agriculture University, Wageningen, the Netherlands.
Professional Milestones
2008-present 2005-2009       2008-2009		Scientific officer of the GMO Unit, European Food Safety Authority, EU. Co-principle investigator (Co-PI) of the ASI/NASA space shuttle mission experiment MDS (Mouse Drawer System) that was launched in STS-128 on 29 August 2009 and return to Earth in STS-129 on 27 November 2009. This is the 1st long duration life science experiment on orbit with animals.   Coordinator of the International Tissue Sharing Program of the MDS mission experiment.
2006-2007		Co-PI of the ESA Foton satellite M3 space mission experiment “Stroma 3”.
2005-2006		Co-PI of the ESA Soyuz 12S space mission experiment “Stroma 2”.
2001-2002		Participant of the ESA STS-107 shuttle space mission experiment “Stroma”.
2003-2008   2005-2008   2006-2007		Member of the ESA MAP project ERISTO ("European Research in Space and Terrestrial Osteoporosis"). Scientific consultancy and validation for ASI MDS space shuttle / ISS payload. Member of the scientific consultancy working group in phase I ESA MIS (Mouse in Space) project for developing automated hardware for flying mice on Foton satellites.
Other research work & Teaching experience
2007-2008   2006-2007   2004-2005 2000 1997-2000   1997-2000 1996   1992-1994		Supervisor of 2 PostDoc fellows, 1.5 PhD students and 1 technician, University of Genova (IT) Practical course “In vitro culture techniques of bone marrow stem cells” for undergraduate students, University of Genova (IT) Teaching Practical courses for Biotechnology students, University of Genova (IT) Supervisor of an undergraduate student at Microbiology Institute, ETH-Zurich (CH) Assistant at the “Microbial genetics” practical course for undergraduate students, University of Zurich (CH) Responsible for enzyme ordering at Microbiology Institute, ETH-Zurich (CH) Assistant in supervising an undergraduate student at Virology department, Wageningen Agricultural University (NL) Assistant at the “Insect virology” practical course for undergraduate students, Wuhan University (P.R. China)
Rewarded Grants and Fellowships
2006 2006 2005 2004		ASI grant MDS (Universtiy of Genova – Genova, Italy) ASI grant OSMA (University of Genova – Genova, Italy) ESA grant ERISTO-Animal Chapter (University of Genova – Genova, Italy) EMBO Course on Digital Image Microscopy
Scientific publications
Animal flight experiments Silva M, Liu Y, Serradj N, Salanova M, Touma C, Jamon M, Blottner D, Cancedda R, Guiliani A, Rustichelli F, Aerts J, Vico L, D’Hooge R, Falcetti G, Berckmans D. (2009) Mice in space: evaluation of a new housing system. Submitted to Journal of Gravitational Physiology. Liu Y, Biticchi R, Cilli M, Piccardi F, Ruggiu A, Cancedda R. (2009) Mouse Drawer System (MDS): An automated payload for supporting rodent research on the international space station. Basic & Applied Myology. 19: 87-95. Blottner D, Serradj N, Salanova M, Touma C, Palme R, Silva M, Aerts JM, Berckmans D, Vico L, Liu Y, Giuliani A, Rustichelli F, Cancedda R, Jamon M (2009) Morphological, physiological and behavioural evaluation of a `Mice In Space´ housing system. J Comp Physiol B. 179:519-533. Liu Y, Monticone M, Tortelli F, Pujic N, Ruggiu A, Cancedda R. (2008) STROMAS: a series of microgravity experiments on bone forming cells. Proceedings of the ESA / ISGP Life Sciences Symposium on the Journal of Gravitational Physiology. Liu Y, Biticchi R, Alberici G, Tenconi C, Cilli M, Fontana V, Cancedda R, Falcetti G. (2005) Mouse Drawer System (MDS): an autonomous hardware for supporting mice space research. Proceedings of the ESA / ISGP Life Sciences Symposium on the Journal of Gravitational Physiology. Bone marrow stem cells Monticone M, Liu Y, Tonachini L, Mastrogiacomo M, Parodi S, Quarto R, Cancedda R, Castagnola P (2004) Gene expression profile of human bone marrow stromal cells determined by restriction fragment differential display analysis. J Cell Biochem 92: 733-44. Liu Y, Monticone M, Tonachini L, Mastrogiacomo M, Marigo V, Cancedda R, Castagnola P (2004) URB expression in human bone marrow stromal cells and during mouse development. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 322: 497-507. Muraglia A, Perera M, Verardo S, Liu Y, Cancedda R, Quarto R, Corte G (2008). Dlx5 overexpression impairs osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells. Eur J Cell Biol. 87:751-761. 3D co-culture of bone formation and resorption cells Tortelli F, Pujic N, Liu Y, Laroche N, Vico L, Cancedda R (2009). Osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation in an in vitro three-dimensional model of bone. Tissue Eng Part A. 15 (9): 2373-83. Langer M, Liu Y, Tortelli F, Cloetens P, Cancedda R, Peyrin F. (2009) Regularized phase tomography enables study of mineralized and fibrous tissue in porous bone scaffold. Journal of Microscopy. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2009.03345.x. Fungal Genetics Kues U, Granado JD, Kertesz-Chaloupkova K, Walser P, Hollenstein M, Polak E, Liu Y, Boulianne RP, Bottoli APF, Aebi M (1998). Mating types and light are major regulators of development in Coprinus cinereus. In: Proceedings of the fouth meetings on the Genetics and Cellular Biology of Basidiomycetes (LJLD Van Griensven, J Visser, eds.), pp. 113-118. Mushroom Experimentatal Station, Horst, Netherlands. Liu Y, Granado JD, Polak E, Kues U (1999). Crosses with Amut Bmut homokaryons of Coprinus cinereus. Fungal Genetics Newsletter 46: 16-20. Kues U, Liu Y (2000). Mini-review, Fruitbody production in basidiomycetes. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 54: 141-152. Boulianne RP, Liu Y, Lu BC, Aebi M, Kues U (2000). Fruitbody development in the mushroom Coprinus cinereus: highly regulated expression of two fungal galectins secreted by a non-classical pathway. Microbiology 146: 1841-1853. Liu Y. (2001). Fruiting body initiation in the basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus. Ph. D. Thesis, Diss. ETH Nr. 14084, ETH Zurich (CH). DPS Edizioni, Genova, Italia. Kues U, Kunzler M, Bottoli APF, Walser PJ, Granado JD, Liu Y, Bertossa RC, Ciardo D, Clergeot PH, Loos S, Ruprich-Robert G, Aebi M (2003). Mushroom development in higher basidiomycetes: implications for human and animal health. In: Fungi in human and animal health. R.K.S. Kushwaha (ed.). Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur, India, pp. 431-470. Liu Y, Srivilai P, Loos S, Aebi M, Kues U (2006). An essential gene for fruiting body initiation in the basidiomycete Coprinopsis cinerea is homologous to bacterial cyclopropane fatty acid synthase genes. Genetics 172 (2): 873-884. Virology Heldens JG, Liu Y, Zuidema D, Goldbach RW, Vlak JM (1997). Characterization of putative Spodoptera exigua multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus helicase gene. Journal of General Virology 78: 3101-3114. Heldens JG, Liu Y, Zuidema D, Goldbach RW, Vlak JM (1998). A highly conserved genomic region in baculoviruses: sequence analysis of an 11.3 kbp DNA fragment (46.5 – 55.1 m.u.) of the Spodoptera exigua multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus. Virus Research 55: 187-198.
Oral Presentation in Congress
Space flight experiments with in vitro cultural systems Liu Y, Monticone M, Tortelli F, Pujic N, Ruggiu A, Cancedda R. STROMAS: a serirs of microgravity experiments on bone forming cells. Oral presentation at the 29th Annual ISGP meeting, 22-27 June 2008, Angers, France. Tortelli F, Pujic N, Liu Y, Cancedda R. Osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation in an in vitro threedimensional model of bone turnover. Oral presentation at the TERMIC-EU 2008 meeting, 22-26 June 2008, Porto, Portugal. Animal space flight experiments Liu Y, Cancedda R. The MDS experiment: an Italian payload on the International Space Station. Oral presentation at the IV Congresso Nazionale ISSBB, 31 March – 2 April 2009, Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy. Rizzo AM, Negroni M, Montorfano G, Berselli R, Liu Y, Biticchi R, Cancedda R, Berra B. Effects of space flight on erythrocytes and oxidative stress of rodents: data from the mice drawer system ground tests. Oral presentation at the IV Congresso Nazionale ISSBB, 31 March – 2 April 2009, Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy. Francia N, Biticchi R, Liu Y, Cancedda R, Aloe L, Santucci D. Behavioural and neurobiological evaluation during the 100 days Mouse Drawer System ground -based test. Oral presentation at the IV Congresso Nazionale ISSBB, 31 March – 2 April 2009, Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy. Pignataro S, Liu Y, et al., Mouse Drawer System (MDS): An automated payload for supporting rodent research on the international space station: science, payload and ground segment. Oral presentation at the 60th International Astronautical Congress, 12-16 October 2009, Daejeon, Republic of Korea. Bone marrow stem cells Liu Y, Cancedda R. Microgravità reale e simulata: le basi biologiche di possibili nuovi schemi terapeutici contro l’osteoporosi in ambito clinico. Oral presentation at the XXI Congresso Nazionale AIMAS, 16-18 June 2008, Rome, Italy. Fungal Genetics Liu Y, Aebi M, Kues U. A gene highly similar to bacterial cyclopropane fatty acids synthase genes is essential for fruibody initiation in Coprinus cinereus. Oral presentation at 5th European Conference on Fungal Genetics, 25-29 March 2000, Arcachon, France. Liu Y, Loos S, Aebi M, Kues U. An essential gene for fruiting body initiation in the basidiomycete Coprinus cinereus is homologous to bacterial cyclopropane fatty acids synthase genes. Oral presentation at the 5th International Conference on the Genetics and Cellular Biology of Basidiomycetes (GCBBV), 17-20 May 2001, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Virology Heldens JG, Broer R, Liu Y, Van Strien EA, Zuidema D, Vlak JM. Specificity of the hr and non-hr origins of DNA replication of Spodoptera exigua and Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus. Oral presentation 15th annual meeting of american society of Virology, 13-17 July 1996, London, Ontario, Canada. Heldens JG, Broer R, Liu Y, Van Strien EA, Zuidema D, Vlak JM. Spodoptera exigua and Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus display DNA replication specificity. Oral presentation 10th Int. Congress of Virology, 11-18 August 1996, Jerusalem, Israel. Vlak JM, Heldens JG, Munoz D, Broer R, Feldman AM, Liu Y, Van Strien EA, Zuidema D. Spodoptera exigua multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus genetics. Plenary lecture at 29th annual meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology, 1-7 September 1996, Cordoba, Spain. Management skill: training to future EU member states Liu Y. Components of the risk assessment of GMOs by EFSA: Lecture at the European Commission – Croatia Ministry organized Technical Assistance Information Instrument, 12-13 November 2009, Zagreb, Croatia. Liu Y. Procedure of the reviewing the risk assessment data based on the submitted information: Lecture at the European Commission - Croatia Ministry organized Technical Assistance Information Instrument, 12-13 November 2009, Zagreb, Croatia.