National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Bacteriology Research Lab

Cheng-Yen Kao
https://sites.google.com/view/kaolab/

Research Field

Medicine
Introduction

  • 2024/05 ~ Part-time Consultant, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan. 
  • 2024/02 ~ Associate Professor, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.
  • 2024/02 ~ Jointly Appointed Associate Professor, Biomedical Industry Ph.D program, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.
  • 2024/02 ~ Jointly Appointed Associate Professor, Program in Molecular Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. 
  • 2023/08 ~ 2025 Deputy Director, Microbiota Research Center, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. 
  • 2021/02 ~ 2024/01 Jointly Appointed Assistant Professor, Biomedical Industry Ph.D program, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.
  • 2020/08 ~ 2024/01 Jointly Appointed Assistant Professor, Program in Molecular Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. 
  • 2019/08 ~ 2024/01 Assistant Professor, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.
  • 2017/10 ~ 2019/07 Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Dr. John-Demian (JD) Sauer Lab).
  • 2016/08 ~ 2017/10 Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan (Prof. Jiunn-Jong Wu Lab).
  • 2014/08 ~ 2016/07 Postdoctoral fellow, Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (Prof. Jiunn-Jong Wu Lab).

The majority of our work has been centered on Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that infects 50% of the global population and is linked to the development of gastric cancer. Key factors such as H. pylori adhesins and flagella-based motility are crucial for establishing infection, so my research has focused on regulating these adhesin and flagella-related genes. Our current research shifts towards identifying novel genes involved in bacterial metabolism and intracellular survival in Listeria monocytogenes. We have identified the regulon of a novel transcriptional regulator, Lmo1576, and demonstrated its role in regulating metabolism for cytosolic survival in L. monocytogenes. We have also collaborated with various groups and clinical departments to study the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., and Acinetobacter baumannii. In addition, through collaboration with Dr. Sauer (University of Wisconsin-Madison), we have identified several small-molecule inhibitors of bacterial PASTA kinases, a conserved family of proteins critical for virulence and antibiotic resistance in pathogens such as L. monocytogenes, Staphylococci, Enterococci, and Mycobacteria. Beyond developing these inhibitors as novel antibiotics, we are also investigating the downstream signaling pathways of PASTA kinases that regulate antibiotic resistance and virulence, with a focus on L. monocytogenes and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Research Topics
  1. Antimicrobial resistance mechanisms; 
  2. Bacterial genomics and NGS;
  3. Virulence factors and bacterial pathogenesis;
  4. Gene regulation and transcriptome;
  5. Mouse model for bacterial infection; 
  6. Antimicrobial-drug and probiotic development.
Honor
  1. 2023. National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Research Reward Subsidies (2023 Aug to 2025 Jul)
  2. 2020. Outstanding alumni, Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Chia-Yi University.
  3. 2019-2021. American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Young Ambassador to Taiwan.
  4. 2018. MMPC Fellowship/Travel Award. 25th Annual Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference (MMPC), University of Iowa, Iowa, IA.
Educational Background
  • 2009/9 ~ 2014/7 Ph.D., Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
  • 2005/9 ~ 2007/7 M.S., Institute of Molecular Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.

Job Description

Antimicrobial Resistance: My AMR research integrates diagnostic assay development, antimicrobial gene surveillance, and mobile genetic element tracking. We validated the accuracy of mCIM and eCIM assays for carbapenemase detection and reported that co-carriage of multiple carbapenemases may affect assay performance (BMC Microbiol. 2020 Oct 17;20(1):315). For Staphylococcus lugdunensis, agar dilution proved to be a more reliable method for assessing oxacillin susceptibility (J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2022 Apr;55(2):234-240). Genomic epidemiological studies revealed the widespread presence of carbapenemases, mcr, and qnr genes among multidrug-resistant strains of E. coli, K. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca, and A. baumannii (Front Microbiol. 2022 Mar 11;13:703113; J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2022 Sep;30:241-248; Epidemiol Infect. 2023 Sep 7;151:e155; J Infect Public Health. 2024 Mar;17(3):457-463; J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2024 Apr;57(2):288-299; Microbiol Spectr. 2024 Jun 4;12(6):e0038224; J Infect Public Health. 2024 Dec;17(12):102588; Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2025 Aug;66(2):107515). These resistance genes often reside on plasmids that enhance bacterial virulence, as demonstrated by increased pathogenicity in Galleria mellonella following plasmid transfer (BMC Microbiol. 2022 Jun 6;22(1):150; Infect Genet Evol. 2023 Jun;110:105420). We also found that E. coli strains isolated from elderly patients showed higher resistance levels compared to those from children or young adults (J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2022 Apr;55(2):249-256), and that E. coli phylogroups differ in virulence, with group B2 strains being more pathogenic (Infect Genet Evol. 2023 Oct;114:105493). Importantly, nearly half of patients with recurrent UTIs were infected by the same clone, prompting our ongoing investigation into within-host evolution and shifts in virulence (BMC Microbiol. 2023 Mar 30;23(1):90; Gut Pathogens, In revision). In S. lugdunensis, we revealed associations between CRISPR-Cas types, antimicrobial resistance, sequence types, and lugdunin production, reflecting the complex dynamics between resistance and defense mechanisms (Microbiol Spectr. 2021 Dec 22;9(3):e0124721; J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2023 Apr;56(2):292-298; Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Sep 21;11(5):e0129823; J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2024 Apr;57(2):278-287). Most recently, we have focused on characterizing hypervirulent and extensively drug-resistant strains. Our findings show that ST2 A. baumannii strains exhibit elevated virulence and resistance (Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2024 Dec;64(6):107358), highlighting the emerging threat posed by these pathogens. We are now conducting detailed mechanistic studies across multiple species exhibiting similar high-risk profiles.

Preferred Intern Educational Level

Undergraduate or graduate students

 

Skill sets or Qualities

With basic bacterial handling and laboratory techniques