R215/Food Safety and Molecular Toxicology Laboratory
Research Field
I am Po-Lin Liao, Associate Professor at the Institute of Food Safety and Health Risk Assessment, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. I also serve as the Director of the Toxicology Testing Center.
My research focuses on food toxicology, molecular toxicology, health risk assessment, and regulatory-oriented safety evaluation. I am particularly interested in understanding how food ingredients, functional foods, natural products, probiotics, nanomaterials, and environmental contaminants affect biological systems.
In my research, I integrate cell-based models, animal studies, genotoxicity testing, molecular biology techniques, and health risk assessment approaches. My current work explores toxicological mechanisms related to oxidative stress, inflammation, intestinal barrier dysfunction, endothelial responses, and molecular signaling pathways.
Through both academic research and industry collaboration, I aim to provide scientific evidence to support food safety evaluation, functional food development, and health risk management.
My laboratory, the Food Safety and Molecular Toxicology Laboratory, focuses on the safety evaluation and mechanistic investigation of food-related substances, functional ingredients, natural products, probiotics, nanomaterials, and environmental toxicants.
In our lab, we use integrated toxicological approaches, including in vitro cell models, in vivo animal studies, genotoxicity assays, molecular biology techniques, and health risk assessment methods. We are interested in understanding how different food-related and environmental exposures influence biological responses, especially oxidative stress, inflammation, intestinal barrier function, endothelial dysfunction, and related molecular pathways.
In addition to academic research, our lab also supports regulatory-oriented safety assessment and translational toxicology studies. Our long-term goal is to contribute to food safety science, functional food development, and evidence-based health risk assessment.
1. **Food Toxicology and Health Risk Assessment**
I study food contaminants, food additives, processing-related toxicants, and emerging food safety issues using toxicological and risk assessment approaches.
2. **Safety Evaluation of Functional Foods and Natural Products**
My lab evaluates botanical extracts, functional food ingredients, probiotics, and bioactive compounds through genotoxicity tests, repeated-dose toxicity studies, and mechanism-based assays.
3. **Molecular Mechanisms of Toxicity**
We investigate oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, cell signaling, and stress-response pathways involved in toxicological responses.
4. **Intestinal Barrier Function and Gut-Related Toxicity**
We use intestinal epithelial cell models to study barrier integrity, tight junction regulation, inflammation, and gut-related toxic effects.
5. **Endothelial and Vascular Toxicology**
We evaluate endothelial cell responses, angiogenesis, vascular inflammation, and barrier-related mechanisms associated with toxicant exposure and bioactive compounds.
6. **Genotoxicity and Regulatory Toxicology**
My lab conducts Ames test, chromosomal aberration test, micronucleus test, and related safety evaluation platforms for regulatory and preclinical applications.
College Outstanding Teaching Award, Sep. 2021
Ph.D. in Toxicology
National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Job Description
During the internship, the intern is expected to participate in the following activities:
1. Complete laboratory orientation and safety training.
2. Review scientific literature related to food toxicology, mutagenicity, and genotoxicity testing.
3. Assist in two Ames test screening experiments for food-derived or food-related samples.
4. Assist in data recording, organization, and preliminary interpretation of Ames test results.
5. Observe or assist in one in vitro chromosome aberration assay, including dose range-finding, cell culture observation, slide preparation, or microscopic observation, depending on the intern’s training progress.
6. Join laboratory meetings and interact with local students.
7. Prepare a short written report and oral presentation at the end of the internship.
This internship is designed as a training-based research experience. Critical experimental procedures and data quality control will be supervised by trained laboratory members.
Preferred Intern Educational Level
Undergraduate students, preferably in their 3rd or 4th year. Master’s students are also welcome.
Skill sets or Qualities
Applicants should have a basic background in biology, food science, pharmacy, toxicology, microbiology, biotechnology, public health, or related fields. Basic English communication skills and the ability to read scientific literature are required.
Previous experience in pipetting, microbiological experiments, cell culture, microscopy, Excel-based data organization, or basic statistics is preferred but not mandatory.
We welcome students who are responsible, careful with experimental records, willing to learn laboratory techniques, able to follow safety instructions, and interested in food safety, toxicology, genotoxicity testing, and health risk assessment.