Endosymbiotic Origin & Host-Microbe Interactions

Research Interests

• Walter's research interests are related to endosymbiosis and symbiotic relationships among lives.

• He uses synthetic biology and multi-omic approaches to study host-microbe interactions, aiming to reveal clues to the symbiotic events of early lives on Earth. His current research projects include molecular plant-endophyte interactions (MPEI), coral-symbiont interactions, symbiont evolution, marine microbiology and applied microbiology (bio-/phyto-remediation and endophytic biostimulants for agriculture).

Employment

• Predoctoral Researcher (2024-present) Department of Crop Genetics, John Innes Centre (Norwich, UK)

• Project Manager and Research Assistant (2023-2024) Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University (NCHU-LS) (Taichung, Taiwan)

• Visiting Research Assistant (2023-2024) Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica (AS-IPMB) (Taipei, Taiwan)

• Student Research Assistant (2018-2023): NCHU-LS (Taichung, Taiwan) & AS-IPMB (Taipei, Taiwan)

Education and Training

• MS (2021-2023): Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University (Taichung, Taiwan); with Chieh-Chen Huang

MS (2021-2023): Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica (Taipei, Taiwan); with Chih-Horng Kuo

• BS (2017-2021): Department of Horticulture, National Chung Hsing University (Taichung, Taiwan)

• Intern (2020 summer): Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica (Taipei, Taiwan); with Chih-Horng Kuo

# Comparative Genomics in Spiroplasma: The Evolution of Broad Thermal Adaptation

Intern (2020 winter): Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica (Taipei, Taiwan); with Hsou-min Li

# Localisation of The cpn10-SDP6 Protein within Chloroplasts

Intern (2019-2020): Department of Horticulture, National Chung Hsing University (Taichung, Taiwan); with I-Chun Pan

# Role of lier gene within The Regulation between Iron Deficiency and High Light Stress in Arabidopsis

Intern (2019-2020): Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University (Taichung, Taiwan); with Chieh-Chen Huang

# Transcriptomic Analysis for Plant-Endophyte Interactions: A Research to Improve Phalaenopsis Plants' Growth and Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Intern (2019 winter): National Museum of Natural Science & Dr Cecilia Koo Botanic Conservation Centre (Taichung & Pingtung, Taiwan); with TY Aleck Yang

# Practice Programme for The Plant Specimens Collection, Preparation and Preservation

Intern (2017-2018): Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University (Taichung, Taiwan); with Chieh-Chen Huang

# Engineered Endophyte-Assisted Phytoremediation (The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition)

Experience

• Judge (2022/2023) International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Competition (Paris, France)

• Instructor (2020-2022) NCHU_Taichung iGEM Team (Taichung, Taiwan; Paris, France)

• Host/Organizing Committee (2019/2020) Taiwan iGEM Conferences (Taichung, Taiwan)

• Host/Organizing Committee (2018) The 6th Asia-Pacific iGEM Conference (Taichung, Taiwan)

• Convener (2020) NCHU 108-2 & 109-1 Student Study Group Programmes (Taichung, Taiwan)

• Team Member (2019) NCHU_Taichung iGEM Team (Boston, MA USA)

• Plant Experiment Team Leader (2018) NCHU_Taichung iGEM Team (Boston, MA USA)

Professional Membership

• Taiwan Society of Plant Biologists (TSPB) (2018-present)

• International Society of Endocytobiology (ISE) (2023-present)

• International Society on Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology (ISBAB) Taiwan Chapter (2021-2022)