Dr Chian Teng Ong
Chian is a third year PhD student (July 2018 - July 2021) working under the supervision of Prof. Ala Tabor, Dr Conny Turni, Dr Gry Boe-Hansen and Prof Ben Hayes. Her PhD project focuses on investigating the relationship between cattle reproductive tract microbiome and cattle reproductive performances from different aspects including the cattle fertility, pregnancy outcomes, susceptibility towards infections and fetus survival rate. Additionally, Chian utilises whole-genome long-read sequencing to investigate the differentiative genomic characteristics between Campylobacter fetus subspecies.
Chian completed her BBiotech (Hons) at the University of Queensland in 2014. She worked as the Graduate Research Assistant in Applied Agricultural Research (Malaysia) during 2015-2017, then she worked as the Research Officer in Nanyang Technology University (Singapore) from 2017-2018. Chian is passionate with research, particularly microbial genomic research. She loves to work but she has learnt about the importance of taking rest. She loves spicy food which stimulates her appetite during summer and warms her up during winter.
Publications:
Rodriguez-Valle M, Moolhuijzen P, Barrero RA, Ong CT, Busch G, Karbanowicz T, et al. Transcriptome and toxin family analysis of the paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus. Int J Parasitol. 2018;48(1):71-82.
Ong C, Rodriguez-Valle M, Barrero R, Hunter A, Bellgard M, Lew-Tabor A. Exploring the transcriptomic data of the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus. GSTF Journal of Veterinary Science. 2016;3(1).
Ong CT, Rodriguez-Valle M, Lew-Tabor A, editors. A glance into sialome of Australian paralysis tick-Ixodes holocyclus. International Conference on Veterinary Science Research; 2014: Global Science & Technology Forum (GSTF).
Researcher biography
Dr. Ong is an exceptional and driven researcher in the field of Animal Health, and her work revolves around studying pathogen genomes, transcriptomes, and host-associated metagenomes to enhance animals' resistance to diseases and improve their overall health and productivity.
One remarkable aspect of Dr. Ong's expertise is her versatility and enthusiasm for both wet lab and dry lab (bioinformatics) work. She finds equal joy in conducting hands-on experiments in the wet lab and diving into data analysis and computational work in the bioinformatics domain. This multidisciplinary approach empowers her to gain comprehensive insights into her research subjects and tackle complex challenges from various angles. Dr. Ong's vast skillset encompasses molecular biology and expertise in utilizing 2nd and 3rd generation sequencing technologies, along with her proficiency in bioinformatics tools and techniques. This diverse knowledge allows her to explore and employ cutting-edge methodologies, providing her with a unique advantage in her research endeavors.
One of Dr. Ong's significant achievements was conducting the first cattle reproductive tract metagenomic study in Australia. This groundbreaking study likely contributed valuable information about the reproductive health of cattle and opened new avenues for further research in this area. Additionally, her contributions extend to the assembly of complete genomes for multiple pathogens, such as Campylobacter fetus and Bovicola ovis. This accomplishment is instrumental in understanding these pathogens' genetic makeup, evolution, and mechanisms of infection, which is vital in developing targeted strategies to combat diseases affecting animals.
Keywords: Microbiome and Metagenomics, Pathogen genomics, Animal health, PCR, Sequencing, Host-microbe interactions