Yiyin Erin Chen

Yiyin Erin Chen

Assistant Professor of Biology; Core Member, Broad Institute

Erin Chen studies how the microbes in our bodies educate our immune systems, in order to engineer microbial therapeutics for human disease.

(617) 714-7072

Phone

75A-6053

Office

erinchen@yeclab.org

Email

Broad Institute

Location

Lab Website
Ana Vergara

Assistant

(617) 714-7072

Assistant Phone

Education

  • Graduate: PhD, 2011, MIT; MD, 2013, Harvard Medical School
  • Undergraduate: BA, 2006, Biology, University of Chicago

Research Summary

Diverse commensal microbes colonize every surface of our bodies. We study the constant communication between these microbes and our immune system. We focus on our largest organ: the skin. By employing microbial genetics, immunologic approaches, and mouse models, we can dissect (1) the molecular signals used by microbes to educate our immune system and (2) how different microbial communities alter immune responses. Ultimately, we aim to harness these microbe-host interactions to engineer novel vaccines and therapeutics for human disease.

Awards

  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute Hanna H. Gray Fellow, 2018-2026
  • A.P. Giannini Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, 2018
  • Dermatology Foundation Research Fellowship, 2017

Key Publications

  1. Skin microbiota-host interactions. Chen, YE, Fischbach, MA, Belkaid, Y. 2018. Nature 553, 427-436.
    doi: 10.1038/nature25177PMID:29364286
  2. Modularity of the bacterial cell cycle enables independent spatial and temporal control of DNA replication. Jonas, K, Chen, YE, Laub, MT. 2011. Curr Biol 21, 1092-101.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.05.040PMID:21683595
  3. Spatial gradient of protein phosphorylation underlies replicative asymmetry in a bacterium. Chen, YE, Tropini, C, Jonas, K, Tsokos, CG, Huang, KC, Laub, MT. 2011. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 108, 1052-7.
    doi: 10.1073/pnas.1015397108PMID:21191097
  4. Eliciting a potent antitumor immune response by expressing tumor antigens in a skin commensal. Chen Y.E., Bousbaine, D., Atabakhsh, K., Dimas, A, Zhao, A., Enright, N.J., Nagashima, K., Yu, V.K., Veinbachs, A., Belkaid, Y., and Fischbach, M.A. BioRxiv.
    doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.17.431662
  6. Decoding commensal-host communication through genetic engineering of Staphylococcus epidermidis. Chen, Y.E., Bouladoux, N., Hurabielle, C., Mattke, A.M., Belkaid, Y., and Fischbach, M.A. BioRxiv .
    doi:: https://doi.org/10.1101/664656

Recent Publications

  1. Discovery and engineering of the antibody response against a prominent skin commensal. Bousbaine, D, Bauman, KD, Chen, YE, Yu, VK, Lalgudi, PV, Naziripour, A, Veinbachs, A, Phung, JL, Nguyen, TTD, Swenson, JM et al.. 2024. bioRxiv , .
    doi: 10.1101/2024.01.23.576900PMID:38328052
  2. Engineered skin bacteria induce antitumor T cell responses against melanoma. Chen, YE, Bousbaine, D, Veinbachs, A, Atabakhsh, K, Dimas, A, Yu, VK, Zhao, A, Enright, NJ, Nagashima, K, Belkaid, Y et al.. 2023. Science 380, 203-210.
    doi: 10.1126/science.abp9563PMID:37053311
  3. MAIT cells are imprinted by the microbiota in early life and promote tissue repair. Constantinides, MG, Link, VM, Tamoutounour, S, Wong, AC, Perez-Chaparro, PJ, Han, SJ, Chen, YE, Li, K, Farhat, S, Weckel, A et al.. 2019. Science 366, .
    doi: 10.1126/science.aax6624PMID:31649166
  4. Erratum: Skin microbiota-host interactions. Chen, YE, Fischbach, MA, Belkaid, Y. 2018. Nature 555, 543.
    doi: 10.1038/nature25994PMID:29565366
  5. Contextual control of skin immunity and inflammation by Corynebacterium. Ridaura, VK, Bouladoux, N, Claesen, J, Chen, YE, Byrd, AL, Constantinides, MG, Merrill, ED, Tamoutounour, S, Fischbach, MA, Belkaid, Y et al.. 2018. J Exp Med 215, 785-799.
    doi: 10.1084/jem.20171079PMID:29382696
  6. Skin microbiota-host interactions. Chen, YE, Fischbach, MA, Belkaid, Y. 2018. Nature 553, 427-436.
    doi: 10.1038/nature25177PMID:29364286
  7. Modularity of the bacterial cell cycle enables independent spatial and temporal control of DNA replication. Jonas, K, Chen, YE, Laub, MT. 2011. Curr Biol 21, 1092-101.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2011.05.040PMID:21683595
  8. Spatial gradient of protein phosphorylation underlies replicative asymmetry in a bacterium. Chen, YE, Tropini, C, Jonas, K, Tsokos, CG, Huang, KC, Laub, MT. 2011. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 108, 1052-7.
    doi: 10.1073/pnas.1015397108PMID:21191097
  9. A cell-type-specific protein-protein interaction modulates transcriptional activity of a master regulator in Caulobacter crescentus. Gora, KG, Tsokos, CG, Chen, YE, Srinivasan, BS, Perchuk, BS, Laub, MT. 2010. Mol Cell 39, 455-67.
    doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2010.06.024PMID:20598601
  10. Dynamics of two Phosphorelays controlling cell cycle progression in Caulobacter crescentus. Chen, YE, Tsokos, CG, Biondi, EG, Perchuk, BS, Laub, MT. 2009. J Bacteriol 191, 7417-29.
    doi: 10.1128/JB.00992-09PMID:19783630

Photo credit: Brianna Williams