Andre Choo

Research Interest

• Generation and characterization of novel monoclonal antibodies to cell surface markers on stem cells, progenitor cells and cancer cells.
• Development of a serum-free, feeder-free culture platform for hESC growth.
• Elucidating key signaling pathway in hESC and understanding its role in regulating stem cell pluripotency.
• Development of expansion systems for the scale-up of pluripotent and adult stem cells.

Teaching

• Physiology (Year 2)
• Cellular Bioengineering (Year 4)

Selected Awards & Honours

• A STAR Most Inspiring Mentor Award 2008
• John Hambly Prize for the Best Oral Presentation at the Royal North Shore Hospital and University of Technology, Sydney Annual Joint Scientific Meeting, 2001.
• Overseas Postgraduate Research Scholarship by the Australian Government to pursue a Postgraduate Program at the University of Technology, Sydney, 1998
• Membership in Scientific/Professional Organization
• Stem Cell Society (Singapore)
• International Society for Stem Cell Research
• The European Society for Animal Cell Technology

Selected Journal Publications

• Choo A, Tan HL, Ang SN, Fong WJ, Chin A, Lo, J, Zheng L, Hentze H, Philp RJ, Oh S and Yap M (2008) Selection Against Undifferentiated Human Embryonic Stem Cells By A Cytotoxic Antibody Recognizing Podocalyxin-like Protein-1. Stem Cells 26(6):1454-63. ISSN 0250-6793.
• Steve K.W. Oh, Allen K. Chen, Yanglin Mok, Xiaoli Chen, U-Ming Lim, Angela Chin, Andre B.H. Choo, Shaul Reuveny. Long term microcarrier suspension cultures of human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cell Research 2009 Mar 4. [Epub ahead of print]PMID: 19393590
• Heng Liang Tan, Eng Hin Lee, Miranda Yap, Andre Choo (2009) mAb 84, a cytotoxic antibody that kills undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells via oncosis. Stem Cells 27(8):1792-801. ISSN 0250-6793.
• Chan KK, Zhang J, Chia NY, Chan YS, Sim HS, Tan KS, Oh SK, Ng HH, Choo AB (2009) KLF4 and PBX1 directly regulate NANOG expression in human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells 27(9):2114-25. ISSN 0250-6793.
• Ng VY, Ang SN, Chan JX, Choo AB (2009) Characterization of epithelial cell adhesion molecule as a surface marker on undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells 28(1):29-35. ISSN 0250-6793.
• Chin AC, Padmanabhan J, Oh SK, Choo AB (2010) Defined and serum-free media support undifferentiated human embryonic stem cell growth. Stem Cells and Development 19(6):753-761.
• Ding VMY, Ling L, Natarajan S, Yap MGS, Cool SM and Choo ABH (2010) FGF-2 modulates Wnt signaling in undifferentiated hESC and iPS cells through activated PI3-K/GSK3β signaling. Journal of Cellular Physiology 225(2):417-428.
• Ng VY and Choo ABH (2010) iPS and ES cells: do both roads lead to Rome? The Open Stem Cell Journal 2:8-17.
• Ding MYD, Boersema PJ, Leong YF, Preisinger C, Koh G, Natarajan S, Lee DY, Boekhorst J, Snel B, Lemeer S, Heck AJR and Choo A (2011) Tyrosine phosphorylation profiling in FGF-2 stimulated human embryonic stem cells. PLoS One 6(3):1-11.
• Lim DYX, Ng YH, Lee Jeremy, Mueller M, Choo AB, Wong VVTÂ (2011) Cytotoxic antibody fragments for eliminating undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells. Journal of Biotechnology (Accepted).