School of Dentistry

Education
Zhejiang University, Ph.D. 2009

Biography
Dr. Liao received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry in 1999 and Master of Science in Genetics in 2002 from Zhejiang University. She worked as researcher in a biotech company for one year and then became a lecturer in Zhejiang Shuren University from 2003 to 2005. She received her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Zhejiang University in 2009. Dr. Liao currently trains as a post-doctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Z. Tom Wen at Louisiana State University, School of Dentistry.

Research Interests
Dr. Liao's current research focuses on characterization of microbial biofilms and virulence factors in Streptococcus mutans. Dental caries is a biofilm-related infectious disease and is still the most prevalent oral disease. S.mutans has been regarded as the major etiologic agent of dental caries due to its ability to initiate the pathogenic biofilm formation. S.mutans metabolizes fermentable substrates during early biofilm formation and synthesizes an extracellular polysaccharide matrix which can be used by other oral microbes. The roles of S.mutans in microbial cell-cell communication and the establishment, persistence and competitiveness of biofilms, during the growth of the biofilm in mixed-species consortia are still unclear. A better understanding of these questions will eventually lead to the development of novel and effective strategies for oral diseases. Dr. Liao also works with Dr. Xu in the Department of Comphrensive Dentistry on development of novel antibacterial dental composites.

Previously, Dr. Liao researched Type III Secretion System Related Genes in Leptospira interrogans serovar Lai and their pathogenic potentials in the laboratory of Jie Yan at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China.

Research Interests--Keywords
Streptococcus mutans, biofilms, mixed-species, cell-cell communication, dentalcaries

Selected Publications
Bitoun, J.P., Liao, S., McKey, B.A., Yao, X., Abranches, J., Beatty, W.L., Wen, Z.T. Psr is involved in Regulation of Glucan Production and Double Deficiency of BrpA and Psr is Lethal in Streptococcus mutans. (2013) Microbiology 159(Pt 3):  493-506. PMID: 23288544 (co-first author)

Bitoun, J.P., Liao, S., Yao, X., Xie, G.G., and Wen, Z.T. 2012. The Redox-Sensing Regulator Rex Modulates Central Carbon Metabolism, Stress Tolerance Response, and Biofilm Formation in Streptococcus mutans. PLoS ONE 7(9):  e44766.

Fan, Y., Wen, Z.T., Liao, S., Lallier, T., Hagan J.L., Twomley, J.T., Zhang, J., Sun, Z., Xu, X. Novel amelogenin-releasing hydrogel for remineralization of enamel artificial caries. (2012) J BIOACT COMPAT POL. DOI:  10.1177/0883911512458050.

Xu X, Wang Y, Liao S., Wen ZT, Fan Y. Synthesis and characterization of antibacterial dental monomers and composites. (2012) J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater 100(4):1151-62.

Bitoun, J.P., Liao, S., Yao, X., Ahn, S.J., Isoda, R., Nguyen, A.H., Brady, L.J., Burne, R.A., Abranches, J., and Wen, Z.T. 2011. BrpA is Involved in Regulation of Cell Envelope Stress Responses in Streptococcus mutans. Appl Environ Microbiol 78(8):  2914-22.

Liao, S., Sun A, Ojcius DM, Wu S, Zhao J, Yan J. Inactivation of the fliY gene encoding a flagellar motor switch protein attenuates mobility and virulence of Leptospira interrogans strain Lai (2009) BMC Microbiology 9:253.

Li S, Ojcius DM, Liao, S., Li L, Xue F, Dong H, Yan J. Replication or death: distinct fates of pathogenic Leptospira strain Lai within macrophages of human or mouse origin (2009) Innate Immunity 17(4):423.

Lou H, Liao, S., Hu Y, Yan J. Targeting knockout of Leptospira interrogans flagellum-associated fliN gene and pathogenic function alteration of the mutant (2009) Chinese J Microbiol Immunol 29(8).

Xu H, Ruan P, Liao, S., Yang P, Mao Y, Li L, Yan J. Prokaryotic expression of Leptospira interrogans fliH/I/Y/N genes and determination of the protein locations in leptospiral envelope(2008) Chinese J Microbiol Immunol 28(7):597-601.