Tsing Young Dora Tang

Prof. Dr. Tsing Young Dora Tang is a Professor of Synthetic Biology at Saarland University's Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, with a dual appointment at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG). She leads the interdisciplinary Tang Lab, which focuses on building minimal synthetic cellular systems through bottom-up approaches.

Her research interests span synthetic biology, biochemistry, and biophysics, with particular emphasis on compartmentalization in biochemical processes, non-equilibrium behavior in synthetic cellular systems, and the physicochemical principles underlying modern biological systems. Her work bridges the gap between origin of life studies and artificial cell synthesis.

Recent publications demonstrate her lab's expertise in lipid vesicle production, coacervate systems, and protometabolism. Her research employs innovative techniques including microfluidics, inverted emulsion methods, and cell-free expression systems to create and manipulate synthetic cellular components.

Prof. Tang recently relocated her lab from Dresden to Saarland University, where they established new facilities in Building B2.2. The lab has been active in community events including the Cell Physics 2025 conference and regular Synbio Colloquia.