Daniel Angelo Mirador

EDUCATION

College / University

University of the Philippines

Highest Degree

Bachelor of Science

Major Subjects

Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

Country

Philippines

Lab Experience

Genomic and plasmid DNA extraction, RNA extraction (including small and long RNA fractions), protein extraction, molecular cloning (including sticky-end ligation, TA-ligation, and Gibson assembly), site-directed mutagenesis, AGE, SDS-PAGE, PCR, RT-qPCR, RNA stability assays, RE digestion, ELISA, in situ hybridization (including RNAscope), heat shock transformation, ultracompetent cell preparation, exosome isolation, FFPE tissue processing, mammalian cell culture, establishment of primary cultures, stem cell culture, transfection, cancer hallmark assays (including proliferation, apoptosis, ROS, and migration assays), LDH-based cytotoxicity assays, gene overexpression and knockdown, target protection assays, miRNA and lncRNA analysis, dual luciferase reporter assays, cytokine profiling, flow cytometry for apoptosis and DNA content, multiplex flow cytometry for macrophage immunophenotyping, fluorescence staining, time-lapse microscopy, high-content imaging, exosome docking assays, exosome visualization, RNA secondary structure prediction, protein docking, programming in Python

Projects / Research

2026: "De-Risking the Tuklas Lunas Pipelines: ADMET Assays for Bridging Efficacy and Safety“ National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman
2025 – 2026: Research project "Derepression of colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) by lung cancer-downregulated miR-490-3p preferentially polarizes macrophages into an immunosuppressive M2-like phenotype", National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman
2025 – 2026: "Philippine Brugada Project", UP College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila
2024: Summer internship program "Uncovering the paradoxical regulatory role of Sertm2 5’ and 3’ untranslated regions in transcriptional and translational efficiency", Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (Best Poster)
2024: Summer internship program "Establishment of a pan-neuronal reporter by using three Meg3 cis-regulatory elements", Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan (Best Poster)
2023 – 2025: "Confirmatory and Orthogonal Assays to Eliminate Artefactual Drug Bioactivities (DDOA)", National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman
2022 – 2023: Undergraduate thesis "Functional characterization of SLBP-DT (VALT1), a novel e-cigarette smoke-upregulated lncRNA transcript", National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman

Publications

Mirador, D.A.R., et al. Vape-Associated lncRNA Transcript 1 (VALT1) Amplifies the Tumorigenic Effects of e-Cigarette Vapor in Lung Epithelial Cells. Non-Coding RNA 2026, 12, 10 (2026). https://doi.org/10.3390/ncrna12020010
de Borja, J.A.D., Hao Lin, K.D.J., Mirador, D.A.R. et al. Differential effects of KRAS G-domain and hypervariable region mutants on cancer phenotypes. Scientific Reports 15, 38397 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-22168-y

Scholarships / Awards

2026 – 2027:	Stipend by the International Max Planck Research School
2024:	Stipend by the Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica
2023:	1^st Place, Young Scientist Forum, Philippine Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2023:	Summa cum laude, University of the Philippines Diliman
2023:	Ed Padlan Award for Academic Excellence, National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of the Philippines Diliman
2019 – 2023:	Undergraduate Merit Scholarship awarded by the DOST-SEI (Department of Science and Technology Science Education Institute)

SCIENTIFIC INTERESTS AND GOALS

I am interested in understanding how the disruption of cellular homeostasis gives rise to the fundamental hallmarks of disease, particularly in cancer. My current research focuses on elucidating how perturbations of regulatory pathways drive cellular dysfunction and promote disease progression through genetic manipulation approaches, including overexpression, mutagenesis, and knockdown. A major focus of my work so far is noncoding RNAs, which have emerged as central post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and cellular identity. By investigating their mechanistic roles in disease, I aim to uncover how alterations in regulatory networks reshape cellular phenotypes and contribute to pathological states. Through the training offered by this program, I hope to develop advanced mechanistic and systems-level approaches that will enable me to integrate these molecular findings into a broader understanding of disease biology.