RESEARCH

Model of the fully glycosylated spike of Sars-CoV-2

Sugar-binding protein that blocks influenza and Sars-CoV-2 infection

An antibody recognizing cancer-specific glycolipids

Cutting glycans off flu hemagglutinin makes it a better vaccine (model)

Interleukin 17 receptor B bound by monoclonal antibody 

Monofunctional glycotransferase from S.aureus

Penicillin-Binding Protein 1b from E.coli

WHAT CAN WE DO FOR COVID-19 PANDEMIC?

The world has been changed since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, so have we. Among numerous trials of vaccine development and drug screenings, there has not been a clear way forward. Our lab is standing with you in the fight against this beast, by applying prior successful strategies for influenza virus towards SARS-CoV-2, exploring the structural details of glycan-specific inhibitors and newly identified antibodies targeting spike protein on the surface of the virus.

NEW WAYS TO FIGHT  INFLUENZA VIRUS

Seasonal flu is something everyone can catch.

Yet this common infectious disease is killing half a million people each year around the world. Failure to efficiently kill  the virus after infection and failure to develop successful "flu" vaccines are caused by constant variations of its surface proteins.  Non-conventional strategies are designed by us: a) truncating the glycan chains in vaccine development to expose more conserved regions; b) using flu-specific glycan-binding agent that arrest the virus before its amplification.

STRUCTURAL BASIS OF CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY

Cancers are generally not  infectious diseases. But do you know that you can defend cancer using the same immune system defending pathogens? What if one day our body can produce anticancer antibodies that kill cancer cells before they'll ever have a chance to develop? What are cancer-specific targets we look for? How can we improve antibody's efficacy? Will cancer vaccine be actually realized? These are major questions to be answered. We believe structural biology will play an indispensable role towards these answers.

ANTIBIOTIC

DEVELOPMENT

You may survive from a chemotherapy after having cancer, but you won't have a chance  in infection after  bacteria become resistant to all antibiotics.  The seemingly simple process of bacterial growth is much more complicated than expected. Antibiotic development is therefore  extremely important and involves several stages: inhibitor screening, protein-inhibitor structures and  structure-based drug design/improvement.