Dr Junjie Zhang
Associate Professor | Biochemistry & Biophysics
The living cell contains a collection of molecular machines to grow and function. These machines include the ribosomes, the chaperons, the proteasomes and other enzymes.
Malfunction of these machines are related to many human diseases. Elucidation of their three-dimensional (3D) structures is essential to understanding how these machines work in the cell and eventually to treat those related diseases.
We use an experimental technique called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to image these cellular machines in their native environment at liquid nitrogen temperatures.
The primary goals of this project are to study the mechanism of how the novel structural features of Mtb ribosomes impact protein synthesis and to provide structural information that facilitates the development of Mtb-specific therapeutics.
This project focuses on the structural mechanisms by which ssRNA phages assemble themselves to recognize and destroy their host cells.
The goal of the current project is to establish a structural framework to reveal how the C. difficile toxins intoxicate the host cell and can be neutralized by engineered non-antibody protein therapeutics, which will provide a novel approach to treat CDI diseases.