Principle Investigator
A professor at the School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy at China Pharmaceutical University. She pursued her Ph.D. with a focus on peptide ligation chemistry in 2014 at Nanyang Technological University, followed with her doctoral studies specializing in the design and biosynthesis of active peptides. Dr. Hemu has mainly contributed in the discovery and redesign of natural peptide ligases, peptide asparaginyl ligases (PALs), for peptide and protein engineering with broad applications in the synthesis and modifications of functional biologics, with over 30 publications including research articles on JACS, PNAS, and ACS Catalysis. Her current research interests extend to the discovery, engineering, and applications of novel biocatalysis, computer-assisted design and synthesis of cyclic peptide drugs, and the investigation of natural stable peptides derived from Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs).
Principle Investigator
A professor at the School of Life Science and Technology at China Pharmaceutical University. She earned her Ph.D. in Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, with joint training at Imperial College London, and later served as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Dr. Zhang's research focuses on the development and optimization of therapeutic antibodies, including monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), as well as investigating their mechanisms in tumor immunotherapy and autoimmune diseases. She has led multiple national and provincial projects, such as the National Natural Science Foundation General Program, and collaborated extensively with biopharmaceutical companies, successfully transferring one antibody industrialization project. With over 60 SCI publications in journals like Cancer Research and Cancer Letters, and more than 10 authorized patents, her work has significantly advanced the field of biologics.
Advisor
Team Leader
Team Leader
Wet Lab
Wet Lab
Wet Lab
Wet Lab
Wet Lab
Model
Model
Human Practice
Human Practice
Art Design & Wiki
Art Design
Trainee Exp. & Model
Trainee Exp.
Trainee Exp.
Trainee UnExp. & Wiki
Trainee UnExp.
We gratefully acknowledge Professor Juan Zhang for her policy and financial support for this research. We thank Jiarong Mo for his guidance on the experimental procedures.
This
study aimed to convert the HRV-3C protease, a highly specific cysteine hydrolase, into a novel
peptide ligase through rational design. Our primary strategy involved computationally engineering
a hydrophobic active-site pocket to suppress the enzyme’s intrinsic hydrolytic activity by sterically
hindering the access of nucleophilic water molecules.