Chemical biology
Protein reactions
Site-selective protein reactions (cysteine, tyrosine to lysine reactions);
Chemical labeling or modification of proteins, enzymes, antibodies, and organelles ex vivo and in vivo
Peptides and enzymes against bacterial infection
Mechanism-based design of peptide inhibitors of signaling pathways in host cells to intervene host-pathogen interaction
Synthetic biology
Synthetic organelles for biosynthesis
Multienzyme complexes, synthetic metabolon, and phase-separated protein coacervates in vitro and in vivo;
Regulation of metabolic flux in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells for better biosynthesis of carotenoids, artemisinin, cannabinoids, or amorphadiene, etc
Engineering exosomes for biomedical research
Engineering exosomes for targeted therapy of cartilage and skin regeneration and anti-infection
Nature creates artistic, awe-inspiring designs at all levels and in every aspect of our lives. Proteins are the main building blocks of life. Each of them is individual machinery with fascinating structures and versatile functions, including providing structural support for the cells, mediating biological interactions, offering guidance for biological entities, and executing catalytic roles in synthesis and deconstruction, etc. They can further assemble into complex entities with sizes ranging from nanometers to micrometers, or even larger; these protein assemblies or complexes exhibit collective behaviors and perform functions that surpass the individuals.
We are interested in the chemistry, biology, and engineering of protein, with focuses on the development of new protein reactions for chemical biological applications, protein assembly in synthetic biological applications, and exploring protein-based biomaterials as new therapies for diseases, such as infection and degeneration.
Xia lab 