Chen Zhao

Chen Zhao,

Assistant Professor

Department: MD-BIOCHEM / MOLECULAR BIOL
Business Phone: (352) 294-8385
Business Email: chen.zhao@ufl.edu

About Chen Zhao

Dr. Zhao’s team is dedicated to deciphering the molecular mechanisms by which membrane proteins transduce signals at the cell membrane. By combining atomic structures determined by cryo-EM, with functional analyses such as electrophysiology, calcium imaging, and fluorescent microscopy, Dr. Zhao’s team aims to understand how the selectivity, specificity, and regulations are achieved for membrane signaling. Dr. Zhao’s team is particularly interested in expanding a newly developed method to visualize membrane protein structures in the cell membrane environment.

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Accomplishments

Jane Coffin Childs Fellowship
2018 · Jane Coffin Childs Foundation
Gruber Science Fellowship
2013 · Gruber Science Foundation/Yale University
Commencement Speech
2012 · University of Science and Techonology of China
Muo Ruo Guo Fellowship
2012 · University of Science and Techonology of China

Research Profile

Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)

0000-0002-2323-6951

Areas of Interest
  • Electrophysiology
  • cryo-EM
  • membrane protein

Publications

2024
Limitations in membrane protein structure determination by lipid nanodiscs
Trends in Biochemical Sciences. [DOI] 10.1016/j.tibs.2024.03.010.
2023
Membrane protein isolation and structure determination in cell-derived membrane vesicles.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 120(18) [DOI] 10.1073/pnas.2302325120. [PMID] 37098056.
2023
Structural and functional analyses of a GPCR-inhibited ion channel TRPM3.
Neuron. 111(1):81-91.e7 [DOI] 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.10.002. [PMID] 36283409.
2021
Molecular structure of an open human KATP channel.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 118(48) [DOI] 10.1073/pnas.2112267118. [PMID] 34815345.
2018
An ultraprocessive, accurate reverse transcriptase encoded by a metazoan group II intron.
RNA (New York, N.Y.). 24(2):183-195 [DOI] 10.1261/rna.063479.117. [PMID] 29109157.
2017
Structural Insights into the Mechanism of Group II Intron Splicing.
Trends in biochemical sciences. 42(6):470-482 [DOI] 10.1016/j.tibs.2017.03.007. [PMID] 28438387.
2017
The group II intron maturase: a reverse transcriptase and splicing factor go hand in hand.
Current opinion in structural biology. 47:30-39 [DOI] 10.1016/j.sbi.2017.05.002. [PMID] 28528306.
2016
Crystal structures of a group II intron maturase reveal a missing link in spliceosome evolution.
Nature structural & molecular biology. 23(6):558-65 [DOI] 10.1038/nsmb.3224. [PMID] 27136328.
2015
Crystal structure of group II intron domain 1 reveals a template for RNA assembly.
Nature chemical biology. 11(12):967-72 [DOI] 10.1038/nchembio.1949. [PMID] 26502156.
2015
Structural insights on mouse L-threonine dehydrogenase: A regulatory role of Arg180 in catalysis.
Journal of structural biology. 192(3):510-518 [DOI] 10.1016/j.jsb.2015.10.014. [PMID] 26492815.
2012
Combinatorial readout of unmodified H3R2 and acetylated H3K14 by the tandem PHD finger of MOZ reveals a regulatory mechanism for HOXA9 transcription.
Genes & development. 26(12):1376-91 [DOI] 10.1101/gad.188359.112. [PMID] 22713874.
2012
Solution structure of the Pdp1 PWWP domain reveals its unique binding sites for methylated H4K20 and DNA.
The Biochemical journal. 442(3):527-38 [DOI] 10.1042/BJ20111885. [PMID] 22150589.

Education

Ph.D.
2012-2017 · Yale University
B.S.
2008-2012 · University of Science and Technology of China

Contact Details

Phones:
Business:
(352) 294-8385
Emails:
Business:
chen.zhao@ufl.edu
Addresses:
Business Street:
1200 Newell Drive
ARB, R3-234
PO Box 100245
GAINESVILLE FL 32610