Hongjin Zheng, Ph.D., is a distinguished biophysicist specializing in the structural and functional characterization of disease-related membrane proteins across eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. His innovative research integrates protein biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology, and computational biology to uncover molecular mechanisms underlying critical health challenges, paving the way for novel therapeutic strategies.
Dr. Zheng’s research centers on two key areas:
- combating bacterial infections by targeting siderophore-iron transporters, and
- elucidating the role of human solute carriers in rare diseases.
His groundbreaking work on bacterial siderophore-iron importers, such as the yersiniabactin importer YbtPQ from uropathogenic E. coli, revealed an unprecedented exporter protein fold, a first in the field. Similarly, his structural studies on Sialin, a human lysosomal sialic acid transporter linked to sialic acid storage disorders, have clarified the impact of pathogenic mutations and proposed new treatment avenues for this rare disease. Over the past decade, Dr. Zheng’s high-resolution structural discoveries have significantly advanced the understanding of membrane protein function and disease relevance.
Currently, Dr. Zheng’s research is supported by two NIH R01 grants and an NIH R35 award, reflecting the high impact and recognition of his work. He earned his B.S. from the University of Science and Technology of China, his Ph.D. from the University of Washington, Seattle, and completed postdoctoral training at the Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Since 2015, he has served as a faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Zheng now joins the UAB Department of Microbiology as an Associate Professor, where he continues to drive transformative discoveries in membrane protein biophysics.