Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica
Interactions between microbes and host organisms, such as microbiota in the human gut, are essential to health but can also lead to diseases with profound societal impacts (e.g., COVID-19). IBC researchers probe interactions among proteins and between glycans and proteins that are fundamental to host–microbe interactions. Our researchers also study important enzymes or proteins of microorganisms and identify new compounds, both from nature and through chemical synthesis, that have therapeutic potential or that can be biological probes. In other focus areas, we work toward developing new vaccines and diagnostics.
Host – Microbe Interactions researchers at IBC:
Todd L. Lowary
Synthetic Chemistry, Carbohydrate Chemistry
Rita Pei-Yeh Chen
Protein Folding and Misfolding, Drug Discovery for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Drug-resistant Pathogens
Takashi Angata
The Regulation of Physiological Processes by Sialic Acids
Yu-Ling Shih
Bacterial Physiology Underlying Cell Growth, Division, and Morphogenesis
Chun-Hung Lin
Glycobiology, Enzymology, Synthetic Chemistry, Biophysics
Danny Shang-Te Hsu
Structural Biology, Biophysical Chemistry
Po-Huang Liang
Discovery of inhibitors against host- and microorganism-Derived Proteases for antimicrobial drug discovery, Characterizations of biopolymers synthesizing and degrading enzymes
Hsin-Yung Yen
Native mass spectrometry, Membrane protein biology, Structural biology, Drug discovery
Hsiao-Ching Lin
Natural Product Biosynthesis
Meng-Chiao Ho
Structure, Function, and Biophysical Properties of Proteins
Tzu-Ching Meng
Fundamental Principle that Governs Redox Regulation of Cysteine Enzymes
Communication across cell membranes is critical to a wide array of biological phenomena and diseases. IBC researchers study intracellular and extracellular signaling and membrane dynamics at the molecular level. Their findings will apply to treating neurodegenerative diseases, preventing infection, treating cancer and using stem cells in disease therapies.
Intracellular – Extracellular Communication researchers at IBC:
Ruey-Hwa Chen
The Roles of Cullin-RING Family Ubiquitin Ligases in Human Cancers, The Roles of Ubiquitination in Autophagy Regulation
Chi-Kuang Yao
Neuroscience, Neural diseases, Membrane trafficking
Takashi Angata
The Regulation of Physiological Processes by Sialic Acids
Wei-Yuan Yang
Autophagy, Organelle Damage Responses, Cell Imaging, Optogenetics
Yu-Ling Shih
Bacterial Physiology Underlying Cell Growth, Division, and Morphogenesis
Guang-Chao Chen
Functional Analysis of PTPs in Development and Human Diseases, Molecular Signaling and PTM of Autophagy
Chun-Hung Lin
Glycobiology, Enzymology, Synthetic Chemistry, Biophysics
Jui-Hsia Weng
Chemical Biology, Systems Immunology, Inter-Organ Communication, Drug & Biomarker Discovery
Hsin-Yung Yen
Native mass spectrometry, Membrane protein biology, Structural biology, Drug discovery
Hungwen Chen
Molecular Mechanism Underlying the Stemness and Differentiation of Adult Stem Cells
Kay-Hooi Khoo
MS-based Protein Modification Analysis, Proteomics, Glycomics, Glycoproteomics
Tzu-Ching Meng
Fundamental Principle that Governs Redox Regulation of Cysteine Enzymes
Cell homeostasis is the ability of a cell to maintain an internal steady state. Imbalances in that state can lead to disease. IBC researchers investigate the mechanisms of homeostasis processes including autophagy, protein folding, protein quality control, redox regulation, and ubiquitination. They are developing foundational knowledge that will lead to therapies for cancer, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease.
Cell Homeostasis researchers at IBC:
Rita Pei-Yeh Chen
Protein Folding and Misfolding, Drug Discovery for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Drug-resistant Pathogens
Ruey-Hwa Chen
The Roles of Cullin-RING Family Ubiquitin Ligases in Human Cancers, The Roles of Ubiquitination in Autophagy Regulation
Chi-Kuang Yao
Neuroscience, Neural diseases, Membrane trafficking
Yane-Shih Wang
Protein Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs) and Their Networks
Chung-I Chang
Intracellular Protein Degradation
Kuen-Phon Wu
Protein Ubiquitination, Protein Design, Amyloidosis and disease
Wei-Yuan Yang
Autophagy, Organelle Damage Responses, Cell Imaging, Optogenetics
Guang-Chao Chen
Functional Analysis of PTPs in Development and Human Diseases, Molecular Signaling and PTM of Autophagy
Danny Shang-Te Hsu
Structural Biology, Biophysical Chemistry
Meng-Chiao Ho
Structure, Function, and Biophysical Properties of Proteins
Kay-Hooi Khoo
MS-based Protein Modification Analysis, Proteomics, Glycomics, Glycoproteomics
Tzu-Ching Meng
Fundamental Principle that Governs Redox Regulation of Cysteine Enzymes
Synthetic biology seeks to create or redesign biological materials for new purposes. IBC researchers working in synthetic biology are experts in gene editing, cell and protein engineering and design, biocatalyst optimization and natural product biosynthesis. Their findings can be applied to solving important sustainability problems (e.g., fuels from microbial synthesis), developing new cells for immunotherapy and synthesizing new chemical entities or novel proteins as potential therapeutics.
Synthetic Biology researchers at IBC:
Steven Lin
Developing CRISPR/Cas9 Methods to Enable Robust, Precise and Safe Genome Manipulations in Human Genome
Yane-Shih Wang
Protein Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs) and Their Networks
Po-Huang Liang
Discovery of inhibitors against host- and microorganism-Derived Proteases for antimicrobial drug discovery, Characterizations of biopolymers synthesizing and degrading enzymes
Hsiao-Ching Lin
Natural Product Biosynthesis
James C. Liao
Metabolic Engineering, Synthetic Biology, Bioenergy, Bioengineering