Overview
The Zhou lab focuses on the elucidation of the structure and dynamics of protein–protein and protein–ligand interactions and their functions in various cellular processes. Our current efforts are directed at enzymes and protein complexes involved in bacterial membrane biosynthesis, translesion DNA synthesis, co-transcriptional regulation, and host-pathogen interactions. Our investigations of these important cellular machineries have led to the development of novel antibiotics and cancer therapeutics, as well as the establishment of new biotechnology adventures.
The Zhou lab integrates a variety of biochemical and biophysical tools, including NMR, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and enzymology. The lab has played a major role in the development and application of innovative NMR technologies, including high-resolution, high-dimensional spectral reconstruction techniques.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
REV1 Loss Triggers a G2/M Cell-Cycle Arrest Through Dysregulation of Mitotic Regulators
Journal Article Genes · December 31, 2025 Background: Genomic integrity is crucial to the cellular life cycle, which involves a tightly regulated process where cells progress through specific phases to ensure that fully replicated, undamaged DNA is inherited by daughter cells. Any dysfunct ... Full text CiteA bacterial nutrition strategy for plant disease control.
Journal Article Science · December 18, 2025 Xanthomonas spp. cause serious diseases in more than 400 plant species. The conserved AvrBs2 family effectors are among the most important virulence factors in xanthomonads, but how AvrBs2 promotes infection remains elusive. We found that AvrBs2 is a glyce ... Full text Link to item CiteFrom Obscurity to Opportunity: LpxH Emerges as a Promising Antibiotic Target in the Battle against Gram-Negative Pathogens.
Journal Article ACS Infect Dis · November 14, 2025 The surging crisis of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative pathogens underscores the urgent need for antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action. A promising strategy is to target previously unexploited pathways, such as lipid A biosynthesis. Lipid A function ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
LpxH Inhibitors as Novel Therapeutics Against Multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030Interferon-inducible cell-autonomous immunity to cytosolic bacterial pathogens
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2024 - 2028Inhibiting Rev1-mediated DNA translesion synthesis for cancer therapy
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Cancer Institute · 2024 - 2028View All Grants