BIOL-JS03

Preferred major field of study or minimum required skills

Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Microbiology. Skills in protein chemistry, gene cloning, organic chemistry and microbiology are preferred.

Scholarly significance/intellectual merit

Dr. Sun's lab focuses on how bacterial pathogens cause human diseases. We are particularly interested in understanding the roles of bacterial toxins and other virulent factors in bacterial pathogenesis, and using them as model systems to understand fundamental processes of biological sciences including protein-membrane interaction, protein pore formation and membrane translocation. We also apply the obtained knowledge to development of novel therapeutics and vaccines against infectious diseases.

Research question(s)

1. What is the structure of the putative ESAT-6 pore in the membrane?
2. What is the host receptor for ESAT-6 to lead Mtb into the cells?
3. What factors affect membrane interaction of ESAT-6?
4. Using ESAT-6/nanoparticles as a delivery tool for anti-TB drug?

Methods/techniques/instruments to be learned/utilized

• Basic biology, microbiology, biochemistry and chemistry
• Gene cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, gene knockout and gene knockdown
• Protein expression and purification with FPLC and other chromatographic techniques
• Study of protein-membrane interaction with liposome system and all kinds of fluorescent techniques
• Bacterial infection of host macrophages and related techniques.