Yanxin Liu

Assistant Professor

Liu Group

Contact

Email: yxliu@umd.edu

Call: (240) 314-6441

Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco
  • Ph.D. in Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • M.S. in Physics, Florida International University
  • B.S. in Applied Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University

Profile

Research in Dr. Yanxin Liu's lab focuses on the mechanistic understanding of chaperone-mediated protein folding and translocation. We employ an integrative approach that combines biophysics, biochemistry, structural biology, and computational modeling. In particular, we are specialized in emerging technologies of high-resolution single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-electron tomography, and large-scale atomistic molecular dynamics simulation. We are currently recruiting undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers. Please contact Dr. Liu for more details. 

Publications
2023
In situ cryo-electron tomography reveals the asymmetric architecture of mammalian sperm axonemes.
2021
CryoEM and AI reveal a structure of SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2, a multifunctional protein involved in key host processes.
2020
An ultrapotent synthetic nanobody neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 by stabilizing inactive Spike.
Comparative host-coronavirus protein interaction networks reveal pan-viral disease mechanisms.
General and robust covalently linked graphene oxide affinity grids for high-resolution cryo-EM.
The mitochondrial HSP90 paralog TRAP1 forms an OXPHOS-regulated tetramer and is involved in mitochondrial metabolic homeostasis.
2018
Designed peptides that assemble into cross-α amyloid-like structures.
2017
Symmetry broken and rebroken during the ATP hydrolysis cycle of the mitochondrial Hsp90 TRAP1.
2016
Atomic structure of Hsp90-Cdc37-Cdk4 reveals that Hsp90 traps and stabilizes an unfolded kinase.
2015
Comparing Fast Pressure Jump and Temperature Jump Protein Folding Experiments and Simulations.
2014
Stable small quantum dots for synaptic receptor tracking on live neurons.
Molecular insights into the membrane-associated phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase IIα.
Single molecule FRET reveals pore size and opening mechanism of a mechano-sensitive ion channel.
Observation of complete pressure-jump protein refolding in molecular dynamics simulation and experiment.
2013
Flexible interwoven termini determine the thermal stability of thermosomes.
Misplaced helix slows down ultrafast pressure-jump protein folding.
Atomic model of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus by cryo-electron microscopy and crystallography.
Fusion pore formation and expansion induced by Ca2+ and synaptotagmin 1.
2012
Structural Characterization of λ-Repressor Folding from All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations.
2011
Extension of a three-helix bundle domain of myosin VI and key role of calmodulins.