Regular biography
Prof. Liang, Zhao-Xun is a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Nanyang Technological University. His research focuses on discovering novel enzymes, pathways, and mechanisms involved in natural product biosynthesis and bacterial pathogenesis. His work leverages genomics, biochemistry, and synthetic biology to awaken cryptic biosynthetic pathways and engineer microbes to produce "unnatural" natural products. Additionally, his research examines cyclic dinucleotides as key signaling molecules in bacterial processes. His lab also explores the biosynthesis of complex natural products such as tasikamides and anthraquinone-fused enediynes.
Scholar-generated biography
Zhao-Xun LIANG is a researcher in Synthetic Microbiology and Oligonucleotide Signalling, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) signaling in bacteria. Their work explores the roles of c-di-GMP in biofilm formation, gene regulation, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. LIANG's research includes the structural and functional analysis of enzymes such as phosphodiesterases and diguanylate cyclases, as well as the investigation of protein dynamics and cofactor interactions. They have also examined the potential of fungal endophytes and antimicrobial nanofibers for biomedical applications. Their studies contribute to understanding how c-di-GMP modulates bacterial behavior and its implications in biotechnology and medicine.