Contact Information
Title
Assistant Professor
Office
(Office) E12-3030 / (Lab) N22-3009
Phone
(Office) +853 8822 4509 / (Lab) +853 8822 4132
Fax
+853 8822 2314
Email
JunZheng@um.edu.mo
Consultation Hours

Tue, Fri 09:00 – 10:00

Teaching

Course Outlines

HSCI2002 General and Clinical Microbiology HSCI3002 Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Research Team
NamePositionOfficePhoneEmail
Le TANGPost-doctoral FellowE12-3019+853 8822 2761letang@um.edu.mo
Liangliang GAOResearch AssistantE12-3019+853 8822 2761lianglianggao@um.edu.mo
Jin ZOUPhD Student
Wenwen ZHANGPhD Student
Ruiqiang XIEPhD Student
Jincan LUOPhD Student
Chang LUPhD Student
Nian ZhangPhD Student
Xianyuan WeiPhD Student
Si Hoi KOUPhD students
Education
PhDDepartment of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore (2007)
MScInstitute of Genetics and Cytology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China (2002)
BScSchool of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China (1999)
Positions
2015-presentAssistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau
2013.4-2014.12Senior Scientist /Team Leader, Vela Diagnostics, Singapore
2012.1-2013.3Scientist, Vela Diagnostics, Singapore
2009.9-2011.12Research Fellow, Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore
2008.3-2009.8Research Fellow, Dept. of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, USA, Advisor: Dr. John Mekalanos
Research Interests
The treatment failure on bacterial infection diseases has become a global crisis again only less than 100 years after the first antibiotic was introduced for clinical use. It was estimated that ten million people across the world will be killed by antimicrobial resistant infections by 2050. Our lab is interested to understand how bacterial pathogens infect hosts as well as how antibiotics kill them, aiming to find solutions for global crisis of the antibiotic resistance.

 

  • Mechanism of bacterial death
    The crisis of antibiotics resistance calls for urgent actions to develop new antibiotics. One efficient way to achieve this goal is to understand how the current antibiotics act on bacteria and how bacteria respond to antibiotic killing as well as how bacteria develop antibiotic resistance. Such effort could lead to the identification of novel candidates as a target for new chemical identities with novel mode of action. With Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli as the model microorganisms, we employ a diverse toolkit, including genetics, biochemical, chemical genetic and metabolomic profiling, for key factors leading to bacterial tolerance to antibiotic killing. Our goal is to identify new targets for the development of more effective chemotherapies.
  • Bacterial pathogenesis
    We attempt to understand the molecular mechanism that bacterial pathogens use to attack and exploit hosts. Currently we mainly focus on type VI secretion system (T6SS), a complex molecular nanomachine for translocation of effector proteins to eukaryotic cells or prokaryotic competitors. With Vibrio parahaemolyticus as a model, we are dedicating to the role of T6SSs during bacterial survival and infection as well as the underlying mechanism of action of the effectors.
  • Development of new antibacterials
    We look for new antibacterial reagent for resistant bacterial pathogens and are interested in multi-discipline collaborations.
Representative Publications
  1. Zou, J., Kou, S. H., Xie, R. Q., VanNieuwenhze, M. S., Qu, J. X., Peng, B., and Zheng, J. (2020) Non-Walled Spherical Acinetobacter Baumannii Is an Important Type of Persisters Upon Beta-Lactam Antibiotics Treatment. Emerg Microbes Infect 9 (1), 1149-1159
  2. Zheng, J. (2020) SARS-CoV-2: An Emerging Coronavirus That Causes a Global Threat. Int J Biol Sci 16 (10), 1678-1685
  3. Zhang, W. W., Xie, R. Q., Zhang, X. H. D., Lee, L., Zhang, H. J., Yang, M. H., Peng, B., and Zheng, J. (2020) Organism Dual RNA-Seq Reveals the Importance of BarA/UvrY in Vibrio Parahaemolyticus Virulence. Faseb J
  4. Jiang, M., Yang, L. F., Chen, Z. G., Lai, S. S., Zheng, J., and Peng, B. (2020) Exogenous Maltose Enhances Zebrafish Immunity to Levofloxacin-Resistant Vibrio Alginolyticus. Microb Biotechnol 13 (4), 1213-1227
  5. Ji, X., Zou, J., Peng, H. B., Stolle, A.-S., Xie, R. Q., Zhang, H. J., Peng, B., Mekalanos, J. J., and Zheng, J. (2019) Alarmone Ap4A Is Elevated by Aminoglycoside Antibiotics and Enhances Their Bactericidal Activity. P Natl Acad Sci Usa 116 (19), 9578-9585
  6. Zou, J., Zhang, W. W., Zhang, H. J., Zhang, X. H. D., Peng, B., and Zheng, J. (2018) Studies on Aminoglycoside Susceptibility Identify a Novel Function of KsgA to Secure Translational Fidelity During Antibiotic Stress. Antimicrob Agents Ch 62 (10), e00853-00818
  7. Zhang, Y. C., Faucher, F., Zhang, W. W., Wang, S., Neville, N., Poole, K., Zheng, J., and Jia, Z. C. (2018) Structure-Guided Disruption of the Pseudopilus Tip Complex Inhibits the Type II Secretion in Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. Plos Pathog 14 (10), e1007343
  8. Ye, J.-Z., Su, Y.-B., Lin, X.-M., Lai, S.-S., Li, W.-X., Ali, F., Zheng, J., and Peng, B. (2018) Alanine Enhances Aminoglycosides-Induced ROS Production as Revealed by Proteomic Analysis. Front Microbiol 9, 29
  9. Ye, J. Z., Lin, X. M., Cheng, Z. X., Su, Y. B., Li, W. X., Ali, F. M., Zheng, J., and Peng, B. (2018) Identification and Efficacy of Glycine, Serine and Threonine Metabolism in Potentiating Kanamycin-Mediated Killing of Edwardsiella Piscicida. J Proteomics 183, 34-44
  10. Xie, R. Q., Zhang, X. H. D., Zhao, Q., Peng, B., and Zheng, J. (2018) Analysis of Global Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in Acinetobacter Baumannii Infections Disclosed a Faster Increase in OECD Countries. Emerg Microbes Infect 7 (1), 31
  11. Wang, S., Li, Z., Liu, Y., Feng, G., Zheng, J., Yuan, Z., and Zhang, X. (2018) Activatable Photoacoustic and Fluorescent Probe of Nitric Oxide for Cellular and in Vivo Imaging. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 267, 403-411
  12. Gao, D. Y., Ji, X., Wang, J. L., Wang, Y. T., Li, D. L., Liu, Y. B., Chang, K. W., Qu, J. L., Zheng, J., and Yuan, Z. (2018) Engineering a Protein-Based Nanoplatform as an Antibacterial Agent for Light Activated Dual-Modal Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy of Infection in Both the NIR I and II Windows. J Mater Chem B 6 (5), 732-739
  13. Li, S. K., Jiang, N., Zhao, W. X., Ding, Y. F., Zheng, Y., Wang, L. H., Zheng, J., and Wang, R. B. (2017) An Eco-Friendly in Situ Activatable Antibiotic Via Cucurbit[8]Uril-Mediated Supramolecular Crosslinking of Branched Polyethylenimine. Chem Commun 53 (43), 5870-5873
  14. Kuok, K. I., In Ng, P. C., Ji, X., Wang, C. M., Yew, W. W., Chan, D., Zheng, J., Lee, S., and Wang, R. B. (2017) Supramolecular Strategy for Reducing the Cardiotoxicity of Bedaquiline without Compromising Its Antimycobacterial Efficacy. Food Chem Toxicol 119, 425-429
  15. Zhang, M., Kong, X., Zheng, J., Wan, J. B., Wang, Y., Hu, Y., and Shao, R. (2016) Research and Development of Antibiotics: Insights from Patents and Citation Network. Expert Opin Ther Pat 26 (5), 617-627
  16. Moradigaravand, D., Grandjean, L., Martinez, E., Li, H., Zheng, J., Coronel, J., Moore, D., Torok, M. E., Sintchenko, V., Huang, H., Javid, B., Parkhill, J., Peacock, S. J., and Koser, C. U. (2016) dfrA thyA Double Deletion in para-Aminosalicylic Acid-Resistant Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Beijing Strains. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 60 (6), 3864-3867
  17. Li, S., Chan, J. Y., Li, Y., Bardelang, D., Zheng, J., Yew, W. W., Chan, D. P., Lee, S. M., and Wang, R. (2016) Complexation of Clofazimine by Macrocyclic Cucurbit[7]Uril Reduced Its Cardiotoxicity without Affecting the Antimycobacterial Efficacy. Org Biomol Chem 14 (31), 7563-7569
  18. Zheng, J., Rubin, E. J., Bifani, P., Mathys, V., Lim, V., Au, M., Jang, J., Nam, J., Dick, T., Walker, J. R., Pethe, K., and Camacho, L. R. (2013) para-Aminosalicylic Acid Is a Prodrug Targeting Dihydrofolate Reductase in Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. J Biol Chem 288 (32), 23447-23456
  19. Mak, P. A., Rao, S. P., Ping Tan, M., Lin, X., Chyba, J., Tay, J., Ng, S. H., Tan, B. H., Cherian, J., Duraiswamy, J., Bifani, P., Lim, V., Lee, B. H., Ling Ma, N., Beer, D., Thayalan, P., Kuhen, K., Chatterjee, A., Supek, F., Glynne, R., Zheng, J., Boshoff, H. I., Barry, C. E., 3rd, Dick, T., Pethe, K., and Camacho, L. R. (2012) A High-Throughput Screen to Identify Inhibitors of ATP Homeostasis in Non-Replicating Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. Acs Chem Biol 7 (7), 1190-1197
  20. Zheng, J., Ho, B., and Mekalanos, J. J. (2011) Genetic Analysis of Anti-Amoebae and Anti-Bacterial Activities of the Type VI Secretion System in Vibrio Cholerae. PLoS One 6 (8), e23876
  21. Schmitt, E. K., Riwanto, M., Sambandamurthy, V., Roggo, S., Miault, C., Zwingelstein, C., Krastel, P., Noble, C., Beer, D., Rao, S. P., Au, M., Niyomrattanakit, P., Lim, V., Zheng, J., Jeffery, D., Pethe, K., and Camacho, L. R. (2011) The Natural Product Cyclomarin Kills Mycobacterium Tuberculosis by Targeting the ClpC1 Subunit of the Caseinolytic Protease. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 50 (26), 5889-5891
  22. Zheng, J., Shin, O. S., Cameron, D. E., and Mekalanos, J. J. (2010) Quorum Sensing and a Global Regulator TsrA Control Expression of Type VI Secretion and Virulence in Vibrio Cholerae. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 107 (49), 21128-21133
  23. Xie, H. X., Yu, H. B., Zheng, J., Nie, P., Foster, L. J., Mok, Y. K., Finlay, B. B., and Leung, K. Y. (2010) EseG, an Effector of the Type III Secretion System of Edwardsiella Tarda, Triggers Microtubule Destabilization. Infect Immun 78 (12), 5011-5021
  24. Jobichen, C., Chakraborty, S., Li, M., Zheng, J., Joseph, L., Mok, Y. K., Leung, K. Y., and Sivaraman, J. (2010) Structural Basis for the Secretion of EvpC: A Key Type VI Secretion System Protein from Edwardsiella Tarda. PLoS One 5 (9), e12910
  25. Zheng, J., Li, N., Tan, Y. P., Sivaraman, J., Mok, Y. K., Mo, Z. L., and Leung, K. Y. (2007) EscC Is a Chaperone for the Edwardsiella Tarda Type III Secretion System Putative Translocon Components EseB and EseD. Microbiology 153 (Pt 6), 1953-1962
  26. Zheng, J., and Leung, K. Y. (2007) Dissection of a Type VI Secretion System in Edwardsiella Tarda. Mol Microbiol 66 (5), 1192-1206
  27. Zheng, J., Tung, S. L., and Leung, K. Y. (2005) Regulation of a Type III and a Putative Secretion System in Edwardsiella Tarda by EsrC Is under the Control of a Two-Component System, EsrA-EsrB. Infect Immun 73 (7), 4127-4137
  28. Tan, Y. P., Zheng, J., Tung, S. L., Rosenshine, I., and Leung, K. Y. (2005) Role of Type III Secretion in Edwardsiella Tarda Virulence. Microbiology 151 (Pt 7), 2301-2313
Awards
The best paper published by Journal of Biological Chemistry in the field of Microbiology in 2013
Grants
  1. PI, MOP 150,000. Start-up Research Grant (SRG2015-00006-FHS). 2015 to 2017
  2. PI, MOP 2,293,000. The Science and Technology Development Fund of Macau SAR (FDCT 066/2015/A2). 2016 to 2019
  3. PI, MOP 1,188,000. Multi-Year Research Grant (MYRG2016-00199-FHS). 2016 to 2019
  4. PI, MOP 1,490,000. Multi-Year Research Grant (MYRG2016-00073-FHS). 2016 to 2019
  5. PI, MOP 2,083,600. The Science and Technology Development Fund of Macau SAR (FDCT 0058/2018/A2). 2018 to 2021
  6. PI, MOP 2,216,000. The Science and Technology Development Fund of Macau SAR (FDCT0113/2019/A2). 2019 to 2021.
  7. PI, MOP450,000. University of Macau Multi-Year Research Grant (MYRG2019-00050-FHS). 2020 to 2021.
  8. Co-PI, MOP2,700,000, Macau Giant Panda Fund. 2019 to 2022
Team members:
Dr. Jun Zheng, Principle InvestigatorXia Ji, PhD candidate
Jin Zou, PhD candidate
Zhi Li, PhD candidate
Ruiqiang Xie, PhD candidate
Wenwen Zhang, PhD candidate
Jincan Luo, PhD candidate
Chang Lu, Graduate student

 

Former lab-members
Haibo Peng, Research Assistant
Xiuying Zhang, Research Assistant
Kosuke Obayashi, exchange student from Tokyo University of Science
Rixin Wang, Summer program student

Highly motivated researchers are always welcome to join our team. Please directly contact the PI.