Yuhe Renee YANG, Professor, obtained her Bachelor's degree in 2011 from the Department of Chemistry at Tsinghua University under the supervision of Prof. Dongsheng Liu. Her graduation thesis was selected as an Outstanding Undergraduate Thesis of Tsinghua University. In May 2016, she earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Chemistry at Arizona State University, USA, advised by Prof. Hao Yan, where her development of DNA-nanostructure-templated multi-enzyme systems gained significant academic attention. Subsequently, she conducted postdoctoral research at the Center for Integrative Structural Biology at Scripps Research, collaborating with Prof. Andrew Ward, during which she made breakthrough progress in cryo-EM structural studies of HIV and influenza viruses.

Research Interests

DNA-Nanomaterial-Based Immune Function Regulation, Vaccine Design, and Structural Biology-Driven Immune Response Characterization

1. Establishment of Nucleic Acid-Viral Protein Self-Assembly Systems

Rational design of DNA self-assembled structures and controlled preparation/performance studies of their protein composite architectures.

2. Exploration of Programmable DNA/RNA Nanovaccine Immunofunctions

Including in vitro immunogenicity analysis and in vivo animal immunization studies.

3. Vaccine Immunopotency Analysis

Epitope mapping of monoclonal/polyclonal antibodies via room-temperature/cryo-EM technologies.

Achieve in vivo immune regulation and mechanistic studies for HIV/influenza/coronaviruses, providing novel theoretical frameworks and methodologies for viral disease prevention/therapy.

Selected Publications (full list via Google Scholar)

1. Jinglin, Fu#*; Yuhe R., Yang#; Alexander, Johnson Buck; Minghui, Liu; Yan, Liu; Nils G., Walter; Neal W, Woodbury; Hao, Yan*; Multi-enzyme complexes on DNA scaffolds capable of substrate channelling with an artificial swinging arm, Nature Nanotechnology, 2014, 9(7): 531-536.

2. Yuhe R., Yang#; Laura E., McCoy#; Marit J., van Gils; Raiees, Andrabi; Hannah L., Turner; Meng, Yuan; Christopher A., Cottrell; Gabriel, Ozorowski; James, Voss; Matthias, Pauthner; Thomas M., Polveroni; Terrence, Messmer; Ian A., Wilson; Rogier W., Sanders; Dennis R., Burton; Andrew B., Ward*; Autologous Antibody Responses to an HIV Envelope Glycan Hole Are Not Easily Broadened in Rabbits , Journal of Virology, 2020, 94(7).

3. Yuhe R., Yang; Jinglin, Fu; Shaun, Wootten; Xiaodong, Qi; Minghui,Liu; Hao, Yan; Yan, Liu*; 2D Enzyme Cascade Network with Efficient Substrate Channeling by Swinging Arms , ChemBioChem, 2018, 19(3): 212-216.

4. Yuhe R., Yang; Yan, Liu; Hao, Yan*; DNA Nanostructures as Programmable Biomolecular Scaffolds, Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2015, 26(8): 1381-1395.

5. Yuhe, Yang; Yawei, Sun; Yang, Yang; Yongzheng, Xing; Tao, Zhang; Zeming, Wang; Zhongqiang, Yang*; Dongsheng, Liu*; Influence of Tetra(ethylene glycol) (EG(4)) Substitution at the Loop Region on the Intramolecular DNA i- Motif, Macromolecules, 2012, 45(6): 2643-2647.