Dr. Xuechen Li　　　李學臣博士

Ph.D.  Harvard

  
               
Office:
Professor Xuechen Li

Room 418C
Chong Yuet Ming Chemistry Building
The University of Hong Kong
Pokfulam Road
Hong Kong

    
  Tel. No.:
E-Mail:
 (852) 2219 4992
xuechenl@hku.hk
Teaching Subjects        
     
   

Advanced Organic Chemistry (CHEM3404),
Principles of Chemical Biology (CHEM2509)



   
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Position for Postdoctoral Research Associates and Research Assistants:
   

Highly motivated chemists with a strong background in synthetic peptide chemistry are welcomed to apply.

   
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Research Interests        
     
   

Our research interests include synthetic organic chemistry, chemical biology, drug discovery, synthetic protein chemistry and carbohydrate chemistry.




Synthetic Organic Chemistry

One of obstacles for studying glycosylation is the limited access to glycoconjugates (oligosaccharides, glycolipids, glycoproteins). We are interested in developing novel glycosylation methods, (glyco) peptide/protein ligations, and automated oligosaccharide synthesis to rapidly prepare biologically important glycoconjugates and other bioactive molecules, such as antibiotics, and anticancer agents.

 

Chemical Biology

Chemical tools have allowed for many biological questions to be answered at a molecular level. One long-term goal of this research program is to design and discovery fluorogenic reagents for labeling proteins and carbohydrates and sensors for detecting bio-molecules under physiological conditions.

 

Development of novel antiviral agents against influenza A

The emergency of new viral subtypes resistant to current therapeutics and the great concerns about influenza pandemic have stimulated new research into searching for next generation anti-influenza drugs. To address the need for new antivirals against influenza A viruses resistant to current therapeutics, chemical agents that act on additional virus targets different from current existing drug targets (i.e. neuraminidase) are urgently needed. Hemagglutinin (HA) is the surface glycoprotein of influenza A, which mediates viral entry into the host cell. Therefore, it is conceivable that chemical agents as HA blockers for inhibiting adhesion of the virus to a host cell would also be therapeutically effective. Our research program includes the development of an efficient diversity-oriented synthesis strategy to prepare a chemical library of low-molecule-weight drug-like molecules as potential hemagglutinin blockers. In addition, we are interested in the development of a high throughput-screening assay. We are also engaged in the antibacterial and anticancer drug discovery.

 

Studies on N-linked Glycosylation in C. jejuni

N-linked glycoprotenis function as important makers in a broad range of cellular events. Although extensive research has been done to understand this process, many questions about the biological assembly of N-linked glycoprotenis in eukaryotic systems remains unanswered due its complexity. More recently, a bacterial strain, C. jejuni, is reported to contain a simpler N-linked glycosylation process, which is proposed as a good model system to study the same process in eukaryotes. We are interested in developing chemical probes and using chemical approach to study some critical enzymes involved in N-linked glycosylation in C. jejuni.

 

Our Research Group (summer, 2010)

Group Member
Dr. Jianzhi Gong, Research Associate (Ph.D., Shandong University)
Dr. Han Liu, Research Associate (Ph.D., Peking University)
Ms. Yinfeng Zhang, Ph.D. Candidate, 2010-  (B.Sc,, M. Sc., Lanzhou University)
Mr. Hiu Yung Lam, Ph.D. Candidate, 2010-  (B.Sc., The University of Hong Kong)
Mr. Chi Lung Lee, undergraduate (The University of Hong Kong)
Mr. William Poh, undergraduate (Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, USA)
Mr. Chun Ling Tung, undergraduate (University of Indianapolis, USA)
Mr. Ernest Cheng So, undergraduate (University of Cambridge, UK)
 
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Selected Publications
     
   
  1. Li, X.*; Lam, H. Y.; Zhang, Y.; Chan, C. K. Org. Lett. 2010, 12, 1724.
  2. Rao, Y.; Li, X.; Danishefsky, S. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 12924.
  3. Rao, Y.; Li, X.; Nagorny, P.; Hayashida, J. Danishefsky, S. J. Tetrahedron Lett. 2009, 50, 6684.
  4. Nagorny, P.; Fasching, B.; Li, X.; Chen, G.; Aussedate, B.; Danishefsky, S. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 5792.
  5. Wu, X.; Yuan, Y.; Li, X.; Danishefsky. S. J. Tetrahedron Lett. 2009, 50, 4666.
  6. Yuan, Y.; Zhu, J.; Li, X.; Wu, X.; Danishefsky, S. J. Tetrahedron Lett. 2009, 50, 2329.
  7. Wu, X.; Li, X.; Danishefsky, S. J. Tetrahedron Lett. 2009, 50, 1523.
  8. Jones, G, O.; Li, X,; Hayden, A. D.; Houk, K.N.; Danishefsky, S. J. Org. Lett. 2008, 10, 4093.
  9. Li, X.; Danishefsky, S. J. Nature Protocols, 2008, 3, 1666.
  10. Li, X.; Yuan, Y.; Kan, C.; Danishefsky, S. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 13225.
  11. Li, X.; Yuan, Y.; Berkowitz, W. F.; Todaro, L. J.; Danishefsky, S. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 13222.
  12. Li, X.; Danishefsky, S. J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 5446.
  13. Taylor, J. G.; Li, X.; Oberthur, M.; Zhu, W.; Kahne, D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 15084.
  14. Gennadios, H. A.; Whittington, D. A.; Li, X.; Fierke, C. A.; Christianson, D. A., Biochemistry 2006, 45, 7940.
  15. Li, X.; McClerren, A. L.; Raetz, C. R. H.; Hindsgaul, O., J. Carbohydr. Chem. 2005, 24, 583.
  16. Coggins, B. E.; McClerren, A. L.; Jiang, L.; Li, X.; Rudolph, J.; Hindsgaul, O.; Raetz, C. R. H.; Zhou, P., Biochemistry 2005, 44, 1114.
  17. Coggins, B. E.; Li, X.; Hindsgaul, O.; Raetz, C. R. H.; Zhou, P., J. Biomol. NMR 2004, 82, 201.
  18. Coggins, B. E.; Li, X.; McClerren, A, L.; Hindsgaul, O.; Raetz, C. R. H.; Zhou, P.; Nature Struct. Biol. 2003, 10, 645.
  19. 19) Li, X.; Uchiyama, T.; Raetz, C. R. H.; Hindsgaul, O. Org. Lett. 2003, 5, 539.
 
   
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