Graduated with a bachelor's degree from Anhui University in 2007 and a PhD from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2012. Conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University School of Medicine in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology (2013-2016) and at the Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto (2016-2017).
For many years, focused on the structure and function of protein complexes and membrane proteins, developing novel protein engineering methods for antibody screening, protein activity modification, and regulation of cell signaling pathways. Published research in international journals such as Nature, Nature Communications, eLife, and the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Main Research Areas:
1. Membrane Protein Structure and Function: Use structural biology methods to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of transmembrane protein-mediated transport and signal transduction in higher organisms.
2. Antibody Design and Protein Engineering: Design antibody and protein libraries to screen for protein variants with desired activities for basic research and drug development.
3. Synthetic Biology: Design orthogonal signaling pathways in eukaryotic cells for smart cell design and modification, aiming for precise treatment of specific diseases.
Representative Papers:
1. Tao Y, Mis M, Blazer L, Ustav M Jnr, Steinhart Z, Chidiac R, Kubarakos E, O'Brien S, Wang X, Jarvik N, Patel N, Adams J, Moffat J, Angers S, Sidhu SS. (2019) Tailored tetravalent antibodies potently and specifically activate Wnt/Frizzled pathways in cells, organoids and mice. Elife 8: e46134
2. Tao Y*, Cheung L*, Li S, Eom J, Chen L, Xu Y, Perry K, Frommer W, Feng L. (2015) Structure of a eukaryotic SWEET transporter in a homo-trimeric complex. Nature 527: 259-63
3. Xu Y*, Tao Y*, Cheung L*, Fan C, Chen L, Xu S, Perry K, Frommer W, Feng L. (2014) Structures of bacterial homologues of SWEET transporters in two distinct conformations. Nature 515: 448-452 (* equal contributions)
4. Tao Y, Jin C, Li X, Qi S, Chu L, Niu L, Yao X, Teng M. (2012) The structure of the FANCM-MHF complex reveals physical features for functional assembly. Nature Communications 3:782
5. Tao Y*, Li X*, Liu Y, Ruan J, Qi S, Niu L, Teng M. (2012) Structural analysis of Shu proteins reveals a DNA binding role essential for resisting damage. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287: 20231-9
6. Guo Q, Tao Y, Liu H, Teng M, Li X. (2013) Structural insights into the role of the Chl4-Iml3 complex in kinetochore assembly. Acta Crystallographica Section D 69: 2412-2419
7. Qiu X, Tao Y, Zhu Y, Yuan Y, Zhang Y, Liu H, Gao Y, Teng M, Niu L. (2012) Structural insights into decreased enzymatic activity induced by an insert sequence in mannonate dehydratase from Gram negative bacterium. Journal of Structural Biology 180: 327-34
Contact Information:
Email: taoyy@ustc.edu.cn