Wei Zhang, PhD
Contact
18-165 Moos Tower 515 Delaware St SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States
Titles
Education
MS, Purdue University
Major: Computer Science
PhD, Purdue University
Major: Structural Biology
MS, Chinese Academy of Science
Major: Biophysics
BS, Nankai University
Major: Biophysics
Biography
Research Summary
We use cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) and three-dimensional reconstruction methods to study the structural information of enveloped viruses including alphaviruses and retroviruses during the virus life cycle. Specifically we are interested in the molecular mechanism of membrane fusion driving by the viral fusion proteins at the low pH condition. We also study retrovirus assembly and maturation by examining localization and arrangement of Gag polyproteins in the immature viruses and the molecular feature of capsid cores in the mature virus particles. In addition, we develop methods that facilitate cryo-EM, cryo-ET sample preparation, data collection, image processing and data interpretation. We aim to address questions related to structure and function relationship through depicting the atomic details of key viral proteins during a number of significant biological processes.
Grants and Patents
Grants and Patents
Selected Grants
Award: Cryo-ET Guided Single Particle Reconstruction of HIV
Principal Investigator: Zhang, Wei
Sponsoring Organization: NIH Nat'l Inst of Allergy & Infect Dis
Award Dates: 2020 - 2022
Award: Cryo-ET Guided Single Particle Reconstruction of HIV
Principal Investigator: Zhang, Wei
Sponsoring Organization: NIH Nat'l Inst of Allergy & Infect Dis
Award Dates: 2020 - 2022
Award: HIV Gag lattice morphology and particle biogenesis
Principal Investigator: Mansky, Louis M
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NIGMS NATL INST OF GENERAL
Award Dates: 2017 - 2022
Award: HTLV-1 Particle Analysis and Gag Interactions
Principal Investigator: Mansky, Louis M
Sponsoring Organization: NIH
Award: Capturing Alphavirus Pre-Fusion Intermediates on a TEM G
Principal Investigator: Zhang, Wei
Sponsoring Organization: NIH Nat'l Inst of Allergy & Infect Dis
Award Dates: 2015 - 2018
Award: HTLV-1 particle analysis and Gag interactions
Principal Investigator: Mansky, Louis M
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NIGMS NATL INST OF GENERAL
Award Dates: 2012 - 2017
Award: Transmission Electron Microscope in the Academic Health
Principal Investigator: Zhang, Wei
Sponsoring Organization: NIH Nat'l Center for Research Resources
Award Dates: 2010 - 2012
Award: Structural Studies of Alphavirus Membrane Fusion In Situ
Principal Investigator: Zhang, Wei
Sponsoring Organization: NIH Nat'l Inst of Allergy & Infect Dis
Award Dates: 2009 - 2012