Education and Work Experience:
2009-2013 Ph.D. in Biology, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
2013-2016 Postdoctoral research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
2016-2022 Research Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
2022-2024 Research Associate Professor, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
2024-now Research Associate Professor, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Research Areas:
Cov are the largest known genomic RNA viruses, encodes 16 non-structural proteins (nsp1 to nsp16), nonstructural proteins subsequently assemble the replication–transcription complex (RTC) to complete the synthesis of genomes and subgenomes. Key protein components include polymerase, primase, single-stranded binding proteins, activation proteins, unwinding enzymes, proofreading enzymes and methyltransferases, etc., responsible for the process of viral transcription and replication. These proteins cover many key targets for antiviral drug design, we mainly apply structural, biochemical and virological approaches to discover new targets and mechanisms, and develop highly effective and broad-spectrum antiviral drugs.
Honors and Awards:
➢ 2023 Zhong Nanshan Youth Science and Technology Innovation Award
➢ 2021 China's Top 10 Scientific Advances
➢ 2021 China's Top 10 Advances in Life Sciences
➢ 2021 MOE Changjiang Young Scholar
Selected Publications:
1. Yan, Liming#., Huang, Y#., Ge, J#., Liu, Z#., Lu, P., Huang, B., Gao, S., Wang, J., Tan, L., Ye, S., Yu, F., Lan, W., Xu, S., Zhou, F., Shi, L., Guddat, L. W., Gao, Y*., Rao, Z*., and Lou, Z*. (2022). A mechanism for SARS-CoV-2 RNA capping and its inhibition by nucleotide analog inhibitors. Cell 185, 4347-4360.e4317.
2. Yan, Liming#., Yang, Y#., Li, M#., Zhang, Y#., Zheng, L#., Ge, J#., Huang, Y. C#., Liu, Z#., Wang, T., Gao, S., Zhang, R., Huang, Y. Y., Guddat, L. W., Gao, Y*., Rao, Z*., and Lou, Z*. (2021b). Coupling of N7-methyltransferase and 3'-5' exoribonuclease with SARS-CoV-2 polymerase reveals mechanisms for capping and proofreading. Cell 184, 3474-3485 e3411.
3. Yan, Liming#., Ge, J#., Zheng, L#., Zhang, Y., Gao, Y., Wang, T., Huang, Y., Yang, Y., Gao, S., Li, M., Liu, Z., Wang, H., Li, Y., Chen, Y., Guddat, L. W., Wang, Q., Rao, Z*., and Lou, Z*. (2021a). Cryo-EM Structure of an Extended SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Transcription Complex Reveals an Intermediate State in Cap Synthesis. Cell 184, 184-193 e110.
4. Yan, Liming#., Zhang, Y#., Ge, J., Zheng, L., Gao, Y., Wang, T., Jia, Z., Wang, H., Huang, Y., Li, M., Wang, Q., Rao, Z*., and Lou, Z*. (2020). Architecture of a SARS-CoV-2 mini replication and transcription complex. Nat Commun 11, 5874.
5. Gao, Y#., Yan, Liming#., Huang, Y#., Liu, F#., Zhao, Y., Cao, L., Wang, T., Sun, Q., Ming, Z., Zhang, L., Ge, J., Zheng, L., Zhang, Y., Wang, H., Zhu, Y., Zhu, C., Hu, T., Hua, T., Zhang, B., Yang, X., Li, J., Yang, H., Liu, Z., Xu, W., Guddat, L. W., Wang, Q*., Lou, Z*., and Rao, Z*. (2020). Structure of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase from COVID-19 virus. Science 368, 779-782.
6. Yan, Liming#., Qi, Y#., Ricketson, D#., Li, L., Subramanian, K., Zhao, J., Yu, C., Wu, L., Sarsam, R., Wong, M., Lou, Z., Rao, Z*., Nunnari, J*., and Hu, J*. (2020). Structural analysis of a trimeric assembly of the mitochondrial dynamin-like GTPase Mgm1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 117, 4061-4070.
7. Yu, C#., Zhao, J#., Yan, Liming#., Qi, Y., Guo, X., Lou, Z., Hu, J*., and Rao, Z. (2020). Structural insights into G domain dimerization and pathogenic mutation of OPA1. J Cell Biol 219.
8. Jia, Z#., Yan, Liming#., Ren, Z., Wu, L., Wang, J., Guo, J., Zheng, L., Ming, Z., Zhang, L., Lou, Z., and Rao, Z*. (2019). Delicate structural coordination of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus Nsp13 upon ATP hydrolysis. Nucleic acids research 47, 6538-6550.
9. Yan, Liming#., Qi, Y. B#., Huang, X. F#., Yu, C. T#., Lan, L., Guo, X. Y., Rao, Z. H., Hu, J. J*., and Lou, Z. Y*. (2018). Structural basis for GTP hydrolysis and conformational change of MFN1 in mediating membrane fusion. Nature structural & molecular biology 25, 233-+.
10. Yan, Liming#., Sun, S#., Wang, W., Shi, J., Hu, X., Wang, S., Su, D., Rao, Z., Hu, J*., and Lou, Z*. (2015). Structures of the yeast dynamin-like GTPase Sey1p provide insight into homotypic ER fusion. J Cell Biol 210, 961-972.
11. Qi, Y#., Yan, Liming#., Yu, C#., Guo, X., Zhou, X., Hu, X., Huang, X., Rao, Z*., Lou, Z*., and Hu, J*. (2016). Structures of human mitofusin 1 provide insight into mitochondrial tethering. J Cell Biol 215, 621-629.
12. Yao, R., Ming, Z., Yan, Liming., Li, S., Wang, F., Ma, S., Yu, C., Yang, M., Chen, L., Chen, L., Li, Y., Yan, C., Miao, D., Sun, Z., Yan, J., Sun, Y., Wang, L., Chu, J., Fan, S., He, W., Deng, H., Nan, F., Li, J., Rao, Z*., Lou, Z*., and Xie, D*. (2016). DWARF14 is a non-canonical hormone receptor for strigolactone. Nature 536, 469-473.
13. Ming, Z#., Wang, W#., Xie, Y., Ding, P., Chen, Y., Jin, D., Sun, Y., Xia, B., Yan, Liming*., and Lou, Z*. (2014). Crystal structure of the novel di-nucleotide cyclase from Vibrio cholerae (DncV) responsible for synthesizing a hybrid cyclic GMP-AMP. Cell Res 24, 1270-1273.
14. Ren, Z#., Yan, Liming#., Zhang, N., Guo, Y., Yang, C., Lou, Z., and Rao, Z*. (2013). The newly emerged SARS-like coronavirus HCoV-EMC also has an "Achilles' heel": current effective inhibitor targeting a 3C-like protease. Protein Cell 4, 248-250.
15. Yan, Liming#., Ma, Y., Liu, D., Wei, X., Sun, Y., Chen, X., Zhao, H., Zhou, J., Wang, Z*., Shui, W*., and Lou, Z*. (2012). Structural basis for the impact of phosphorylation on the activation of plant receptor-like kinase BAK1. Cell Res 22, 1304-1308.
16. Yan, Liming#., Ma, Y#., Sun, Y., Gao, J., Chen, X., Liu, J., Wang, C., Rao, Z., and Lou, Z*. (2011). Structural basis for mechanochemical role of Arabidopsis thaliana dynamin-related protein in membrane fission. J Mol Cell Biol 3, 378-381.
Complete list of publications: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yan-Liming/research
