Education:
1999-2003 Bachelor, Engineering mechanics ShangHai JiaoTong University
2011-2016 PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Peking University
Professional Positions:
2017-2020 Postdoctoral Fellow The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
2021-now Associate professor, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Research Areas:
The ability to self-replicate is a defining characteristic of living organisms. Populations, starting from a minimal number, can experience exponential growth and rapidly deplete available resources when conditions are favorable. This growth typically decelerates as resources become scarce, leading to a balance with the environment. Broadly, infectious diseases result from the proliferation of pathogens within the host. Pathogens that can transfer between hosts may spread across populations, potentially causing epidemics. To combat infectious diseases, small molecule drugs are commonly used to inhibit the growth of pathogens. However, mutants can induce drug tolerance and resistance, diminishing the effectiveness of these drugs and increasing the required inhibitory concentrations, which can lead to treatment failure. The progression of drug-resistant pathogens is now a critical global health issue. Examples include bacteria acquiring resistance to antibiotics, viruses evolving against vaccines, and cancer cells resisting chemotherapy.
Previous research indicates that bacteria can quickly develop tolerance to lethal doses of antibiotics, as shown in studies by Fridman et al. (2014, Nature), and this tolerance can promote the development of antibiotic resistance (Levine-Reisman et al., 2017, Science). Liu’s laboratory primarily investigates bacterial tolerance to antibiotics, both singularly and in combination. They aim to integrate laboratory models with clinical data to understand the principles underlying the evolution of drug tolerance and resistance in pathogens, and develop treatment strategies.
Honors and Awards:
Selected Publications:
1.Liu, J.-F., Gefen, O., Zhang, Z.-Y., Liu, M.-M., Bar-Meir, M., and Balaban, N.Q. (2022). "Interaction Tolerance Detection Test for Understanding the Killing Efficacy of Directional Antibiotic Combinations". mBio 13(1), e00004-00022.
2..Liu, Jiafeng, Orit Gefen, Irine Ronin, Maskit Bar-Meir, and Nathalie Q. Balaban. 2020. “Effect of Tolerance on the Evolution of Antibiotic Resistance under Drug Combinations.” Science 367(6474):200–204.
3.Zhao, Yanna, Boyan Lv, Fengqi Sun, Liu Jiafeng, Yan Wang, Yuanyuan Gao, Feng Qi, Zengyi Chang, and Xinmiao Fu. 2020. “Rapid Freezing Enables Aminoglycosides To Eradicate Bacterial Persisters via Enhancing Mechanosensitive Channel MscL-Mediated Antibiotic Uptake.” MBio 11(1).
4.Nathalie Q. Balaban and Liu Jiafeng. 2019. “Evolution Under Antibiotic Treatments: Interplay Between Antibiotic Persistence, Tolerance, and Resistance.” Pp. 1–17 in Persister Cells and Infectious Disease. Springer. (Invited book Chapter).
5.Liu Jiafeng, Orit Gefen and Nathalie Q. Balaban. 2017. “Tackling Antibiotic Resistance with Systems-Level Perspective”, Cell Syst. Cell Press, 5(6), 546–548. (Invited opinion paper).
6.Liu Jiafeng, Xinmiao Fu, and Zengyi Chang. 2016. “A Reciprocating Motion-Driven Rotation Mechanism for the ATP Synthase.” Science China Life Sciences 59(1):44–48.
7.Liu Jiafeng, Xinmiao Fu, and Zengyi Chang. 2015. “Hypoionic Shock Treatment Enables Aminoglycosides Antibiotics to Eradicate Bacterial Persisters.” Scientific Reports 5:14247.
8.Fu, Xinmiao, Xiaodong Shi, Linxiang Yin, Liu Jiafeng, Keehyoung Joo, Jooyoung Lee, and Zengyi Chang. 2013. “Small Heat Shock Protein IbpB Acts as a Robust Chaperone in Living Cells by Hierarchically Activating Its Multi-Type Substrate-Binding Residues.” The Journal of Biological Chemistry 288(17):11897–906.
