Li Zhu
Time: 2015-12-29   Visits: 984

Basic Information
Li Zhu
Tel:83792470-8107
Email:li-zhu@seu.edu.cn
Address:107 Jinling Building, Si Pai Lou 2#, School of electronic science and engineering, Southeast UniversityNanjing, 210096, China
 
Research Interest
I have been working on interdisciplinary researches, such as nonlinear optical materials, solar cell and biophotonics. My current research interest is focused on studying protein folding using optical spectroscopy and microfluidics. Proteins achieve their biologically functional states after they fold into their unique native three-dimensional structures. But how a polypeptide chain folds into its native structure in an extremely efficient way is still an unsolved secret. On the other side, it has been evidenced that some diseases are misfolding related, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Type-II diabetes. Therefore, solving protein folding problem is not only an academic interest, but also with medical significance. The ultrarapid microfluidic mixing technique allows us to resolve the very early folding phase, and gives a unique view to watch protein folding from the fully denatured state. This powerful technique gives us a better understanding of protein folding and may lead to treatments or preventive medicine for misfolding diseases. We are also developing novel microfluidic chips and combine it to new spectroscopic methods to widen its applications. 
Recent Research Project: 
1.Investigating protein folding kinetics through time/ spatial 2D resolved microfluidic mixing, CNSF Grant 61378045, 2014-2017.
2.Early events in protein folding studied using ultrarapid microfluidic mixing combined with multi-probe, NSF of Jiangsu Province Grant BK20131297, 2013-2016.
3.Scientific Research Foundation for the Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, State Education Ministry, 2014-2016.
 
Biographical Information
EDUCATION
Ph. D. in Physical Electronics, Southeast University, 2006
M. S. in Physical Electronics & Optoelectronics, Southeast University, 1996
B. S. in Optoelectronic Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, 1993 

PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS
2015 Visiting Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
2004 - 2015 Associate Professor of Optical Engineering, Southeast University
2009 - 2011 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University
1998 - 2004 Assistant Professor of Physical Electronics, Southeast University
 
Selected Publications
Book/Chapters:
1.Zhu L, Kurt N, Choi J, Lapidus L, Cavagnero S, Sub-millisecond chain collapse of the Escherichia coli globin ApoHmph, J. Phys. Chem. B, 117, 7868-7877, 2013.
2.Narayanan R*, Zhu L*, Velmurugu Y, Roca J, Kuznetsov S, Prehna G, Lapidus L, Ansari A, Exploring the energy landscape of nucleic acid hairpins using laser temperature-jump and microfluidic mixing, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 134, pp18952,2012. (* equal contributors)
3.Zhu L, Ghosh K, King M, Bakajin O, Lapidus LJ, "Evidence of multiple folding pathways for the Villin headpiece subdomain", J. Phys. Chem. B, 115, 12632-12637, 2011.
4.Zhu L, Fan YQ, Zhao MC, Wu M, Zhang JY, Xu CX, Cui YP, "Performances of ZnO-based dye sensitized solar cells fabricated by hydrothermal synthesis and sol-gel technique", Chinese Physics Letters, 2009, 26(1),018401-1~018401-3.
5.Zhu L, Cui YP, "Influence of microscopic parameters of chiral molecules on the first-order hyperpolarizability", Optics Communications 281 (2008) 170–174.