Personal Statement:

I am a Molecular Biophysicist with a research focus on G protein-coupled receptors. My pioneering research work includes quantitatively profiling the conformational landscape of the GPCR using 19F-qNMR, determining the GPCR activation in conformational selection model, and proposing biased drug design based on 19F-qNMR-deciphered conformational states, etc. Most recently, my research also led to the structural elucidation of the first intermediate GPCR-G protein complex in the field, guided by 19F-qNMR-guided cryo-EM. More importantly, through creation of conformation-biased (-trapped) mutants with the guidance of conformational landscape visualized by 19F-qNMR, my research enabled to study the functions of individual conformational states, especially intermediate states/complexes, for better designing a drug with an exclusive output of signaling efficacy or bias. This advance opens a new field to design drugs targeting on a particular disease-related receptor conformational state instead of the entire protein by understanding the roles of each conformational states in signal transduction. ​In addition, my research develops platforms facilitating drug discovery, including a high-throughput NMR approach probing in-membrane ligand-receptor interactions and a CRISPR/Cas9 based high-throughput drug screening system.  ​​

 

The key goals of my future research programs include (1) innovating NMR approaches in studying under-explored GPCR conformations/complexes and understanding their roles in disease signaling; (2) advancing drug discovery systems for better drug developments; and (3) studying dinoflagellate GPCRs in response to public health issue caused by Red Tide Blooms alongside the coast.

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Research Interests:

GPCR Pharmacology, NMR, Conformational Transitions and Dynamics, Drug Discovery, Signal Transduction, Bioengineering, and Chemical Biology

 

Brief Experience:

Associate Professor          Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA, 2024—

Affiliate Member                H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL,  USA, 2019—

Assistant Professor           Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA, 2018—2024

Postdoctoral Fellow         Department of Chemistry and Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, ON, 

                                             Canada, 2013—2018 

Postdoctoral Fellow         Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA, USA, 2012—2013

Postdoctoral Fellow         Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and Energy Biosciences Institute, UIUC, IL, USA, 2011—2012 

Ph.D.                                    Department of Microbiology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China,  2004—2008

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Course Teaching:

1. Molecular Biology of the Gene (4000-level undergraduates and 6000-level graduates)

2. General Microbiology (3000-level undergraduates)

3. GPCR Drug Discovery (4000-level undergraduates and 6000-level graduates)

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Outreach: 

Consultant Faculty           Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA, 2024—

Advisor                               ASBMB chapter at University of South Florida, 2023—

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Academic Memberships:

1. CCSG (H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center)

2. American Association for The Advancement of Science (AAAS)

3. Biophysical Society

4. American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

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Technology Transfer:

   1. Corona Discharge Based Treatments of Articles. Inventors: Libin Ye and Ying Zhong. (learn more)

   2. Controlling Bioluminescence in Red Tide Algae. Inventors: Aidan Mcfarland and Libin Ye. (learn more)

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Representative Publications:

1. Maxine Bi, Xudong Wang, Jinan Wang, Jun Xu, Wenkai Sun, Victor Ayo Adediwura, Yinglong Miao*, Yifan Cheng*, and Libin Ye*. Structure and function of an intermediate GPCR-G protein complex. BioRxiv: doi: 10.1101/2024.04.02.587841

2. Xudong Wang, Chris Neale, Soo-Kyung Kim, William A. Goddard, Libin Ye*. Intermediate-state-trapped mutants pinpoint sequential activation process of G protein-coupled receptor. Nature Communications, 2023, 14(1):1325

3. Xudong Wang, Aidan McFarland, Jesper J. Madsen, Eric Aalo, Libin Ye*. The potential of 19F NMR application in GPCR biased drug discovery. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 2021, 42(1):19-30. 

4. Libin Ye, Chris Neale, Adnan Sljoka, Dmitry Pichugin, Nobuyuki Tsuchimura, Sacha T. Larda, Eps van Ned, Regis Pomes, Angel E. Garcia, Roger Sunahara, Oliver P. Ernst, R. Scott Prosser. Bidirectional allosteric modulation of the A2A adenosine G protein-coupled receptor by physiological cations. Nature Communications, 2018, 9(1):1372 

5. Libin Ye, Ned Van Eps, Marco Zimmer, Oliver P. Ernst, R. Scott Prosser. Activation of A2A adenosine G protein-coupled receptor by conformational selection. Nature, 2016, 533: 265–268. (F1000Prime recommended)