University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · GeneticsNatural Antibiotics Research Lab
Huimin Zhao · Champaign, Illinois
Research Focus
Dr. Huimin Zhao's lab focuses on discovering new antibiotics from natural products, particularly a special group called ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). By using advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, they aim to enhance the production of these promising compounds and improve the ability to predict their structures. The research ultimately seeks to address the growing problem of antibiotic resistance by developing new antibacterial agents.
natural productsantibioticsRiPPssynthetic biologyartificial intelligence
Research Aims
3AIM 01Enhance the production of desired RiPP structural classes.
AIM 02Prioritize RiPPs with a high likelihood of antibacterial activity.
AIM 03Predict ring patterns in multicyclic RiPPs from their primary sequences.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRDNA cloningcell culturebioinformaticsroboticshigh-throughput screeninganalytical chemistrymachine learningenzyme assays
Output against the department
Publications712top 7% of dept.18th of 259
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations35ktop 17% of dept.45th of 259
this lab
most citedleast cited
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