Faculty
Biography
Dr. Yang Fu, Professor/Tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) School of Medicine, Doctoral Supervisor, recipient of the National Overseas High-Level Youth Talent Program, and Shenzhen Peacock Talent. Currently, he serves as the Deputy Director of the SUSTech Biosafety Platform and a member of the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Committee. Dr. Fu earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Nankai University in 2013, along with a joint Ph.D. in Microbiology from Harvard Medical School. He studied under the guidance of world-renowned microbiologist Professor John Mekalanos, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Yang Fu’s research at the SUSTech School of Medicine can be summarized as “focusing on one core theme while pioneering a new research direction.” The Core Theme: Investigating the functional mechanisms and applications of proteins and genetic elements involved in macromolecule transmembrane delivery systems in Proteobacteria. The New Direction: As one of the early microbiology-focused principal investigators (PIs) in the medical school, his team has responded to national and institutional calls by conducting emergency research on emerging infectious pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2 and monkeypox virus. Focusing on the core theme of bacterial macromolecule transmembrane delivery, Dr. Fu’s team conducts systematic and in-depth research on Type II, III, and VI secretion systems and their effector proteins in Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, and related bacteria, addressing three key areas: 1. Precision antibacterial mechanisms and pathways; 2. Pathogenicity and host defense strategies; 3. Applied technologies derived from fundamental discoveries. Meanwhile, leveraging their expertise in “pathogen-host protein interactions”, the team has also established a distinctive research profile in emerging virus studies, particularly in antibody development and drug target discovery. To date, Dr. Fu’s team has published 37 research papers (29 at SUSTech), including multiple pre-appointment publications in Cell Host & Microbe and PNAS. Since joining SUSTech, he has (co-)corresponded 14 papers, all with SUSTech as his sole affiliation, in journals such as: Mol Cell, Gut Microbes, J Biol Chem, Microbiol Res，mLife, Virology, Allergy. His work has garnered over 5,620 citations to date.
Dr. Yang Fu's team has secured over ten competitive research grants as Principal Investigator, including:General Program and Young Scientist Program from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); Key Basic Research Project from Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission; Shenzhen Peacock Research Team Program; Shenzhen Emergency Research Program for COVID-19 Pandemic; Grants from Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (SMART).
Academic tenure
1、magazine editor of Bio-Protocol
Awards
1、National talent titles
2、Shenzhen's talent titles
3、Fogarty Global Health Fellowship
Educational experience
1、2001.09-2005.06 Bachelor ,Jiangnan University
2、2006.09-2013.06 Doctor , Nankai University
3、2009.09-2013.05 Joint Doctor of Education ,Harvard University
Work experience：
1、2005.07-2006.08 Technician, Nankai University
2、2008.06-2009.01 Visiting Scholar , School of Public Health，Harvard University
3、2013.07-2018.06 Postdoctoral researcher , School of Medicine，Harvard University
4、2018.07-2019.06 Assistant researcher, School of Medicine，Harvard University
5、2019.06-2020.12，Assistant professor / PhD Tutor, Southern University of Science and Technology
6、2020.12-present，Associate professor / PhD Tutor, Southern University of Science and Technology
Representative papers：
* Contributed equally to the work and # for corresponding authors
Representative papers at SUSTech as a Corresponding author:
(1) Liu M, Wang H, Wang Z, Wang H, Zhang K, Xue J, Liu RH, Liu Y, Xia PY, Wang H, Kan B, Li Y, Li S, Fu Y#. A Vibrio-specific T6SS effector reshapes microbial competition by disrupting Vibrio bioenergetics, a precision antimicrobial mechanism. Cell Host and Microbe. 2025, in press.
(2) Wang H, Liu Y, Wang Z, Xia P, Li Z, Liu M#, Fu Y#. Functional Insights into the Type VI Secretion System of Multi-drug Resistant Aeromonas hydrophila: A Key Factor in Competition and Pathogenesis. mLife. 2025, in press. DOI: 10.1002/mlf2.70018.
(3) Guo HH, Zhang Q, Wang Z, Zhang K#, Fu Y#. Structural insight into Vibrio cholerae EIIC Sugar Transporter Dimer Captured in a Substrate-Free Inward-facing State. Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica. 2025, in press.
(4) Feng Q*, Dai, X, Wu, Q, Zhang L#, Yang L#, Fu Y#. C-di-GMP phosphodiesterase ProE interacts with quorum sensing protein PqsE to promote pyocyanin production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. mSphere. 2025; e01026-24.
(5) Yu B*, Lu Q*, Li J*, Cheng X*, Hu H, Li Y, Che T, Hua Y, Jiang H, Zhang Y, Xian C, Yang T, Fu Y, Chen Y, Nan W, McCormick PJ, Xiong B, Duan J, Zeng B, Li Y#, Fu Y#, Zhang J#. Cryo-EM structure of human HCN3 channel and its regulation by cAMP. J Biol Chem. 2024;300(6):107288.
(6) Xiang Q*, Wu J, Zhou Y, Li L, Tian M, Li G#, Zhang Z#, Fu Y#. SARS-CoV-2 Membrane protein regulates the function of Spike by inhibiting its plasma membrane localization and enzymatic activity of Furin. Microbiol Res. 2024; 282:127659.
(7) Feng Q*, Zhou J, Zhang L, Fu Y#, Yang L#. Insights into the molecular basis of c-diGMP signalling in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Crit Rev Microbiol. 2024;50(1):20-38.
(8) Zhang Y*, Wang D*, Xiang Q*, Hu X, Zhang Y, Wu L, Zhang Z, Wang Y, Zhao J, McCormick PJ, Fu J#, Fu Y#, Zhang J#, Jiang H#, Li J#. A potent neutralizing nanobodytargeting a unique epitope on the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Virology. 2024; 589:109925.
(9) Liu M*, Wang H*, Liu Y, Tian M, Wang Z, Shu RD, Zhao MY, Chen WD, Wang H, Wang H, Fu Y#. The phospholipase effector Tle1(Vc) promotes Vibrio cholerae virulence by killing competitors and impacting gene expression. Gut Microbes. 2023; 15(1): 2241204.
(10) Liu M*, Zhao MY*, Wang H, Wang ZH, Wang Z, Liu Y, Li YP, Dong T, Fu Y#. Pesticin-Like Effector VgrG3(cp) Targeting Peptidoglycan Delivered by the Type VI Secretion System Contributes to Vibrio cholerae Interbacterial Competition. Microbiol Spectr. 2023; 11(1): e0426722.
(11) Zhang K*, Peng T*, Tao X*, Tian M*, Li Y, Wang Z, Ma S, Hu S, Pan X, Xue J, Luo J, Wu Q, Fu Y#, Li S#. Structural insights into caspase ADPR deacylization catalyzed by a bacterial effector and host calmodulin. Mol Cell. 2022;82(24):4712-4726 e4717.
(12) Xiang Q, Li L, Wu J, Tian M, Fu Y#. Application of pseudovirus system in the development of vaccine, antiviral-drugs, and neutralizing antibodies. Microbiol Res. 2022; 258:126993. [JCR: Q1].
(13) Song X*, Li J*, Tian M*, Zhu H, Hu X, Zhang Y, Cao Y, Ye H, McCormick PJ, Zeng B, Fu Y#, Duan J#, Zhang J#. Cryo-EM structure of mouse TRPML2 in lipid nanodiscs. J Biol Chem. 2022;298(2):10148.
(14) Chen Y*, Wang S*, Huang J*, Fu Y, Wen J, Zhou C, Fu Y#, Liu L#. Application of extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal combined with continuous blood purification therapy in ARDS with hypercapnia in patients with critical COVID-19. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2021; 78(2):199-207. [JCR: Q3].
(15) Cai Q*, Huang D*, Ou P*, Yu H, Zhu Z, Xia Z, Su Y, Ma Z, Zhang Y, Li Z, He Q, Liu L#, Fu Y#, Chen J#. COVID-19 in a designated infectious diseases hospital outside Hubei Province, China. Allergy. 2020;75(7):1742-1752. [JCR: Q1].
Before joining SUSTech
(16) Fu Y*, Ho BT*, Mekalanos JJ#. Tracking Vibrio cholerae Cell-Cell Interactions during Infection Reveals Bacterial Population Dynamics within Intestinal Microenvironments. Cell Host and Microbe. 2018; 23(2): 274-281 e272.
(17) Ho BT*, Fu Y*, Dong TG, Mekalanos JJ#. Vibrio cholerae type 6 secretion system effector trafficking in target bacterial cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2017;114(35):9427-9432.
(18) Fu Y, Waldor MK, Mekalanos JJ#. Tn-Seq analysis of Vibrio cholerae intestinal colonization reveals a role for T6SS-mediated antibacterial activity in the host. Cell Host and Microbe. 2013; 14(6): 652-663.