Michael Yuchi
School
School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology
Professional Title
Professor
Administrative Appointments
Vice Dean
Discipline
Biophysics and Structural Biology
Contact Information
022-87401830
yuchi@tju.edu.cn
Room 417-6, Building 24, Tianjin University
Brief Introduction
Our research group centers on the structure and function of ion channels. Ion channels are the second largest and the largest target class for approved drugs and insecticides, respectively. Drugs targeting ion channels are used to treat arrhythmia, neuropathic pain, epilepsy, anxiety, and more, while insecticides targeting them are used to control a wide range of agricultural pests and disease vectors. The ultimate goal of our group is to understand the physiological and pathological/resistant roles of ion channels at the molecular level.
Education Background
- Bachelor of Science | Fudan University| Life Sciences | 2003
- Ph. D.| McMaster University| Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences | 2009
Research Interests
- Structural and Chemical Biology of Ion Channels
- Therapeutics and Insecticides Targeting Ion Channels
- Integration of AI, Automated Protein Design, and Synthetic Biology Platforms
Courses
Professional Membership
- Guest editor of Current Pharmaceutical Design
- Guest Editor of Frontiers in Insect Science
- Guest Editor of Frontiers in Physiology
- Guest Editor of Agriculture
- Young Editorial Board Member of Advanced Agrochem
- Young Editorial Board Member Journal of Pesticide Science
- Editorial Board Member of Cancer Biology and Medicine
Positions & Employments
-
2021.6-2025.8
Tianjin University | Professor -
2016.9-2021.5
Tianjin University | Associate Professor -
2010.6-2016.8
University of British Columbia | Research Associate -
2009.10-2010.6
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory | Postdoctoral Fellow
Academic Achievements
- Papers
- [1] Hadiatullah H., Lin L., Wang Z., Sundarraj R., Wang Q., Lai X., Kurebayashi N., Kobayashi T., Yamazawa T., Chen YS., Wang W., Zhao H., Yin Y., Murayama T., Van Petegem F., Yuchi Z*., Crystal structures of Ryanodine Receptor reveal dantrolene and azumolene interactions guiding inhibitor development. Nature Communication 2025. Accepted
- [2] Cui, X., Zheng, Y., Liu, Y., Yuchi, Z.*, Yuan, Y.* AI-driven de novo enzyme design: Strategies, applications, and future prospects. Biotechnol Adv.2025, doi: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2025.108603.
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- [3] Lin, L., Wang, C., Wang, W., Jiang, H., Murayama, T., Kobayashi, T., Hadiatullah, H., Chen, Y. S., Wu, S., Wang, Y., Korza, H., Gu, Y., Zhang, Y., Du, J., Van Petegem, F.*, and Yuchi, Z.* Cryo-EM structures of ryanodine receptors and diamide insecticides reveal the mechanisms of selectivity and resistance. Nature Communications. 2024, 15: 9056
- [4] Chen, W., Cao, P., Liu, Y., Yu, A., Wang, D., Chen, L., Sundarraj, R., Yuchi, Z., Gong, Y.*, Merzendorfer, H.*, Yang Q.* Structural basis for directional chitin biosynthesis. Nature. 2022, 61: 402-408.
- [5] Duan, Y., Wei, Y., Xing, M., Liu, J., Jiang, L., Lu, Q., Liu, X., Liu, Y., Ang, EL., Liao, RZ., Yuchi, Z.*, Zhao, H.*, Zhang, Y.* Anaerobic hydroxproline degradation involving c-n cleavage by a glycyl radical enzyme. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2022, 144(22): 9715-9722.
- [6] Qin, J., Zhang, J., Lin, L., Haji-Ghassemi, O., Lin, Z., Woycechowsky, K.J., Van Petegem, F., Zhang, Y.*, Yuchi, Z.* Structures of PKA-phospholamban complexes reveal a mechanism of familial dilated cardiomyopathy. eLife. 2022, 11: e75346.
- [7] Lu, Q., Wei, Y., Lin, L., Liu, J., Duan, Y., Li, Y., Zhai, W., Liu, Y., Ang, E., Zhao, H.*, Yuchi, Z.*, Zhang, Y.* The Glycyl radical enzyme arylacetate decarboxylase from Olsenella scatoligenes. ACS Catalysis. 2021, 11(9): 5789–5794.
- [8] Ma, R., Haji-Ghassemi, O., Ma, D., Jiang, H., Lin, L., Yao, L., Samurkas, A., Li, Y., Wang, Y., Cao, P., Wu, S., Zhang, Y., Murayama, T., Moussian, B., Van Petegem, F.*,Yuchi, Z.* Structural basis for diamide modulation of ryanodine receptor. Nature Chemical Biology. 2020, 16: 1246-1254.
- [9] Liu, J., Wei, Y., Lin, L., Teng, L., Yin, J., Lu, Q., Chen, J., Zheng, Y., Li, Y., Xu, R., Zhai, W., Liu, Y., Liu, Y., Cao, P., Ang, E., Zhao, H.*, Yuchi, Z.*, Zhang, Y.* Two radical-dependent mechanisms for anaerobic degradation of the globally abundant organosulfur compound dihydroxypropanesulfonate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2020, 117(27): 15599-15608.
- [10] You, M.*, Ke,F.#, You,S. #, Wu, Z. #, Liu, Q. #, He, W. #, Baxter, S. #, Yuchi, Z. #, Vasseur, L.*, Gurr, G.*, Variation among 532 genomes unveils the origin and evolutionary history of a global insect herbivore. Nature Communications. 2020, 11: 2321.
- [11] Xu, T., Yuchi, Z.* Crystal structure of diamondback moth ryanodine receptor Repeat34 domain reveals insect-specific phosphorylation sites. BMC Biology. 2019, 17(1): 77.
- [12] Xing, M., Wei, Y., Zhou, Y., Zhang, J., Lin, L., Hu, Y., Hua, G., Nanja, A., Liu, D., Wang, F., Guo, C., Tong, Y., Li, M., Liu, Y., Ang, EL., Zhao, H.*, Yuchi, Z.*, Zhang, Y.* Radical-mediated C-S bond cleavage in C2 sulfonate degradation by anaerobic bacteria. Nature Communications. 2019, 10(1): 1609.
- [13] Yuchi, Z., Wong King Yuen, S.M., Lau, K., Underhill, A., Cornea, R., Fessenden, J.D.*, Van Petegem, F. Crystal structures of ryanodine receptor SPRY1 and tandem-repeat domains reveal a critical FKBP12 binding determinant. Nature Communications. 2015, 6:7947.
- Books
- [1] Nayak, BC., and Yuchi, Z. (2018) Calmodulin-based recombinant protein purification strategies, Calmodulin: Structure, Mechanisms and Functions, Nova Science Publishers
- [2] Yuchi, Z., Kimlicka, L., and Van Petegem, F. (2013) Structural insights into disease mutations of the Ryanodine Receptor. Genetic Disorders, Intech
- Patents
- [1] Yuchi, Z., Ma, R., Ma, D., Jiang, H., Zhang, J., Li, Z., Li, Y., Zhou, S., Mao, M., Van Petegem, F., Haji-Ghassemi, O., Murayama, T. (2021) The new uses of compounds. (Application number: 202110771594.6)
- [2] Yuchi, Z., Lin, L, and Liu, C. (2018) A novel protein purification strategy based on calmodulin, 201810033972.9
Team
Current Yuchi Lab Members
Album