We genetically encode unnatural amino acids in live cells and organisms to investigate biological processes in their natural settings and to develop new biotherapeutics.

NIH Director's WALS Lecture: Biospecific Chemistry for Covalent Linking of Biomacromolecules (9/18/2024)

Selected publications

  • Biospecific chemistry for covalent linking of biomacromolecules.
    Chem. Rev. in press (2024), Open Access, DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.4c00066
    Cao, L.; and Wang, L.
  • Genetically enabling phosphorus fluoride exchange click chemistry in proteins.
    Chem 10:1868-1884 (2024), Open Access, DOI: 10.1016/j.chempr.2024.02.010
    Cao, L.; Yu, B.; Li, S.; Zhang, P.; Li, Q.; and Wang, L.
  • Covalent Proteins as Targeted Radionuclide Therapies Enhance Antitumor Effects. 
    ACS Cent. Sci. 9:1241-1251 (2023), DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.3c00288 
    Klauser, P.C.; Chopra, S.; Cao, L.; Bobba, K.N.; Yu, B.; Seo, Y.; Chan, E.; Flavell, R.R.; Evans, M.J.; and Wang, L.
  • Genetically encoded chemical crosslinking of carbohydrate.
    Nat. Chem. 15:33-42 (2023), DOI: 10.1038/s41557-022-01059-z  PDF
    Li, S.; Wang, N.; Yu, B.; Sun, W.; and Wang, L.
  • Genetically encoded chemical crosslinking of RNA in vivo. 
    Nat. Chem. 15:21-32 (2023), doi: 10.1038/s41557-022-01038-4  PDF
    Sun, W.; Wang, N.; Liu, H.; Yu, B.; Jin, L.; Ren, X.; Shen, Y.; and Wang, L.
  • Accelerating PERx Reaction Enables Covalent Nanobodies for Potent Neutralization of SARS-Cov-2 and Variants. 
    Chem. 8: 2766-2783 (2022). PubMed
    Yu, B.; Li, S.; Tabata, T.; Wang, N.; Cao, L.; Kumar, G. R.; Sun, W.; Liu, J.; Ott, M. M.; and Wang, L.
  • New Covalent Bonding Ability for Proteins. 
    Protein Sci. 31: 312-322 (2022). PubMed
    Cao, L.; Wang, L.
  • Developing Covalent Protein Drugs via Proximity-Enabled Reactive Therapeutics. 
    Cell. 182(1): 85-97 (2020). PubMed
    Li, Q., Chen, Q., Klauser, P. C., Li, M., Zheng, F., Wang, N., Li, X., Zhang, Q., Fu, X., Wang, Q., Xu, Y., Wang, L.
  • Genetically encoding fluorosulfate-L-tyrosine to react with lysine, histidine and tyrosine via SuFEx in protein in vivo.
    J. Am. Chem. Soc. 140(15):4995-4999 (2018). PubMed
    Wang, N., Yang, B., Fu, C., Zhu, H., Zheng, F., Kobayashi, J., Liu J., Li, S., Cheng, M., Wang, P. G., Wang, Q., Wang, L.
  • Spontaneous and specific chemical crosslinking in live cells to capture and identify protein interactions.
    Nat. Comm. 8:1-10 (2017). PubMed
    Yang, B., Tang, S., Ma, C., Li, S. T., Shao, G. C., Dang, B., DeGrado, W. F., Dong, M. Q., Wang, P. G., Ding, S., Wang, L.
  • Site-specific incorporation of phosphotyrosine using an expanded genetic code.
    Nat. Chem. Biol. 13:842-844 (2017). PubMed
    Hoppmann, C., Wong, A., Yang, B., Li, S., Hunter, T., Shokat, K.M., and Wang, L.
  • Heritable expansion of the genetic code in mouse and zebrafish.
    Cell Research 27:294-297 (2017). PubMed
    Chen, Y., Ma, J., Lu, W, Tian, M., Thauvin, M., Yuan, C., Volovitch, M., Wang, Q., Holst, J., Liu, M., Vriz, S., Ye, S., Wang, L., Li, D.
  • Genetically encoded chemical probes in cells reveal the binding path of urocortin-I to CRF class B GPCR.
    Cell. 2013 Dec 5; 155(6):1258-69. PubMed
    Coin I, Katritch V, Sun T, Xiang Z, Siu FY, Beyermann M, Stevens RC, Wang L.
  • In vivo expression of a light-activatable potassium channel using unnatural amino acids.
    Neuron. 2013 Oct 16; 80(2):358-70. PubMed
    Kang JY, Kawaguchi D, Coin I, Xiang Z, O'Leary DD, Slesinger PA, Wang L.
  • Adding an unnatural covalent bond to proteins through proximity-enhanced bioreactivity.
    Nat. Methods. 2013 Sep; 10(9):885-8. PubMed
    Xiang Z, Ren H, Hu YS, Coin I, Wei J, Cang H, Wang L.
  • RF1 knockout allows ribosomal incorporation of unnatural amino acids at multiple sites.
    Nat. Chem. Biol. 2011 Nov; 7(11):779-86. PubMed
    Johnson DB, Xu J, Shen Z, Takimoto JK, Schultz MD, Schmitz RJ, Xiang Z, Ecker JR, Briggs SP, Wang L.
  • Genetically encoding unnatural amino acids for cellular and neuronal studies.
    Nat. Neurosci. 2007 Aug; 10(8):1063-72. PubMed
    Wang W, Takimoto JK, Louie GV, Baiga TJ, Noel JP, Lee KF, Slesinger PA, Wang L.
  • Expanding the genetic code.
    Science. 2003 Oct 24; 302(5645):584-5. PubMed
    Wang L.
  • Expanding the genetic code of Escherichia coli.
    Science. 2001 Apr 20; 292(5516):498-500. PubMed
    Wang L, Brock A, Herberich B, Schultz PG.