Explore Metalloprotein Research at the Zhang Lab
Research in the Zhang Laboratory focuses on metal-binding proteins (metalloproteins) involved in infectious diseases. Transition metals—including Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Mo—serve as essential cofactors, playing structural and/or catalytic roles in numerous biochemical processes. These metals are indispensable for bacterial pathogens to survive within the host and to evade immune defenses. Despite their abundance and biological significance, our understanding of metalloproteins remains limited, largely due to challenges in their detection and characterization using conventional approaches. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI)–driven protein structure prediction, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and multi-omics technologies have transformed the field, providing unprecedented opportunities to discover and characterize metalloproteins at both molecular and systems levels.
This research program offers multifaceted opportunities for undergraduate students with diverse interests and backgrounds. Students with training in biochemistry or chemistry will participate in innovative, interdisciplinary research focused on elucidating the structure and function of metalloproteins involved in infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance. Students with a background in computer science and an interest in bioinformatics will be guided in discovering novel metalloproteins through data mining and analysis of complex regulatory networks governing redox homeostasis and antibiotic resistance. First- and second-year undergraduate students are preferred, and prior research experience is not required.
Contact Dr. Limei Zhang at lzhang30@nebraska.edu if interested.