Self-introduction:

Dr. Niu is currently the Research Associate Professor (RAP) at Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech. He received his Ph.D at Institute of Biophysics, CAS in 2015 and then moved to SUSTech for his post-doc and RAP fellow researches. He mainly focuses on structural investigations and bio-functional studies on the biomacromolecules in human/pathogens by employing X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, biochemical and cellular assays. In the recent years, his main works are to uncover the complicated mechanisms of molecular motor-intracellular cargo trafficking. 

Research Interests：

◆Structural biology;

◆Intracellular cargo trafficking;

Professional Experience：

◆ 2023-current,  School of Life Sciences, SUSTech     Research Associate Professor;

◆ 2019-2023,  School of Life Sciences/Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, SUSTech      Research Assistant Professor;

◆ 2016-2019,  Department of Biology, SUSTech        Postdoc Fellow.

Educational Background：

◆ 2009-2015,  Institute of Biophysics, CAS      Biochemistry and Molecular Biology   Ph.D;

◆ 2005-2009,  Nankai University      Bioscience   B.S.

Publications:

1. Niu, F.*, Li, L.*, Wang, L., Xiao, J, Xu, S., Liu, Y., Lin, L., Yu, C.#, Wei, Z.#. Autoinhibition and activation of myosin VI revealed by its cryo-EM structure. Nat. Comm. 2024 Jan. (accepted)

2. Jia, X.*; Lin, L.*; Xu, S.; Li, L.; Wei, Z.; Yu, C.#; Niu, F.# Crystal Structure of the SH3 Domain of ASAP1 in Complex with the Proline Rich Motif (PRM) of MICAL1 Reveals a Unique SH3/PRM Interaction Mode. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 1414. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021414

3. Niu, F.*#, Liu, Y.*, Sun, K.*, Xu, S., Dong, J., Yu, C., Yan, K., Wei, Z#. Autoinhibition and Activation Mechanisms Revealed by the Triangular-shaped Structure of Myosin Va. Sci Adv. 2022 Dec 9;8(49):eadd4187. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.add4187. Epub 2022 Dec 9. PMID: 36490350.

4. Liu Y, Li L, Yu C, Zeng F, Niu F#, Wei Z#. Cargo Recognition Mechanisms of Yeast Myo2 Revealed by AlphaFold2-Powered Protein Complex Prediction. Biomolecules. 2022 Jul 26;12(8):1032. doi: 10.3390/biom12081032. PMID: 35892342; PMCID: PMC9330073.

5. Liang, M.*, Jin, G.*, Xie, X.*, Zhang, W., Li, K., Niu, F., Yu, C., Wei, Z. Oligomerized liprin-α promotes phase separation of ELKS for compartmentalization of presynaptic active zone proteins. Cell Rep. 2021 Mar 23;34(12):108901. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108901. PMID: 33761347.

6. Niu, F.*, Sun, K.*, Wei, W., Yu, C., Wei, Z. F-actin disassembly factor MICAL1 binding to Myosin Va mediates cargo unloading during cytokinesis. Sci Adv. 2020 Nov 6;6(45):eabb1307. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abb1307. PMID: 33158857; PMCID: PMC7673715.

7. Li, J. *, Rodriguez, J. P. *, Niu, F., Pu, M., Wang, J., Hung, L. W., … & Ouyang, S. (2016). Structural basis for DNA recognition by STAT6. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(46), 13015-13020.

8. Burakova, L. P., Natashin, P. V., Malikova, N. P., Niu, F., Pu, M., Vysotski, E. S., & Liu, Z. J. (2016). All Ca 2+-binding loops of light-sensitive ctenophore photoprotein berovin bind magnesium ions: The spatial structure of Mg2+-loaded apo-berovin. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology, 154, 57-66.

9. Jiao, L.*, Ouyang, S.*, Shaw, N., Song, G., Feng, Y., Niu, F., … & Liu, Z. J. (2014). Mechanism of the Rpn13-induced activation of Uch37. Protein & Cell, 1-15.

10. Gu, J., Feng, Y., Feng, X., Sun, C., Lei, L., Ding, W., Niu, F., … & Han, W. (2014). Structural and Biochemical Characterization Reveals LysGH15 as an Unprecedented “EF-Hand-Like” Calcium-Binding Phage Lysin. PLoS pathogens, 10(5), e1004109.

11. Niu, F.*, Shaw, N*., Wang, Y. E.*, Jiao, L.*, Ding, W., Li, X., … & Liu, Z. J. (2013). Structure of the Leanyer orthobunyavirus nucleoprotein–RNA complex reveals unique architecture for RNA encapsidation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(22), 9054-9059.

12. Jiao, L.*, Ouyang, S.*, Liang, M.*, Niu, F.*, Shaw, N., Wu, W., … & Liu, Z. J. (2013). Structure of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus nucleocapsid protein in complex with suramin reveals therapeutic potential. Journal of virology, 87(12), 6829-6839.

13. Niu, F., Ru, H., Ding, W., Ouyang, S., & Liu, Z. J. (2013). Structural biology study of human TNF receptor associated factor 4 TRAF domain. Protein & cell, 4(9), 687-694.

14. Ouyang, S.*, Song, X.*, Wang, Y.*, Ru, H.*, Shaw, N., Jiang, Y., Niu, F., … & Liu, Z. J. (2012). Structural analysis of the STING adaptor protein reveals a hydrophobic dimer interface and mode of cyclic di-GMP binding. Immunity, 36(6), 1073-1086.

    (*co-first author, #corresponding author)