Professor Zhang Jingqiang and other Scientists Gain a Great Development on Research of Atomic Resolution Structure of the Virus

On January 10th, working with Biological Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences and South China Agricultural University, Professor Zhang Jingqiang belonging to School of Life Science published a paper about atom modal of CPV on PNAS as correspondence identity author. This paper reveals the mRNA outflow channel of CPV, identifies the position of two methyltransferases and the process how mRNA flows through them. Greater significance of this research is that the research team worked out the atom modal of a larger virus (diameter is 70nm) based on their experiments and analysis with only half a year. The application of the research result can greatly shorten the period of developing antiviral drugs; make the virus prevention much easier.

The research group under the leadership of Professor Zhang Jingqiang has been studying Electron microscopy of biological macromolecules for a long time. They have investigated many viruses, such as C6/36DNV, SAR CoV, DNV, HBV, accessed to a number of innovative achievements and published a series of research papers. In August, 2009, working with Rice University of USA and Peking University, Professor Zhang Jiangqiang gained a great development on research of HEV, and published a paper on PNAS as correspondence identity author. In this paper, he pointed out that the resolution structure of HEV 0.35nm, revealed the assembly process of HEV and the active site of the virus, clarified the internal evolution trend of virus and the position of HEV in the evolution of RNA virus, providing structure basis for designing medicine for preventing viral hepatitis type E.

Other two papers published on PNAS of Professor Zhang Jingqiang and his cooperators represents two developing direction in virus biology respectively, having important significance on the studying of virus structure.