Zhe Li received his bachelor’s degree in Materials Chemistry from Peking University in 2014. He received his PhD degree in analytical chemistry from Purdue University, under the supervision of Prof. Chengde Mao, who is the pioneer expert of DNA nanotechnology. Between 2019 and 2023, he worked as a postdoc scholar at the University of Washington with Dr. David Baker, the world pioneer of protein design and academician of the US National Academy of Sciences. In December 2023, Dr. Li joined the Department of Biomedical Engineering of Southern University of Science and Technology as assistant professor. He has been awarded the 2019 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad, the 2019 M.G. Mellon Award in Analytical Chemistry of Purdue University, and the 2023 National Natural Science Fund for Excellent Young Scientists Fund Program (Overseas). He has published about 20 papers in high-level international research journals, including Science, Nature Materials, Advanced Materials and Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Education

2014-2019 Department of Chemistry, Purdue University

Ph.D., Analytical Chemistry, Supervisor: Prof. Chengde Mao

2010-2014 College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University

B.S., Materials Chemistry, Supervisor: Prof. Limin Qi

Work Experience

2024.5-present Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Associate Professor

2023-2024.5 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Assistant Professor

2019-2023 Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Postdoc Scholar, Supervisor: Prof. David Baker

Research Interest

Protein design; DNA nanotechnology; Bionanomaterials; Self-assembly

Graduate Student Recruitment Areas

The group welcomes prospective graduate students interested in protein design, deep learning, bionanomaterials, and biomedical applications. Students with backgrounds in computer science, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, chemistry, biology, medicine, biomedical engineering, and related fields are encouraged to contact us. Applicants are not expected to have both computational and experimental backgrounds, but should have a strong interest in interdisciplinary research.

Honor and awards

2023 National Natural Science Fund for Excellent Young Scientists Fund Program (Overseas)

2019 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad

2019 M.G. Mellon Award in Analytical Chemistry of Purdue University

Representative publications

1. Yan, Y.*; Lu, J.*; Li, Z.* .; ... Baker, D.; Lin, D. Genetically encoded assembly recorder temporally resolves cellular history. Nature 2026, 652, 1049–1059 (*Contributed equally)

2.Cai, B.; Rong, X.; Sun, Y.; Liu, L.; Li, Z. Engineered 3D DNA Crystals: A Molecular Design Perspective. Small Methods 2025, 2401455

3.Li, Z.; Mao, C. Engineering colloidal crystals molecule by molecule. Science 2024, 384, 741-742

4.Li, Z.*; Wang, S.*; Nattermann, U.*; Bera, A. K.; Borst, A. J.; … Baker, D. Accurate computational design of three-dimensional protein crystals. Nat. Mater. 2023, 22， 1556-1563. (*Contributed equally)

5.Zheng, M.*; Li, Z.*; Zhang, C.; Seeman, N. C.; Mao, C. Powering≈ 50 µm Motion by a Molecular Event in DNA Crystals. Adv. Mater. 2022, 2200441. (*Contributed equally)

6.Li, Z.; Zheng, M.; Liu, L.; Seeman, N. C.; Mao, C. 5′-Phosphorylation Strengthens Sticky-End Cohesions. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 14987–14991

7.Li, Z.; Liu, L.; Zheng, M.; Zhao, J.; Seeman, N. C.; Mao, C. Making Engineered 3D DNA Crystals Robust. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 15850–15855.

8.Song, J.*; Li, Z.*; Wang, P.*; Meyer, T.; Mao, C.; Ke, Y. Reconfiguration of DNA Molecular Arrays Driven by Information Relay. Science 2017, 357, eaan3377. (*Contributed equally)