Zunlong Ke

  • Assistant Professor
  • Molecular Biosciences

The Ke Lab started in 2024 and is actively recruiting:

  • graduate students
  • postdoctoral fellows
Profile image of Zunlong Ke

Contact Information

Biography

Dr. Zunlong Ke's research aims to understand viral structure and function by dissecting key macromolecular complexes upon host-pathogen interactions. He did his PhD in structural Biology with Dr. Elizabeth Wright at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. Before coming to UT Austin as an Assistant Professor in February 2024, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. John Briggs at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (Cambridge, UK) and the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (Munich, Germany).

Research

Our research focuses on understanding viral structure and function by dissecting key macromolecular complexes upon virus-host interactions. We will take advantage of the state-of-the-art technique of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), which allows high-resolution structure determination of macromolecules in their native environment. We are also interested in developing and applying machine learning to process low signal-to-noise ratio micrographs. Ultimately, the Ke Lab aims to uncover molecular insights into cancer-causing viral diseases, providing a basis for antiviral therapy and vaccine development.

Research Areas

  • Biophysics or Structural Biology
  • Infectious Disease, Immunology and Microbiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Vaccines and/or Therapeutics

Fields of Interest

  • Structural Biology and Biophysics
  • Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Disease
  • Biochemistry
  • Cell and Developmental Biology

Centers and Institutes

  • John Ring LaMontagne Center for Infectious Disease
  • Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs

Education

  • 2021 - 2024 Postdoctoral Fellow with John Briggs, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry Munich, Germany
  • 2018 - 2021 Postdoctoral Fellow with John Briggs, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Cambridge, UK
  • 2012 - 2018 Ph.D. in Structural Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA Advisor: Elizabeth Wright
  • 2008 - 2012 B.S. in Biology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

Publications

Awards

  • 2023 CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
  • 2021 Researcher of the Year (Highly Commended) at the Cambridge Independent’s Science and Technology Awards, Cambridge, UK
  • 2021 End of Year Special Awards Scheme Award for 2020, Medical Research Council, UK
  • 2015 Ruska Award in Biological Sciences, Southeastern Microscopy Society, Decatur, GA
  • 2015 Best Electron Micrograph Award, Southeastern Microscopy Society, Decatur, GA
  • 2011 Presidential Scholarships for excellent students, Wuhan University, China