Ziheng Hu

Dry LabAI Therapeutics & Molecular Simulation Lab (ATOMs Lab) · XJTLU, Suzhou · Supervisor: Dr. Sijin Wu

• Carried the computational campaign against myostatin (MSTN) end to end: structure-based drug design and molecular dynamics simulations of the receptor–ligand system.
• Ran the virtual screening and molecular docking rounds that identified candidate inhibitors.
• Explored PD-L1-directed PROTACs using molecular dynamics simulations, investigating how different linker designs modulate their conformational behaviour.
• Quantified candidates with binding free energy analysis and protein–ligand stability assessment to prioritise leads.
• Outcomes: co-authored manuscript under review at the Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling, plus a first-author poster at the 35th CCS Congress; this work won the Third Prize for Innovative Achievements at the 18th National Pharmaceutical Circles Forum.

Wet LabXJTLU Peptide and Drug Research Group (XPad) · XJTLU, Suzhou · Supervisors: Dr. Shining Loo & Dr. Antony Kam

• Ran the wet-lab pipeline for protein engineering end to end: molecular cloning, expression, IMAC purification, and buffer exchange.
• Produced recombinant proteins in bacterial expression systems and performed QC for downstream nanoparticle assembly.
• Characterised products by SDS-PAGE and binding assays to confirm suitability for particle assembly.

Wet LabXJTLU Peptide and Drug Research Group (XPad) · XJTLU, Suzhou · Supervisors: Dr. Shining Loo & Dr. Antony Kam

• Re-engineering protease-driven encapsulin nanoparticles with dual orthogonal conjugation handles (Sortase A and SnoopLigase) for modular intracellular protein delivery.
• Assembling cargo-loaded nanoparticles via TEV protease-triggered self-assembly, followed by surface functionalisation with affibody ligands and small-molecule labels.
• Characterising particles by DLS, TEM, blue native gel, and HPLC-SEC; evaluating HER2-dependent cell penetration in HER2⁺ vs HER2⁻ cell lines.