Hong-Ming Chen

Hongming

 Research Associate

 

  •  1999-2002 Research Scientist, R&D Division, Forbes Medi-Tech Inc, Vancouver, Canada
  •  1997-1999 Visiting Scientist, Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
  • 1991-1997 Associate Professor, Research Associate and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing Medical University, Beijing, China
  • 1988-1991 Ph.D. Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, China
  • 1985-1988 M.Sc. Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, China
  • 1981-1985 B.Sc. Chemistry, Anhui Normal University, China

 

Phone: 604-822-4626
Email: hchen(at)chem.ubc.ca

 

RESEARCH INTEREST

My research interest focuses on the synthesis and biological functions of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are now well established to play key roles in many crucial recognition processes and it has been realized that these compounds may provide important leads for drug discovery. To reveal the biological roles of saccharides, it is very important to have sufficient amounts of pure and well-defined (mono or poly) saccharides of different sizes, compositions and functional groups. Organic synthesis provides an important means of obtaining these analogues. Part of my research work is studying on the development of efficient and novel glycosylation methods, and the enzymatic synthesis of oligosaccharides.

 

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

  • Mechanism-Based Covalent Neuraminidase Inhibitors with Broad-Spectrum Influenza Antiviral Activity

Kim, J.-H.; Resende, R.; Wennekes, T.; Chen, H.-M.; Bance, N.; Buccini, S.; Watts, A.G.; Piling, P.; Streltsov, V.A.; Petric, M.; Liggins, R.; Barrett, S.; Mckimm-Breschkin, J.L.; Niikura, M.; Withers, S.G.
Science, 2013, 340, 71-75.

  • Investigating the Structural Dynamics of α-1,4-Galactosyltransferase C from Neisseria meningitides by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Chan, P.H.W.; Cheung, A.H., Okon, M.; Chen, H.-M.; Withers, S.G.; McIntosh, L.P.
Biochem., 2013, 52, 320-332.

  • Directed evolution of a β-glycosidase from Agrobacterium sp. To enhance its glycosynthase activity toward C3-modified donor sugars

Shim, J.H.; Chen, H.-M.; Rich, J.R.; Goddard-Borger, E.D. and Withers, S.G.
PEDS, 2012, 25, 465-72.

  • Self-Immobilizing Fluorogrnic Imaging Agents of Enzyme Activity

Kwan, D.H.; Chen, H.-M.; Ratananikom, K.; Hancock, S.M.; Watanabe, Y.; Kongsaeree, P.T.; Samuels, A.L. and Withers, S.G.
Angew. Chem., 2011, 50, 300-303

  • Synthesis of p-nitrophenyl 3- and 4-thio-β-D-glycopyranosides

Chen, H.-M. and Withers, S.G.
Carbohydr. Res., 2010, 345, 2596-2604.

  • A b-1,4-Galactosyltransferase from Helicobacter pylori is an efficient and versatile biocatalyst displaying a novel activity for thioglycoside synthesis

Namdjou, D.-J.; Chen, H.-M.; Vinogradov, E.; Brochu, D.; Withers, S.G.; Wakarchuk, W.W.
Chembiochem., 2008, 9, 1632-1640.

  • Syntheses of the 3- and 4-thio analogues of 4-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-gluco- and galactopyrano-side

Chen, H.-M.and Withers, S.G.
Carbohydr. Res., 2007, 342, 2212-2222.

  • Thioglycoligase-based assembly of thiodisaccharides: Screening as beta-galactosidase inhibitors

Kim, Y.-W.; Chen, H.-M.; Kim, J.-H.; Mullegger, J.; Mahuran, D.; Withers, S.G.
Chembiochem., 2007, 8, 1495-1499.

  • Facile synthesis of 2,4-dinitrophenyl alpha-D-glycopyranosides as chromogenic substrates for alpha-glycosidases

Chen, H.-M. and Withers, S.G.
Chembiochem., 2007, 8, 719-722.

  • High-throughput screening methodology for the directed evolution of glycosyltransferases

Aharoni, A.; Thieme, K.; Chiu, C.P.C.; Buchini, S.; Lairson, L.L.; Chen, H.-M.; Strynadka, N.C.J.; Wakarchuk, W.W.; Withers, S.G.
Nature Methods, 2006, 3, 609-614.

  • Glycosylation of a neo-glycoprotein using glycosynthase and thoglycoligase approaches: the first generation of a thioglycoprotein

Müellegger, J.; Chen, H.-M.; Warren, R.A.; Withers, S.G.
Angew. Chemie Int. Ed., 2006, 45, 1 (on line).

  • Expanding the Thioglycoligase Strategy to the Synthesis of the Parent Enzyme/Substrate Complex

Kim, Y.-W.; Lovering, A.L.; Chen, H.-M.; Kantner, T.; Mclntosh, L.P.; Strynadka, N.C.J.; Withers, S.G.
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2006, 128 (7), 2202.