Education

1990/9–1994/6, University of Dundee, UK, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ph.D. Supervisor: David Lilley
1981/9–1984/6, University of Manchester, UK, Chemistry, Bachelor

Work experience

2015/3-present, Fudan University, Affiliated Pudong Hospital, Professor
2005/3--present, Fudan University, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Professor
2003/12-2005/2, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France, Ariana pharma, a new drug development company, chief R&D
1998/7-2003/2, Ribotargets, a new drug development company in Cambridge, UK, chief R&D
1994/9-1998/6, University of Dundee, UK, Department of Biochemistry, postdoctoral fellow and senior researcher

Contact

Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 Tel: +86 021-54237577

Email: aihm@fudan.edu.cn

Biography

Born in the North-west of England. Studied Chemistry at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). Pursued postgraduate and postdoctoral studies in the Biochemistry Department of the University of Dundee under the supervision of Prof. David M.J. Lilley FRS. These studies involved the use and development of novel experimental techniques including Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) and comparative gel electrophoresis to investigate the structure and function of both DNA and RNA nucleic acids and their interactions with enzymes. This led to a senior position in RiboTargets a Cambridge (UK) based biotech Drug Discovery company, focusing on RNA based anti-viral and anti-bacterial drugs. Went on to join ArianaPharma a drug development company based at the Institute Pasteur in Paris (France). Joined the Institutes of Biomedical Sciences (IBS) at Fudan University in 2005.

Research Areas

We use a combination of next generation genome-wide sequencing technology, bioinformatics analysis and orthodox biochemical techniques to identify and characterise novel regulatory RNAs and ribozymes.

Research interest

Research on the tertiary structures of nucleic acid and their biological function including: discovery of riboswitch RNA and novel ribozyme RNA and its structure and effects on gene expression and regulation, RNA modification and its biological function.
Noncoding RNAs and small molecules interaction and regulation of the expression of antibiotic resistance genes.

Selected Publications

Hengyi Jiang, Yanqing Gao, Lei Zhang, Dongrong Chen#, Jianhua Gan#, Alastair I H Murchie#., The identification and characterization of a selected SAM-dependent methyltransferase ribozyme that is present in natural sequences, Nature Catalysis, 2021, 4(10)：872-818.
Getong Liu, Hengyi Jiang, Wenxia Sun, Jun Zhang; Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#, The function of twister ribozyme variants in non-LTR retrotransposition in Schistosoma mansoni, Nucleic Acids Research, 2021, 49(18)：10573-10588.
Jun Zhang, Getong Liu, Wenxia Sun, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Aminoglycoside antibiotics can inhibit or activate twister ribozyme cleavage. FEBS J, 2020.
Wenxia Sun, Xuhui Zhang, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Interactions between the 5' UTR mRNA of the spe2 gene and spermidine regulate translation in S. pombe. RNA, 2020. 26(2): p. 137-149.
Jun Zhang, Getong Liu, Xuhui Zhang, Yaowen Chang, Shasha Wang , Weizhi He , Wenxia Sun , Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Aminoglycoside riboswitch control of the expression of integron associated aminoglycoside resistance adenyltransferases. Virulence, 2020. 11(1): p. 1432-1442.
Xuhui Zhang, Wenxia Sun, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Interactions between SAM and the 5' UTR mRNA of the sam1 gene regulate translation in S. pombe. RNA, 2020. 26(2): p. 150-161.
Shasha Wang, Weizhi He, Wenxia Sun, Jun Zhang, Yaowen Chang, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Integron-Derived Aminoglycoside-Sensing Riboswitches Control Aminoglycoside Acetyltransferase Resistance Gene Expression. Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 2019. 63(6).
Jing Zhang, Danbin Li, Jun Zhang, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Osmium tetroxide as a probe of RNA structure. RNA, 2017. 23(4): p. 483-492.
Sitao Yin, Hengyi Jiang, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Substrate recognition and modification by the nosiheptide resistance methyltransferase. PLoS One, 2015. 10(4): p. e0122972.
Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., An aminoglycoside sensing riboswitch controls the expression of aminoglycoside resistance acetyltransferase and adenyltransferases. Biochim Biophys Acta, 2014. 1839(10): p. 951-8.
Xu Jia, Jing Zhang, Wenxia Sun, Weizhi He, Hengyi Jiang, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Riboswitch regulation of aminoglycoside resistance acetyl and adenyl transferases. Cell, 2013. 153(7): p. 1419-20.
Weizhi He, Xuhui Zhang, Jun Zhang, Xu Jia, Jing Zhang, Wenxia Sun, Hengyi Jiang, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Riboswitch control of induction of aminoglycoside resistance acetyl and adenyl-transferases. RNA Biol, 2013. 10(8): p. 1266-73.
Xu Jia, Jing Zhang, Wenxia Sun, Weizhi He, Hengyi Jiang, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Riboswitch control of aminoglycoside antibiotic resistance. Cell, 2013. 152(1-2): p. 68-81.
Wenxia Sun, Li Wang, Hengyi Jiang, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Targeting mitochondrial transcription in fission yeast with ETB, an inhibitor of HSP60, the chaperone that binds to the mitochondrial transcription factor Mtf1. Genes Cells, 2012. 17(2): p. 122-31.
Wenxia Sun, Zhe Wang, Hengyi Jiang, Jing Zhang, Jürg Bähler, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., A novel function of the mitochondrial transcription factor Mtf1 in fission yeast; Mtf1 regulates the nuclear transcription of srk1. Nucleic Acids Res, 2011. 39(7): p. 2690-700.
Xu Jia, Weizhi He, Alastair I H Murchie#, Dongrong Chen#., The global transcriptional response of fission yeast to hydrogen sulfide. PLoS One, 2011. 6(12): p. e28275.
Hengyi Jiang, Wenxia Sun, Zhe Wang, Jing Zhang, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Identification and characterization of the mitochondrial RNA polymerase and transcription factor in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Nucleic Acids Res, 2011. 39(12): p. 5119-30.
Huirong Yang, Zhe Wang, Yan Shen, Ping Wang, Xu Jia, Liang Zhao, Pei Zhou, Rui Gong, Ze Li, Ying Yang, Dongrong Chen#, Alastair I H Murchie#., Crystal structure of the nosiheptide-resistance methyltransferase of Streptomyces actuosus. Biochemistry, 2010. 49(30): p. 6440-50.