Gong CHENG
		Principle Investigator

Gong CHENG  PhD

Principal Investigator/ PhD Adviser

Tel: 010-62788494

Email: gongcheng@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

Address: Biotech Building 4301, Tsinghua University School of Medicine

My lab currently focuses on the immuno-pathogenesis and vaccine development of mosquito-borne viral diseases. Dengue and Japanese encephalitis (Flaviviridae Family) are areas of particular interests. Studies are directed at understanding the interactions between pathogen, host, and vector that result in virulence and transmission, and the molecular basis of disease in animal and arthropod models.

Education and Training:

1999-2003   Shandong University   B.S.      Microbiology

2003-2008   Fudan University     Ph.D.     Microbiology

2008-2010   Yale University School of Medicine / HHMI  Postdoc Associate Infectious Diseases

2010-2011   Yale University School of Medicine    James Hudson Brown-Alexander Brown Coxe Postdoctoral Fellow   Infectious Diseases

2011-            Tsinghua University Principal Invesitgator

 

Research Interests:

1. Molecular mechanism of flaviviral infection in arthropod vector and animal model.

2. Molecular basis for flaviviral transmission.     

3. New strategy reducing Dengue natural dissemination.

Publications:

1.Liu L, Narasimhan S, Dai JF, Zhang LL, Cheng G, Fikrig E. (2011) Ixodes salivary gland protein facilitates migration of Anaplasma from tick gut to salivary glands. EMBO reports doi:10.1038/ embor.2011.177.

2.Cheng G, Liu L, Wang P, Zhang Y, Zhao YO, Colpitts TM, Feitosa F, Anderson JF, Fikrig E. (2011) An In Vivo Transfection Approach Elucidates a Role for Aedes aegypti Thioester-Containing Proteins in Flaviviral Infection. PLoS ONE 6(7): e22786. [PMID: 21818390]

3.Colpitts TM, Cox J, Vanlandingham DL, Feitosa FM, Cheng G, Kurscheid S, Wang PH, Krishnan MN, Higgs S, Fikrig E. (2011) Alterations in the Aedes aegypti Transcriptome during Infection with West Nile, Dengue and Yellow Fever Viruses. PLoS Pathogen 7(9): e1002189.

4.Cheng G, Cox J, Wang PH, Krishnan MN, Dai JF, Qian F, Anderson JF, Fikrig E. (2010) A C-Type Lectin collaborates with a CD45 phosphatase homolog to facilitate West Nile Virus infection of mosquitoes. Cell, 142: 714-725. [PMID: 20797779].

5.Cheng G, Zhao X, Li ZF, Liu XY, Yan WY, Zhang XY, Zhong Y, Zheng ZX. (2009) Identification of a putative invertebrate helical cytokine similar to the Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor/Leukemia Inhibitory Factor family by PSI-BLAST-based approach. Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research 29: 461-468. [PMID: 19514841]

6.Zhao X, Cheng G, Yan WY, Liu MQ, He Y, Zheng ZX. (2009) Characterization and virus-induced expression profiles of the porcine interferon-omega multigene family. Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research 29: 687-693. [PMID: 19792998]

7.Cheng G, Zhao X, Chen WZ, Yan WY, Liu MQ, Chen J, Zheng ZX. (2007) Detection of differential expression of porcine IFN-alpha subtypes by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research 27: 579-587. [PMID: 17651019]

8.Cheng G, Zhao X, Yan WY, et al. (2007) Alpha interferon is a powerful adjuvant for a recombinant protein vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease virus in swine, and an effective stimulus of in vivo immune response. Vaccine 25: 5199-5208. [PMID: 17555848]

9.Wang JL, Liu MQ, Han J, Chen WZ, Cong W, Cheng G, Gao YH, Lu YG, Chen JL, Zuo XP, Yan WY, Zheng ZX. (2007) A peptide of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype Asia1 generating a neutralizing antibody response, and an immunostimulatory peptide. Veterinary Microbiology 125: 224-231. [PMID: 17656048]

10.Cheng G, Chen WZ, Li ZF, Xie J, Yan WY, Liu MQ, Zhang H, Zhong Y, Zheng ZX. (2006) Characterization of the porcine alpha interferon multigene family. Gene 382: 28-38. [PMID: 16901658]

11.Chen WZ, Liu MQ, Cheng G, Yan WY, Fei L, Zheng ZX. (2005) RNA silencing: a remarkable parallel to protein-based immune systems in vertebrates? FEBS Lett. 579: 2267-2272. [PMID: 15848156]