何孟樵

何孟樵 is an Associate Research Fellow at Academia Sinica's Institute of Biochemistry. He leads a laboratory focused on visualizing protein function using structural biology techniques including protein crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University (2001–2007)
• Bachelor of Chemistry, Tsinghua University (1995–1999)

Research Focus: His lab investigates: (1) Molecular mechanisms of eukaryotic recombinases (RAD51) in DNA repair and genomic stability, (2) Structural basis of bacteriophage assembly for phage therapy against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and (3) Regulation of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) in cancer progression. The laboratory also provides cryo-EM expertise for collaborative projects on phycocyanosomes, viral particles, and metabolic enzymes.

Publications: Recent work reveals structural dynamics of DNA repair complexes, bacteriophage assembly mechanisms, and bacterial toxin activation. Key discoveries include RAD51 filament dynamics, phage baseplate diversity, and calcium-dependent pore formation in bacterial toxins.