Jie Li

Jie Li, Ph.D., serves as Associate Professor of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin, leading research in microbe-derived natural product-based drug discovery with particular emphasis on human microbiota metabolites.

Her laboratory integrates informatics, metabolomics, and biochemistry to identify specialized microbial metabolites influencing human health, with primary focus on inflammatory bowel disease and cancer immunotherapy applications. Current investigations target sulfonolipids, lanthipeptides, and polyketides from gut microbiota, examining their roles in host-microbe interactions and therapeutic potential through interdisciplinary chemical biology approaches.

Analysis of her 2019-2025 publications reveals consistent innovation in microbial natural product discovery, particularly in gut microbiome-derived compounds modulating immune responses. Key trends include TLR4-acting sulfonolipids for IBD treatment, immunogenic polyketides for cancer therapy, and biosynthesis characterization of novel antimicrobial peptides, demonstrating strong translational focus from genomic data to functional metabolites.

Dr. Li actively recruits undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers for projects in microbial genome mining, natural products chemistry, and bioassay development. The Li Lab operates as a multidisciplinary team utilizing cutting-edge genomic and metabolomic techniques to characterize microbial chemical diversity, with laboratory facilities located in PHR 5.224D at UT Austin.