معرفی
Mei Hong is the David A. Leighty Professor of Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she leads the Hong group. Her research focuses on developing and applying high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy to study the structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules, particularly membrane proteins, amyloid proteins, and plant cell walls. Her work integrates advanced NMR techniques with biophysical and biochemical studies to elucidate mechanisms underlying ion transport, protein misfolding in neurodegenerative diseases, and plant cell wall architecture.
Her research interests span viral ion channels (e.g., influenza M2, SARS-CoV-2 E protein), amyloid proteins (e.g., tau in Alzheimer’s disease), and plant cell wall polysaccharides. She pioneered techniques like 19F-based NMR distance measurements and multidimensional correlation NMR to study structural and dynamic heterogeneity in biomolecules.
Her lab’s contributions include defining the structure of the SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein, elucidating tau fibril conformations, and revealing the single-network model of plant primary cell walls. Collaborations with medicinal chemists, electrophysiologists, and molecular dynamics experts enhance her interdisciplinary approach.
