Yang Yu

Main research interests: 1) Development of metalloprotein research tools; 2) Construct artificial metalloenzymes to realize new reactions; 3) Study on the mechanism of metalase reaction. He has published more than 30 academic papers in academic journals at home and abroad. He has been awarded 3  National Natural Science Foundation grants, participated in several national and local grants, and was selected as the first batch of China Association for Science and Technology "Young Talent Lift Project".

He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses such as "Artificial Intelligence Methods in Biomolecular Engineering," "Chemical Biology," and "Pharmaceutical Engineering Professional Experiments." He has co-edited a textbook, led two university-level educational reform projects, and launched a MOOC, "Chemical Biology." He has won a third-place university teaching achievement award. He has mentored students to win two gold medals in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, a second-place prize in the Beijing division of the National College Student Innovation Competition, and three other provincial and ministerial awards. He has also been recognized as an outstanding project in the National College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program. In 2023, he mentored a student who was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Graduation Thesis Award in Beijing.

I engage in protein engineering and biocatalysis research, focusing on metalloenzymes that play a vital role in natural energy cycles and biosynthetic applications. Addressing the complex structures and unclear catalytic mechanisms of metalloenzymes, as well as the inability of natural enzyme properties to meet application requirements, I conduct the following research:
1. Development of Metalloenzyme Design Tools: Developing AI-based protein design, directed evolution, and evaluation methods, as well as tools for inserting unnatural amino acids based on genetic codon expansion.
2. Design of Complex Metalloenzymes: Designing model proteins for natural metalloenzymes such as cytochrome c oxidase and hydrazine synthase, and exploring their catalytic mechanisms.
3. Biocatalytic Engineering: To expand the applications of enzyme catalysis, I explore coupling enzymes with metal coordination compounds and functional materials, and constructing chemical-enzyme cascades and enzyme-photocatalytic systems.

(27) Su Binbin, Yu Yang, Liu Haiping, and Li Chun. Engineering a Hetero-Bimetallic Azurin Photoenzyme for Photoredox Nitrite Reduction and SNO Adduct Formation, Chemistry – A European Journal, 2025, e202500143.                                    

(26) Wang Yanxia, Guo Bingchen, Chai Zhihua, Gao Ming, Li Yanlin, Yu Yang, and Huang Shengli. Enzyme immobilization in a Ru(N^N)3-modified covalent organic framework for photoenzymatic cascade catalysis, Journal of Materials Chemistry A,2024, 12(29): 18537-18543.                                    

(25) Sun Yiyang, Tang Yinian, Zhou Jing, Guo Bingchen, Yuan Feiyan, Yao Bo, Yu Yang, and Li Chun. Computational design of myoglobin-based carbene transferases for monoterpene derivatization, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.,2024, 722150160.                                    

(24) Guo Bingchen, Wang Yanxia, Sheng Yukai, Zhao Xiaoxiao, Sun Yiyang, Zhou Jing, Wang Yingying, Zhou Xiaohong, Yu Yang, and Li Chun. Optimizing light-driven ene-reductase reactions with g-C3N4 and electron mediators, Applied Catalysis A: General,2024, 679119737.                                    

(23) Yuan Feiyan, Ding Jing, Sun Yiyang, Liang Jianhua, Luo Yunzi, and Yu Yang. Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Monoterpenes by an Engineered Cytochrome P450, Chemistry – A European Journal,2024, 30(10): e202302936.                                    

(22) Wang Yan-Xia, Wang Ying, Li Jing, Yu Yang, Huang Sheng-Li, and Yang Guo-Yu. Ru(N^N)3-docked cationic covalent organic frameworks for enhanced sulfide and amine photooxidation, Dalton Trans.,2023, 52(39): 14100-14109.                                    

(21) Sheng Yukai, Guo Fang, Guo Bingchen, Wang Ning, Sun Yiyang, Liu Hu, Feng Xudong, Han Qing, Yu Yang, and Li Chun. Light-Driven CO2 Reduction with a Surface-Displayed Enzyme Cascade–C3N4 Hybrid, ACS Synthetic Biology,2023, 12(9): 2715-2724.                                    

(20)Yuan Feiyan, Su Binbin, Yu Yang, and Wang Jiangyun. Study and design of amino acid-based radical enzymes using unnatural amino acids, RSC Chemical Biology,2023, 4(6): 431-446.                                  

(19)Yu Yang, Marshall Nicholas M., Garner Dewain K., Nilges Mark J., and Lu Yi. Tuning reduction potentials of type 1 copper center in azurin by replacing a histidine ligand with its isostructural analogues, J. Inorg. Biochem.,2022, 234111863.                                    

(18) 马铮, 姜雨佳, 于洋, 李春. 含能化合物的生物合成反应. 生物加工过程 2022, 20, 465-475.                                    

(17) Jiang Yujia, Su Binbin, Chen Honghui, Zhang Tongtong, Liu Haiping, and Yu Yang. An engineered azurin with a lanthanide binding site capable of copper sensing, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications,2021, 56140-44.                                    

(16) 袁飞燕，于洋，李春. 基于非天然结构组件的人工酶设计与应用. 合成生物学 2020,1, 685-696.                                    

(15) 于洋, 王江云. 人工酶与定向进化的前沿与挑战, 科技导报. 2020, 38, 101-105.                                    

(14) Sun Wentao, Xue Haijie, Liu Hu, Lv Bo, Yu Yang, Wang Ying, Huang Meilan, and Li Chun. Controlling Chemo- and Regioselectivity of a Plant P450 in Yeast Cell toward Rare Licorice Triterpenoid Biosynthesis, ACS Catalysis,2020, 10(7): 4253-4260.                              

(13) Yu Yang, Liu Xiaohong, and Wang Jiangyun. Expansion of Redox Chemistry in Designer Metalloenzymes, Accounts of Chemical Research,2019, 52557-565.                                    

(12) 于洋.基于肌红蛋白的氧激活蛋白的理性设计, 生物加工过程 2019, 17, 23-28.                                    

(11) Yu Yang, Hu Cheng, Xia Lin, and Wang Jiangyun. Artificial Metalloenzyme Design with Unnatural Amino Acids and Non-Native Cofactors, ACS Catalysis,2018, 8(3): 1851-1863.                                    

(10) Chen Honghui, Su Binbin, Zhang Tongtong, Huang Aiping, Liu Haiping, Yu Yang, and Wang Jiangyun. Engineering the metal-binding loop at a type 1 copper center by circular permutation, RSC Advances,2017, 7(88): 56093-56098.                                    

(9) Hu Cheng, Yu Yang, and Wang Jiangyun. Improving artificial metalloenzymes' activity by optimizing electron transfer, Chemical Communications,2017, 53(30): 4173-4186.                                    

(8) Yu Yang, Cui Chang, Liu Xiaohong, Petrik Igor D., Wang Jiangyun, and Lu Yi. A Designed Metalloenzyme Achieving the Catalytic Rate of a Native Enzyme, Journal of the American Chemical Society,2015, 137(36): 11570-11573.

(7) Yu Yang, Zhou Qing, Wang Li, Liu Xiaohong, Zhang Wei, Hu Meirong, Dong Jianshu, Li Jiasong, Lv Xiaoxuan, Ouyang Hanlin, Li Han, Gao Feng, Gong Weimin, Lu Yi, and Wang Jiangyun. Significant improvement of oxidase activity through the genetic incorporation of a redox-active unnatural amino acid, Chemical Science,2015, 6(7): 3881-3885.

(6) Yu Yang, Lv Xiaoxuan, Li Jiasong, Zhou Qing, Cui Chang, Hosseinzadeh Parisa, Mukherjee Arnab, Nilges Mark J., Wang Jiangyun, and Lu Yi. Defining the Role of Tyrosine and Rational Tuning of Oxidase Activity by Genetic Incorporation of Unnatural Tyrosine Analogs, Journal of the American Chemical Society,2015, 137(14): 4594-4597.

(5) Lv Xiaoxuan, Yu Yang, Zhou Meng, Hu Cheng, Gao Feng, Li Jiasong, Liu Xiaohong, Deng Kai, Zheng Peng, Gong Weimin, Xia Andong, and Wang Jiangyun. Ultrafast Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Green Fluorescent Protein Bearing a Genetically Encoded Electron Acceptor, Journal of the American Chemical Society,2015, 137(23): 7270-7273.   

(4) Yu Yang, Mukherjee Arnab, Nilges Mark J., Hosseinzadeh Parisa, Miner Kyle D., and Lu Yi. Direct EPR Observation of a Tyrosyl Radical in a Functional Oxidase Model in Myoglobin during both H2O2 and O2 Reactions, Journal of the American Chemical Society,2014, 136(4): 1174-1177.                                    

(3) Liu Jing, Chakraborty Saumen, Hosseinzadeh Parisa, Yu Yang, Tian Shiliang, Petrik Igor, Bhagi Ambika, and Lu Yi. Metalloproteins Containing Cytochrome, Iron–Sulfur, or Copper Redox Centers, Chemical Reviews,2014, 114(8): 4366-4469.                                    

(2) Pan Yanchao, Jin Jing-Hua, Yu Yang, and Wang Jiangyun. Significant Enhancement of hPrx1 Chaperone Activity through Lysine Acetylation, ChemBioChem,2014, 15(12): 1773-1776.                            

(1) Liu Xiaohong, Yu Yang, Hu Cheng, Zhang Wei, Lu Yi, and Wang Jiangyun. Significant Increase of Oxidase Activity through the Genetic Incorporation of a Tyrosine-Histidine Cross-Link in a Myoglobin Model of Heme-Copper Oxidase, Angewandte Chemie International Edition,2012, 51(18): 4312-4316.