• Chemical Biology
• Directed Nucleic Acid Evolution for Biomedical Application
• Transdisciplinarity

Professor Julian A. Tanner is Director of the Common Core, Assistant Dean T&L (Biomedical Sciences Curriculum) and Associate Director (T&L) of the School of Biomedical Sciences.

1. Bhuyan, S.K., Wang, L., Jinata, C., Kinghorn, A.B., Liu, M., He, W., Sharma, R. & Tanner, J.A. Directed evolution of a G-quadruplex peroxidase DNAzyme and application in proteomic DNAzyme-aptamer proximity labeling. J. Am. Chem. Soc., https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c02625 (2023)

2. Shiu, S.C.C., Whitehouse, W.L. & Tanner, J.A. Designing aptamer-enabled DNA polyhedra using paper origami. Trends Anal Chem, 116723 (2022)
3. Wang, L., Cui, J., Tanner, J.A.* & Shiu, S.C.C.* Self-assembly of DNA tiles with G-quadruplex DNAzyme catalytic activity for sensing applications. ACS Appl Bio Mater, 5(8), 3788-3794 (2022)
4. Chan, K.Y., Kinghorn, A.B., Hollenstein, M., & Tanner, J.A. Chemical modifications for a next generation of nucleic acid aptamers. Chembiochem, E202200006 (2022)
5. Yu, Y., Liu, M., Choi, V.N.T., Cheung, Y.W. & Tanner, J.A. Selection and characterization of DNA aptamers inhibiting a druggable target of osteoarthritis, ADAMTS-5. Biochimie, 201, 168-176 (2022)
6. Liu, M., Wang, L., Lo, Y., Shiu, S.C.C., Kinghorn, A.B., & Tanner, J.A. Aptamer-enabled nanomaterials for therapeutics, drug targeting and imaging. Cells, 11(1), 159 (2022)
7. Guo, W.*, Kinghorn, A.B.*, Zhang, Y., Li, Q., Poonam, A.D., Tanner, J.A.* & Shum, H.C.* Non-associative phase separation in an evaporating droplet as a model for prebiotic compartmentalization. Nature Commun, 12, 1-13 (2021)
8. Lo, Y., Cheung, Y.W., Wang, L., Lee, M., Figueroa-Miranda, G., Liang, S., Mayer, D. & Tanner, J.A. An electrochemical aptamer-based biosensor targeting Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein II for malaria diagnosis Biosens Bioelectron, 192, 113472 (2021)
9. Minopoli, A., Della Ventura, B., Lenyk, B., Gentile, F., Tanner, J. A. Offenhausser, A., Mayer, D. & Velotta, R. Ultrasensitive antibody-aptamer plasmonic biosensor for malaria biomarker detection in whole blood. Nature Commun, 11, 6134 (2020)
10. Cheung, Y.W.*, Rothlisberger, P.*, Mechaly, A.E., Weber, P.P.W., Levi-Acobas, F., Lo, Y.,, Wong, A.W.C., Kinghorn, A.B., Haouz, A., Savage, G.P., Hollenstein, M.* & Tanner, J.A.* Evolution of abiotic cubane chemistries in a nucleic acid aptamer allows selective recognition of a malaria biomarker. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 117, 16790 (2020)
11. Khong, M.L., Li, L., Solesio, M.E., Pavlov, E.V. & Tanner, J.A. Inorganic polyphosphate controls cyclophilin B-mediated collagen folding in osteoblast-like cells. FEBS J, 287, 4500 (2020)
12. Liang, S., Kinghorn, A.B., Voliotis, M., Prague, J.K., Veldhuis, J.D., Tsaneva-Atanasova, K., McArdle, C.A., Li, R.H.W., Cass, A.E.G.*, Dhillo, W.S.* & Tanner, J.A.* Measuring luteinising hormone pulsatility with a robotic aptamer-enabled electrochemical reader. Nature Commun, 10,  852 (2019)
13. Fraser, L.A., Cheung, Y.W., Kinghorn, A.B., Guo, W., Shiu, S.C.C., Jinata, C., Liu, M., Bhuyan, S., Nan, L., Shum, H.C. & Tanner, J.A. Microfluidic Technology for Nucleic Acid Aptamer Evolution and Application. Adv Biosys, 3, 190012 (2019)
14. Li, L., Khong, M.L., Lui, E.L.H., Mebarek, S., Magne, D., Buchet, R. & Tanner, J.A. Long-chain polyphosphate in osteoblast matrix vesicles: enrichment and inhibition of mineralization. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj, 1863(1), 199-209 (2019)
15. Shiu, S.C.C., Kinghorn, A.B., Sakai, Y., Cheung, Y.W., Heddle, J.G. & Tanner, J.A. Three S’s for aptamer-mediated control of DNA nanostructure dynamics: shape, self-complementarity and spatial flexibility. Chembiochem, 19(18), 1900-1906 (2018)
16. Shiu, S.C.C.*, Fraser, L.A.*, Ding, Y. & Tanner, J.A. Aptamer display on diverse DNA polyhedron supports. Molecules, 23(7), 1695 (2018)
17. Tang, M.S.L., Shiu, S.C.C., Godonoga, M., Cheung, Y.W., Liang, S., Dirkzwager, R.M., Kinghorn, A.B., Fraser, L.A., Heddle, J.G.* & Tanner, J.A.* An aptamer-enabled DNA nanobox for protein sensing. Nanomed. Nanotechnol Biol Med, 14, 1161-1168 (2018)
18. Cheung, Y.W., Dirkzwager, R.M., Wong, W.C, Cardoso, J., Costa, J.D.N. & Tanner, J.A. Aptamer-mediated Plasmodium-specific diagnosis of malaria. Biochimie, 145, 131-136 (2018) Bioelectron, 100, 591-596 (2018)
19. Shiu, S.C.C., Cheung, Y.W., Dirkzwager, R.M., Liang, S., Kinghorn, A.B., Fraser, L.A., Tang, M.S.L. & Tanner, J.A. Aptamer-mediated protein molecular recognition driving a DNA tweezer nanomachine. Adv Biosys, 1, 1600006 (2017)
20. Kinghorn, A.B., Dirkzwager, R.M., Liang, S., Cheung, Y.W., Fraser, L.A., Shiu, S.C.C., Tang, M.S.L. & Tanner, J.A. Aptamer affinity maturation by resampling and microarray selection. Anal Chem, 88(14), 6981-6985 (2016)
21. Cheung, Y.W., Kwok, J., Law, A.W.L., Watt, R.M., Kotaka, M. & Tanner, J.A. Structural basis for discriminatory recognition of Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase by a DNA aptamer. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 110(40), 15967-15972 (2013)

1. Chan, E., Khong, M.L., Torda, A., Tanner, J.A., Velan, G.M., Wong, G.T.C., Medical teachers’ experience of emergency remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-institutional study. BMC Med Educ, 22(1), 303 (2022)
2. Khong, M.L. & Tanner, J.A. A collaborative two-stage examination in biomedical sciences: positive impact on feedback and peer collaboration. Biochem Mol Biol Edu, 49(1), 69-79 (2021)
3. Khong, M.L., Chan, E., Tanner, J.A., Lee, P.P.W. & Wong, G.T.C. COVID-19 – a covert catalyst for pedagogical stocktake and transformation: perspectives of a global hub. MedEdPublish, 9, 212 (2020)
4. Tanner, J.A., Kinghorn, A.B. & Cheung, Y.W. Aptamers. MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. 289 pages (2018) (edited book)
5. Bevan, S.J., Chan, C.W.L. & Tanner, J.A. Diverse assessment and active student engagement sustain deep learning: a comparative study of outcomes in two parallel introductory biochemistry courses. Biochem Mol Biol Edu, 42(6), 474-479 (2014)
6. Miller, A.D. & Tanner, J.A. Essentials of Chemical Biology: Structure and Dynamics of Biological Macromolecules. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK. 573 pages (2008) (authored book)

• https://twitter.com/tanner_jnl_club
• http://jtannerlab.tumblr.com/

• ScienceDaily: New robotic sensor technology can diagnose reproductive health problems in real-time
• Phys.org: New robotic sensor technology can diagnose reproductive health problems in real-time
• 蘋果新聞: 港英研發　20元測女性不孕 微極電線檢測黃體生成素　免重複抽血
• 星島日報: 港大與英研發 快速診斷不孕症
• 東方日報: 新「單鏈DNA序列」 助快速診斷不孕症
• 信報: 云爾錄 :港大快速驗女性不孕僅需20元
• 晴報: 港大研檢測平台 速驗不孕不育
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• 經濟日報：生殖障礙難診斷　港大與倫敦帝國學院開發自動檢測平台
• 東網: 港大研不孕症快速檢測　費用僅20元
• HK01: 港大與倫敦帝國學院研傳感檢測技術快速診斷不孕不育　成本減九成
• 巴士的報: 港大與英學府開發檢測平台 查女性不孕費用僅傳統方法0.2%
• Advanced Science News: Proteins feel the pinch with DNA nanotweezers
• Burnet Institute: Burnet Institute and University of Hong Kong in new collaboration
• South China Morning Post: HKU team discovers DNA technique to detect malaria
• Medical Tribune: DNA aptamer to transform malaria diagnosis

• Aptamer: Molecular Insight and Translational Theranostics (HKU Co-PI, UGC TBRS 2021)
• Kepler-Poinsot DNA nanostructures as sharp next-generation drug delivery vehicles (CERG GRF 2021)
• COVID-19 Point-of-Care Diagnostics in Saliva: an Aptamer-Mediated Approach (ITF COVID-19 2021)
• Da Vinci-Inspired DNA nanostructures targeted with aptamers for cancer therapeutics (CERG GRF 2020)
• Nucleic acid aptamer decorated peptide amphiphile nanofibers for regenerative medicine applications (CERG GRF 2018)

1. Tanner, J.A. & Cheung, Y.W. Sandwich and species-specific nucleic acid aptamers against Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase for malaria diagnosis. PCT/CN2017/115895 (2017)
2. Kinghorn, A.D. & Tanner, J.A. DNA display and methods thereof. PCT/CN2015/073350, CN201580079273.2A, US15/553885, EP15882959.8A (2015)
3. Tanner, J.A., Cheung, Y.W. & Kotaka, M., Nucleic acid aptamers against Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase and histidine-rich protein II and uses thereof for malaria diagnosis. US9000137B2, CN104245957B, WO2013117162A1, EP2812453B1 (2013)
4. Tanner, J. A., Shum, K.T. & Chan, C.S.L., High-affinity nucleic acid aptamers against sclerostin protein. US8552166B2, CN102971424B, WO2011147193A1, EP2576786B1 (2013)

• Faculty Outstanding Research Output Award (2020)
• Hong Kong UGC Teaching Award (Team) (2019)
• HKU Outstanding Teacher Award (Team) (2018)
• HKU Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award (2017)
• HKU Outstanding Young Researcher Award (2016)
• HKU Outstanding Teacher Award (Individual) (2015)
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) (2014)

• Dr Andrew Kinghorn – Post-Doctoral Fellow
• Dr Simon Chi-Chin Shiu – Post-Doctoral Fellow
• Dr Louisa Lo – Post-Doctoral Fellow (Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre)
• Dr William Whitehouse – Post-Doctoral Fellow (Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre)
• Dr Soubhagya Bhuyan – Post-Doctoral Fellow (Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre)
• Dr Lin Wang – Post-Doctoral Fellow (Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre)
• Jingyu Cui – PhD student
• Weisi He – PhD student
• Ryan Siu – PhD student
• Yinuo Xie – PhD student
• Zach Smith – Technician

* I am open to enquiries from prospective PhD students and post-doctoral fellows, please contact me. Financially supported positions may be available for excellent applicants, either local or international. Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme applicants are particularly welcome.

As primary supervisor:

• Dr Soubhagya Bhuyan – PhD
• Dr Cecilia Chan – PhD
• Dr Celine Chan – PhD
• Dr Yee-Wai Cheung – PhD
• Dr Mei Choi – PhD
• Dr Roderick Dirkzwager – PhD
• Dr Lewis Fraser – PhD
• Dr Chandra Jinata – PhD
• Dr Mei Li Khong – PhD
• Dr Andrew Kinghorn – PhD
• Dr Shaolin Liang – PhD (joint HKU-Imperial)
• Dr Mengping Liu - PhD
• Dr Young Lo – PhD
• Dr Eric Lui – PhD
• Dr Simon Shiu – PhD
• Dr Kato Shum – PhD
• Dr Wesley Tucker – PhD
• Dr Lin Wang - PhD
• Dr Yuanyuan Yu – PhD
• Carl Ao – MPhil
• Mari Kimura – MPhil
• Bob Lee – MPhil
• Marco Tang – MPhil
• Alvin Wai Chung Wong – MMedSc