Academic Staff
Professor TANNER, Julian Alexander 唐柱霖
- BSc (Bristol); PhD (Imperial College London)
- Professor
- Assistant Dean (Biomedical Sciences Curriculum), Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine
- Associate Director (Teaching and Learning), School of Biomedical Sciences
- Chemical Biology
- Directed Nucleic Acid Evolution for Biomedical Application
- Nucleic Acid Nanotechnology
Professor Julian A. Tanner is Associate Director (T&L) of the School, and Assistant Dean T&L (Biomedical Sciences Curriculum) of the Faculty.
Evolution of abiotic cubane chemistries in a nucleic acid aptamer allows selective recognition of a malaria biomarker as published in PNAS in July 2020 as a collaboration between the University of Hong Kong and Pasteur Institut, Paris. The image shows a cubane-modified aptamer in blue which was evolved in our laboratory to specifically recognise a malaria protein biomarker depicted by the red and white surface.
Robotic APTamer-enabled electrochemical reader (RAPTER) for luteinising hormone sensing to diagnose reproductive disorders as published in Nature Communications in Feb 2019 as a collaboration between the University of Hong Kong and Imperial College London.
Julian's research field is chemical biology, with a particular focus on directed nucleic acid evolution for translational biomedical application. The Tanner lab brings together interdisciplinary experimental approaches at the interface of biomedical science, chemistry and engineering to tackle major medical challenges. His highly collaborative research team is developing new technologies for biosensing, diagnostics and therapeutics in a variety of contexts, including point-of-care infectious disease diagnostics and continuous hormone sensing for reproductive disorders. The team is also investigating the interface of aptamers and DNA nanotechnology through design of triggers of conformational change at the nanoscale. Julian also has experience in educational research, with particular interest in how to build the best environment for research excellence and student achievement at the nexus between research, teaching and innovation.
The team has published widely in leading journals including Nature Communications, PNAS, Angewandte Chemie, Biosensors & Bioelectronics, Advanced Biosystems and Analytical Chemistry. Julian also co-authored a leading textbook of Chemical Biology published by Wiley.
Lab Photo: (from left to right): Wai Kit Ming, Andrew Kinghorn, Lin Wang, Robert Jesky, Aegee Martin, Cyrus Chan;
(middle from left to right): Soubhagya Bhuyan, Chau Tran, Julian Tanner, Young Lo, Chandra Jinata;
(lower from left to right): Weisi He, Mengping Liu, Vanessa Choi, Simon Shiu
- Shiu, S.C.C., Whitehouse, W.L. & Tanner, J.A., Designing aptamer-enabled DNA polyhedral using paper origami, Trends Anal Chem, accepted, in press (2022)
- 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)
- Chan, K.Y., Kinghorn, A.B., Hollenstein, M., & Tanner, J.A. Chemical modifications for a next generation of nucleic acid aptamers. Chembiochem, E202200006 (2022)
- 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, accepted, in press (2022)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Shiu, S.C.C.*, Fraser, L.A.*, Ding, Y. & Tanner, J.A. Aptamer display on diverse DNA polyhedron supports. Molecules, 23(7), 1695 (2018)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Tanner, J.A., Kinghorn, A.B. & Cheung, Y.W. Aptamers. MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. 289 pages (2018) (edited book)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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
- 都市日報: 速測不孕疾病 診斷成本約廿蚊
- 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)
- Tanner, J.A. & Cheung, Y.W. Sandwich and species-specific nucleic acid aptamers against Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase for malaria diagnosis. PCT/CN2017/115895 (2017)
- Kinghorn, A.D. & Tanner, J.A. DNA display and methods thereof. PCT/CN2015/073350, CN201580079273.2A, US15/553885, EP15882959.8A (2015)
- 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)
- 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 – Research Associate
- Jingyu Cui – PhD student
- Weisi He – PhD student
- Mengping Liu – PhD student
- Dr Wai Kit Ming – PhD student
- Ryan Siu – PhD student
- Lin Wang – PhD student
- Yinuo Xie – PhD student
- Mardan Parhat – MPhil 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 Yuanyuan Yu – PhD
- Carl Ao – MPhil
- Mari Kimura – MPhil
- Bob Lee – MPhil
- Marco Tang – MPhil
- Alvin Wai Chung Wong – MMedSc
Last update: 2022-08-30