• Nucleic Acid Engineering
• Chemical Biology
• Student Learning

Professor Julian A. Tanner is Director of the Common Core and Associate Dean (Health Sciences Education) of the HKUMed T&L Deanery.

1. Shiu, S.C.C., Deluca, M., Chui, W.H., Zhang, P., Mo, X., Siu, R.H.P., Dong, E., Qu, S., Cheung, C.C.L., Kinghorn, A., Whitehouse, W., Cui, J., He, W., Wang, X.Y., Li, J., Gul Khan, A., von Torklus, S., Yu, T.F., Al-Jamal, K., Tse, E., Arya, G. Fang, N.X.*, Zhou, K.* and Tanner, J.A.* Acoustically seeded fabrication of a DNA tesseract into a conductive wire. Nucleic Acids Res, accepted in press (2025)
2. Akhtar, U., Gasse, C., He, W., Tanner, J.A. & Hollenstein, M. Expanding the chemical repertoire of aptamers. Trends Chem, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trechm.2025.11.006 (2025)
3. Dahm, G.C., Akhtar, U., Bouvier-Muller, A., Lim, L., Levi-Acobas, F., Bizatm P.N., Niogret, G., Tanner, J.A., Duconge, F. & Hollenstein, M. Probing three-dimensional cyclooctatetraene for nucleobase modification in aptamer selection, Comms Chem, 8(1), 276 (2025)
4. Siu, R.H.P., Zhang, Y., Liu, S., Kinghorn, A.B., Guo, W.*, Shum, H.C.* & Tanner, J.A.* All-Aqueous Phase Segregation Integrated Electrochemical Aptamer Biosensor Enables Picomolar Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein. Small, e03466 (2025)
5. Jesky, R.G., Lo, L.H.Y., Siu, R.H.P. & Tanner, J.A. Designing the Future of Biosensing: Advances in Aptamer Discovery, Computational Modeling, and Diagnostic Applications Biosensors, 15(10), 637 (2025)
6. Kinghorn, A.B., Guo, W., Wang, L., Tang, M.Y.H., Wang, F., Shiu, S.C.C., Lau, K.K., Jinata, C., Dey Poonam, A., Shum, H.C.* & Tanner, J.A.* Evolution Driven Microscale Combinatorial Chemistry in Intracellular Mimicking Droplets to Engineer Thermostable RNA for Cellular Imaging, Small, 2409911 (2025)
7. Lo, Y., Siu, R.H.P., Tran, C., Jesky, A.B., Kinghorn, A.B. & Tanner, J.A. An aptamer/CRISPR electrochemical (ACE) biosensor for Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein II and SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein, Microchem J, 212, 113176 (2025)
8. He, W., Cui, J., Wang, X.Y., Siu, R.H.P., & Tanner, J.A. Early-stage pancreatic cancer diagnosis: serum biomarkers and the potential for aptamer-based biosensors, Molecules, 30(9), 2012 (2025)
9. Siu, R.H.P., Jesky, R.G. Fan, Y.J., Au-Yeung, C.C.H., Kinghorn, A.B., Chan, K.H., Hung, I.F.N. & Tanner, J.A. Aptamer-Mediated Electrochemical Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein in Saliva, Biosensors, 14, 10, 471 (2024)
10. Whitehouse, W.L., Lo, L.H.Y., Kinghorn, A.B., Shiu, S.C.C. and Tanner, J.A. Structure-switching electrochemical aptasensor for rapid, reagentless and single-step nanomolar detection of C-reactive protein. ACS Appl Bio Mater, 7, 6, 3721-3730 (2024)
11. 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., 145, 23, 12726-12736 (2023)
12. 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)
13. 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)
14. 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)
15. 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)
16. 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. Miller, A.D. & Tanner, J.A. Essentials of Chemical Biology: Structure and Dynamics of Biological Macromolecules – Second Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK. 560 pages (2024) (authored book)
2. Khong, M.L. & Tanner, J.A. Surface and deep learning: a blended learning approach in preclinical years of medical school. BMC Med Educ, 24(1), 1029 (2024)
3. 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)
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
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• 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)
• Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre (ABIC) InnoHK Co-PI (2021–2025)
• Toroidal DNA nanostructures for rotary catalysis (CERG GRF 2024)
• 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. Whitehouse, W.L., Lo, H.Y.L. & Tanner, J.A. Rapid, single-step and reagentless electrochemical biosensing methods, compositions and devices for nanomolar detection of C-reactive protein, US20250155401A1 (2025)
2. Tanner, J.A. & Shiu, S.C.C. Facet-based nucleic acid platonic, Kepler-Poinsot polyhedral and four-dimensional tesseract for therapeutic, diagnostic and analytical applications. PCT International Application, USPTO 63/638955 (2024).
3. Tanner, J.A. & Shiu, S.C.C. Nucleic acid mazzocchio and methods of making and use thereof. US20220168429A1 (2022), CH114072505 (2023), EP3953475A4 (2022)
4. Tanner, J.A. & Cheung, Y.W. Sandwich and species-specific nucleic acid aptamers against Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase for malaria diagnosis. PCT/CN2017/115895 (2017)
5. Kinghorn, A.D. & Tanner, J.A. DNA display and methods thereof. WO2016134521 A1 (2015)
6. 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. US Patent No. 9000137, CN104245957A, EP2812453A1 (2013)
7. Tanner, J.A. & Cheung, Y.W. DNA aptamers against plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase and histidine-rich protein II for malaria diagnosis and therapy. US Provisional Patent, 61/596,774 (2012)
8. Tanner, J. A., Shum, K.T. & Chan, C.S.L., High-affinity nucleic acid aptamers against sclerostin protein. US2011/0294872 A1, EP2576786A1 (2011-2014)

• 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)
• Weisi He - PhD student
• Yicheng Heng - PhD Student
• Amro Samir - PhD student
• Ryan Siu - PhD student
• Xueyan Wang - PhD student
• Yinuo Xie - PhD student
• Xiaotian Zhang - PhD student
• Feifei Long - MPhil Student
• Melody Lin Wing Tung - MRes[Med] 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 Jingyu Cui - 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