Prof. Leung Yun-chung, Thomas DoULS & Professor

Location Y814
Phone +852 3400 8661
mail thomas.yun-chung.leung@polyu.edu.hk

Open Platform for University Scholars
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Education and Academic Qualifications Doctor of Philosophy in Molecular Biology, University of Oxford
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of London




Professional Qualifications Graduate Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Associate member of the Royal College of Science




Research Overview My research focuses on the rational design of cancer drugs by protein engineering and chemical biology; and the rational design of ultrafast biosensors for drug discovery.




Research Interests
Drug Discovery
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Protein Engineering
Rational Protein Drug Design
Rational Biosensor Design
Translational Medicine
Biotechnology and Cancer Research



Achievements

Awards
President's Award for Excellent Performance/Achievement (PolyU, 2004/05)
Special Gold Award (33rd International Exhibition of Inventions, Geneva, 2005)
Technology Transfer Award (PolyU, 2005)
Technology Transfer Award (PolyU, 2006)
High Impact Achievement Award for Research Achievement (PolyU, 2009)
Prize of the State of Geneva (37th International Exhibition of Inventions, Geneva, 2009)
SEED Competition Finalist Award, 2010 (Awarded by Roche)
The Second Class Prize in Natural Science Award (自然科学二等奖) of the Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science and Technology) from the Ministry of Education 2013
Distinguished Knowledge Transfer Award (PolyU, 2017)




Patents
Granted Patent: US 9382525 B2 (2016)
Granted Patent: CA 2756442 (2016)
Granted Patent: US 9255262 (2016)
Granted Patent: EP 2411040 B1 (2015)
Granted Patent: Japan Patent 5746137 (2015)
Granted Patent: China Patent CN 102481345 B (2015)
Granted Patent: Australia Patent AU 2010242422 B2 (2015)
Granted Patent: US 8507245 B2 (2013)
Granted Patent: China Patent ZL 2.3 (2012)
Granted Patent: US 7951366 B2 (2011)
Granted Patent: US 7,550,281 B2 (2009)
Granted Patent: US 7,323,303 B2 (2008)
Granted Patent: EP 1517699 B1 (2008)




Representative Publications
Sun N, Lu YJ, Chan FY, Du RL, Zheng Y, Zhang K, So LY, Abagyan R, Zhuo C, Leung YC, Wong KY. A thiazole orange derivative targeting the bacterial protein FtsZ shows potent antibacterial activity. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2017;8(MAY).
Lee LMY, Leung MBW, Kwok RCY, Leung YC, Wang CC, McCaffery PJ, Copp AJ, Shum ASW. Perturbation of retinoid homeostasis increases malformation risk in embryos exposed to pregestational diabetes. Diabetes. 2017;66(4):1041-51.
Chan KF, Sun N, Yan SC, Wong ILK, Lui HK, Cheung KC, Yuan J, Chan FY, Zheng Z, Chan EWC, Chen S, Leung YC, Chan TH, Wong KY. Efficient Synthesis of Amine-Linked 2,4,6-Trisubstituted Pyrimidines as a New Class of Bacterial FtsZ Inhibitors. ACS Omega. 2017;2(10):7281-92.
Tsang MW, Chan PH, Liu SY, Wong KY, Leung YC. A fluorescein-labeled AmpC β-lactamase allows rapid characterization of β-lactamase inhibitors by real-time fluorescence monitoring of the β-lactamase-inhibitor interactions. Biotechnology Journal. 2016;11(2):257-65.
Hu R, Yap HK, Fung YH, Wang Y, Cheong WL, So LY, Tsang CS, Lee LYS, Lo WKC, Yuan J, Sun N, Leung YC, Yang G, Wong KY. Light up protein-protein interaction through bioorthogonal incorporation of a turn-on fluorescent probe into β-lactamase. Molecular BioSystems. 2016;12(12):3544-9.
Andresen M, Wong KY, Leung YC, Wong WT, Chan PH, Andresen-Vasquez M, Alegria L, Silva C, Tapia P, Downey P, Soto D. Method Based on the β -Lactamase PenPC Fluorescent Labeled for β -Lactam Antibiotic Quantification in Human Plasma. BioMed Research International. 2016;2016.
Tsang MW, So PK, Liu SY, Tsang CW, Chan PH, Wong KY, Leung YC. Catalytically impaired fluorescent Class C β-lactamase enables rapid and sensitive cephalosporin detection by stabilizing fluorescence signals: Implications for biosensor design. Biotechnology Journal. 2015;10(1):126-35.
Chan FY, Sun N, Leung YC, Wong KY. Antimicrobial activity of a quinuclidine-based FtsZ inhibitor and its synergistic potential with β-lactam antibiotics. Journal of Antibiotics. 2015;68(4):253-8.
Wang Y, Chan FY, Sun N, Lui HK, So PK, Yan SC, Chan KF, Chiou J, Chen S, Abagyan R, Leung YC, Wong KY. Structure-based design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of isatin derivatives as potential glycosyltransferase inhibitors. Chemical Biology and Drug Design. 2014;84(6):685-96.
Sun N, Chan FY, Lu YJ, Neves MAC, Lui HK, Wang Y, Chow KY, Chan KF, Yan SC, Leung YC, Abagyan R, Chan TH, Wong KY. Rational design of berberine-based FtsZ inhibitors with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(5).