Zhao (George) Huang

 

georgezhaohuang@gmail.com

EDUCATION

Rice University, Houston, TX                                                                                                    Expected: Feb 2011

PhD in Biochemistry and Cell Biology             

 

University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK                                                                                      2005 – 2006

MPhil in Biochemistry

 

Imperial College, London, UK                                                                                                              2002 – 2005

BSc in Biotechnology

EXPERIENCE

Genzyme Corp: Drug & Biomaterials, Boston, MA                                                      Feb 2010 – June 2010

Co-op researcher Supervisor: Dr. Erika Johnston

Project: Optimization of kinase inhibitors/development of biomaterials products on hernia prevention

• Analyzed kinase-inhibitor interactions using ITC to aid fragment-based drug design
• Developed ITC competitive assays to measure the Kd of very tight/weak binders
• Purified various kinases using FPLC
• Crystallized kinase-inhibitor complexes using robotics systems to provide structure-activity relationship
• Performed particle analysis and microscopy on biomaterials
• Presented regularly in research meetings and received extensive safety training (8 classes)

 

Rice University, Houston, TX                                                                                                         2006 – present

Graduate Student Advisor: Prof. Sarah E. Bondos and Prof. Kathleen S. Matthews

Thesis project: Development of a novel biomaterial using the Drosophila transcription factor Ultrabithorax

• Patented a technology for the production of a novel protein-based material
• Developed a novel protein material that can incorporate functional protein patterns
• Designed and assembled a device that enables semi-automatic protein material production
• Coordinated interdisciplinary research (bioengineering, materials science and chemical engineering)
• Performed techniques in tissue engineering (electrospinning, mammalian cell culture, direct contact, elution, and attachment assays), biochemistry and molecular biology (PCR, site-directed mutagenesis, cloning, western blotting, and protein purification, and radioactive protein-DNA binding assays), biophysics (ITC, stopped-flow, UV-Vis, CD, and fluorescence spectroscopy), microscopy (confocal, fluorescence, light, and SEM), and surface chemistry (pendant drop and Langmuir trough).
• Implemented systematic mechanical testing of micron-scale materials using micro-tensile tester
• Conducted large-scale culture of E.coli using bioreactor to over-express human blood substitute
• Supervised award winning undergraduate research (best undergraduate summer research)
• Taught and organized undergraduate classes in Biochemistry and Genetics
• Received laboratory safety training and biological research ethics training
• Organized scientific workshop to promote public interest in science

 

University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK                                                                            2005 – 2006

Graduate Student Advisor: Dr. Jessica Downs

Thesis Project: Characterization of Hrr25 phosphorylation in vitro

• Identified novel substrates for a kinase involved in DNA double strand break repair
• Performed biochemistry and molecular biology techniques (PCR, cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, protein purification, pull-down assays, and radioactive kinase phosphorylation assays) in E.coli and Budding Yeast.
• Organized and presented scientific workshop to promote public interest in science

Imperial College London, London, UK                                                                                2002 – 2005

Undergraduate Researcher      Advisor: Dr. Geoff Baldwin

• Performed cloning, expression, extraction and purification of a membrane protein
• Implemented crystal screening using manual hanging drop and robotic nano-sitting drop techniques
• Conducted site-directed mutagenesis to improve the expression of human DNA repair enzymes in E.coli
• Performed bioluminescence assays and kinetics experiments to measure the efficiency of DNA repair
• Organized and presented in undergraduate science conferences

 

PATENT and PUBLICATIONS

Huang, Z., Spicer, P., Matthews, K.S., Mikos, A., and Bondos, S.E. Using self-assembly Ubx-based protein materials as tissue engineering scaffolds. In preparation

Huang, Z., Salim, T., Brawley, A., Patterson, J., Matthews, K.S. and Bondos, S.E. Functionalization and patterning of protein-based materials using active Ultrabithorax chimeras. Advanced Functional Materials Submitted

Bondos, S.E., Greer, A.M., Matthews, K.S., Huang, Z., Brawley, A., and Patterson, J. (2010) Self-assembly of protein-based biomaterials with multiple morphologies. US Patent 2010/0143436

Huang, Z.*, Lu, Y.*, Shah, J., Matthews, K.S., Bondos, S.E. and Lou, J. (2010) Size dictates mechanical properties for fibers self-assembled by the Drosophila Hox transcription factor Ultrabithorax. Biomacromolecules 11, 3644-3651

Greer, A.M.*, Huang, Z.*, Oriakhi, A., Lu, Y., Lou, J., Matthews, K.S., and Bondos, S.E. (2009) The Drosophila transcription factor Ultrabithorax self-assembles into protein-based biomaterials with multiple morphologies. Biomacromolecules 10, 829-837.

* Equal contribution

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Functionalization and patterning of chimeric protein-based materials. Materials Research Society Fall Meeting, Boston, MA. December 2009

Size effects in the mechanical properties of the Drosophila Hox transcription factor Ultrabithorax self-assembled protein fibers. Materials Research Society Fall Meeting, Boston, MA. December 2009

Using a Drosophila transcription factor to generate, functionalize, and pattern extensible protein-based materials. Texas Protein Folders Meeting, College Station, TX. March 2009

Generation, characterization and functionalization of novel biomaterials. Institute for Biosciences and Bioengineering Symposium, Houston, TX. July 2007

Self-assembly protein based fibers, ropes, films, sheets and baskets. Structural Biology Symposium, Galveston, TX. March 2007

SKILLS

General software: Macintosh, Windows, Microsoft Office, Illustrator, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and Maya

Scientific software: Origin, ChemDraw, Isentris, Mosaic, VectorNTI, Lasergene, EndNote, PyMOL, and KaleidaGraph

Languages: Fluent in English, Native Speaker in Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese)

 

HONORS AND AWARDS

Robert A. Welch Predoctoral Fellowship (2007-2010)

Rice University Graduate Fellowship (2006)

Brook House College Scholarship For Academic Excellence (2001, 2002)

Gold Medal in United Kingdom Math Challenge, Nation’s Top 100 (2002)

ACTIVITIES

Director and cinematographer of multiple movies premiered at the Rice Student Film Showcase (2009)

Student representative and event organizer of the Graduate Student Association (2008-2009)

Instructor of the Sally Ride Science Festival (2007)