Dr.
Di Wu
Postdoctoral Researcher
Research Focus
Research interests primarily focus on disease-related membrane proteins, with particular emphasis on elucidating their structure-function relationships and pathogenic mechanisms. The work also involves the identification and validation of novel drug targets based on membrane proteins, as well as the development of new small-molecule drugs and biologic therapeutics targeting these proteins.
Awards & Grants
Nobel Laureate Fellowship 2022
“The Nobel Laureates of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft can each nominate an outstanding postdoc for a Nobel Laureate Fellowship in recognition of their achievements. … This instrument for promoting junior scientists of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft provides postdocs with a unique insight into the research activities of the Nobel Laureates. They also benefit from excellent national and international networks for their future career.”
Di Wu Publications
1.
Journal Article
Ri, K.; Weng, T.-H.; Claveras Cabezudo, A.; Jösting, W.; Zhang, Y.; Bazzone, A.; Leong, N. C. P.; Welsch, S.; Doty, R. T.; Gursu, G. et al.; Lim, T. J. Y.; Schmidt, S. L.; Abkowitz, J. L.; Hummer, G.; Wu, D.; Nguyen, L. N.; Safarian, S.: Molecular mechanism of choline and ethanolamine transport in humans. Nature
630, pp. 501 - 508 (2024)
2.
Journal Article
Aziz, I.; Kayastha, K.; Kaltwasser, S.; Vonck, J.; Welsch, S.; Murphy, B. J.; Kahnt, J.; Wu, D.; Wagner, T.; Shima, S. et al.; Ermler, U.: Structural and mechanistic basis of the central energy-converting methyltransferase complex of methanogenesis. PNAS
121 (14), e2315568121 (2024)
3.
Journal Article
Wu, D.; Mehdipour, A. R.; Finke, F.; Goojani, H. G.; Groh, R. R.; Grund, T. N.; Reichhart, T. M. B.; Zimmermann, R.; Welsch, S.; Bald, D. et al.; Shepherd, M.; Hummer, G.; Safarian, S.: Dissecting the conformational complexity and mechanism of a bacterial heme transporter. Nature Chemical Biology
19 (8), pp. 992 - 1003 (2023)
4.
Journal Article
Grund, T. N.; Kabashima, Y.; Kusumoto, T.; Wu, D.; Welsch, S.; Sakamoto, J.; Michel, H.; Safarian, S.: The cryoEM structure of cytochrome bd from C. glutamicum provides novel insights into structural properties of actinobacterial terminal oxidases. Frontiers in Chemistry (2023)
5.
Journal Article
Grund, T. N.; Radloff, M.; Wu, D.; Goojani, H. G.; Witte, L. F.; Jösting, W.; Buschmann, S.; Müller, H.; Elamri, I.; Welsch, S. et al.; Schwalbe, H.; Michel, H.; Bald, D.; Safarian, S.: Mechanistic and structural diversity between cytochrome bd isoforms of Escherichia coli. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
118 (50), e2114013118 (2021)
6.
Journal Article
Safarian, S.; Opel-Reading, H. K.; Wu, D.; Mehdipour, A. R.; Hards, K.; Harold, L. H.; Radloff, M.; Stewart, I.; Welsch, S.; Hummer, G. et al.; Cook, G. M.; Krause, K. L.; Michel, H.: The cryo-EM structure of the bd oxidase from M. tuberculosis reveals a unique structural framework and enables rational drug design to combat TB. Nature Communications
12 (1), 5236 (2021)
8.
Thesis - PhD
Wu, D.: Structural Insights into human SLC7-SLC3 heterodimeric amino acid transporters. Dissertation, 192 pp., Fachbereich Biochemie, Chemie und Pharmazie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität, Frankfurt am Main (2022)
