Tong Wang, Ph.D.

  • Manager, Imaging Suite
  • Research Associate Professor, Nanoscience Initiative

Dr. Wang joined the Advanced Science Research Center as Imaging Facility manager and research assistant professor. Before joining CUNY ASRC Dr. Wang was a post_doc and biological associate at Brookhaven National Lab. Over the past several years at BNL, His research has been focused on molecular imaging by TEM (e.g. negatively stained TEM and cryo-EM) and on structural analysis of large biological molecular machines and the DNA-based functional nanomaterials. He has successfully determined the structures of several important protein machines, including a photo-sensory protein originated from bacteria. More recently Dr. Wang worked on the self-assembly mechanism of nanoparticle clusters organized by rigid DNA frames, and quite satisfactorily, he showed by single particle cryo-EM that the structures indeed assembled as designed. Dr. Wang’s doctoral dissertation and early career training were in the field of DNA nanotechnology at New York University focusing on two themes: the fabrication and characterization of DNA-based nanostructures ranging from 1D to 3D, and the creation of a novel information-bearing nanomaterial, which could in principle replicate much like DNA replication in the living systems.

Research Interests

Dr. Wang is interested in developing an interdisciplinary research program, involving structural biology, chemistry, biotechnology, and nanomaterials, which includes the following directions: DNA-templated functional nanomaterials fabrication (multi-dimension) and characterization, bio-inspired artificial molecular assemblies at nanometer scale, DNA nanostructure based stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems, and structural analysis of native protein complexes by cryo-electron microscopy and single particle reconstruction.

Job History

  • 2015 – Current: Imaging Facility Manager, CUNY Advanced Science Research Center
  • 2009 – 2015: Postdoctoral Research Associate and Biological Associate, Brookhaven National Laboratory
  • 2007 – 2009: Postdoctoral Research Associate, New York University
  • 2001 – 2007: Ph.D. candidate, New York University

Publications

D. Sementa, D. Dave, R. Fisher, T. Wang, S. Elbaum-Garfinkle, R.V. Ulijn, Sequence-Tunable Phase Behavior and Intrinsic Fluorescence in Dynamically Interacting PeptidesAngew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2023in press.

Y. Zhang, D.T. Tran, D. Baker, S. Zhang, T. Wang, S. Hwang, E. Schulman, J. Fu, W. Zheng, D.G. Vlachos, J. Qi, P. Christopher, Y. Liu, A. Frenkel, D. Liu, Differentiating supported platinum single atoms, clusters and nanoparticles by styrene hydrogenationMolecular Catalysis, 2022, 351, 112709.

W. Liu, M. Schoonen, T. Wang, S. McSweeney, Q. Liu, Cryo-EM Structure of Transmembrane AAA+ Protease FtsH in the ADP State, Commun. Biol., 2022, 5(1), 257.

A. Jain, S. Kassem, R.S. Fisher, B. Wang, T.-D. Li, T. Wang, Y. He, S. Elbaum-Garfinkle, and R.V. Ulijn, Connected Peptide Modules Enable Controlled Co-Existence of Self-Assembled Fibers Inside Liquid Condensates, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144 (33), 15002–15007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.2c05897.

E.L. Cheng, I.I. Cardle, N. Kacherovsky, H. Bansia, T. Wang, Y. Zhou, J. Raman, A. Yen, D. Gutierrez, S.J. Salipante, A. des Georges, M.C. Jensen, S.H. Pun, Discovery of a Transferrin Receptor 1-Binding Aptamer and Its Application in Cancer Cell Depletion for Adoptive T-Cell Therapy Manufacturing, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2022, 144(30), 13851-13864.

A. Jain, S.A. McPhee, T. Wang, M. Narayanan Nair, D. Kroiss, T.Z. Jia, and R.V. Ulijn, Tractable Molecular Adaptation Patterns in a Designed Complex Peptide SystemChem2022in press.

A.S. Pina, L. Morgado, K.L. Duncan, S.S. Carvalho, H.F. Carvalho, A.J.M. Moura Barbosa, B. de Pina Mariz, I.P. Moreira, D. Kalafatovic, B.M. Morais Faustino, V. Marang, T. Wang, C. Pappas, I. Ferreira, A.C.A. Roque, and R.V. Ulijn, Discovery of Phosphotyrosine-binding Oligopeptide with Supramolecular Target SelectivityChem. Sci2022, 13, 210-217.

H. Wang, Z.-L. Liu, J. Lao, S. Zhang, R. Abzalimov, T. Wang, and X. Chen, High Energy and Power Density Peptidoglycan Muscles through Super-Viscous Nanoconfined WaterAdvanced Science2022, https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202104697.

S.T. Wang, B.S. Minevich, J. Liu, H. Zhang, D. Nykypanchuk, J. Byrnes, W. Liu, L. Bershadsky, Q. Liu, T. Wang, G. Ren, O. Gang, Designed and Biologically Active Protein Lattices, Nature Communications, 2021, 12, 3702.

R. Piotrowska, T. Hesketh, H. Wang, A. Martin, D. Bowering, C. Zhang, C. Hu, S.A. McPhee, T. Wang, Y. Park, P. Singla, T. McGlone, A. Florence, T. Tuttle, R.V. Ulijn, and X. Chen, Mechanistic insights of evaporation-induced actuation in supramolecular crystals, Nat. Mater.2021, 20, 403-409.

T. C. Marcink, T. Wang, A. des Georges, M. Porotto, A. Moscona. Human parainfluenza virus fusion complex glycoproteins imaged in action on authentic viral surfaces. PLoS pathogens, 2020, 16, no. 9: e1008883.

L. Bai, T. Wang, G. Zhao, A. Kovach and H. Li, The atomic structure of a eukaryotic oligosaccharyltransferase complex, Nature, 2018, 555, 328-333.

X. Wang, A.R. Chandrasekaran, Z. Shen, Y.P. Ohayon, T. Wang, M.E. Kizer, R. Sha, C. Mao, H. Yan, X. Zhang, S. Liao, B. Ding, B. Chakraborty, N. Jonoska, D. Niu, H. Gu, J. Chao, X. Gao, Y. Li, T. Ciengshin and N.C. Seeman, Paranemic Crossover DNA: There and Back Again, Chem Rev., 2018, doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00207.

C. Zhang, R. Shafi, A. Lampel, D. MacPherson, C. Pappas, V. Narang, T. Wang, C. Maldarelli and R.V. Ulijn, Switchable Hydrolase Based on Reversible Formation of Supramolecular Catalytic Site Using a Self-Assembling PeptideAngew Chem. Int. Ed.2017, 56(46), 14511-14515.

E.S. Burgie, A.N. Bussell, S.H. Lye, T. Wang, W. Hu, K.E. McLoughlin, E.L. Weber, H. Li and R.D. Vierstra, Photosensing and Thermosensing by Phytochrome B Require Both Proximal and Distal Allosteric Features within the Dimeric PhotoreceptorSci. Rep.2017, 7(1), 13648.

F. Hong, S. Jiang, T. Wang, Y. Liu and H. Yan. Framework DNA Origami Nanostructures with Layered-Crossover Motifs. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.2016, 55(41), 12832-12835.

I. Ramos Sasselli, C.G. Pappas, E. Matthews, T. Wang, N. Hunt, R.V. Ulijn and T. Tuttle. Using Experimental and Computational Energy Equilibration to Understand Hierarchical Self-assembly of Fmoc-dipeptide Amphiphiles. Soft Matter2016, 12, 8307.

C.G. Pappas, R. Shafi, I.R. Sasselli, H. Siccardi, T. Wang, V. Narang, R. Abzalimov, N. Wijerathne and R.V. Ulijn. Dynamic Peptide Libraries for the Discovery of Supramolecular Nanomaterials. Nat. Nanotechnol., 2016.

Y. Tian, T. Wang, W. Liu, H. Xin, H. Li, Y. Ke, W. Shih and O. Gang, Mesoscale 3D Nanoparticle Clusters with Prescribed ArchitecturesNature Nanotechnology2015, 10, 637-644

headshot: tong wang

Phone Number

212.413.3352