Structural Biology of Membrane Proteins
Not stated
- Funding
- Self-Funded PhD Students Only
- Application deadline
- 2 November 2026
About the project
About the Project Our group combines structural and biophysical approaches to unravel the molecular principles underlying membrane transport and excitability. We seek to obtain a mechanistic understanding of how ion channels and lipid scramblases function in health and disease and to develop novel, effective, and safe therapeutics. Work from our group has revealed electrostatic and hydrophobic gating (eLife 2018, Nat. commun. 2021a) and the associated kinetic mechanism (Nat. commun. 2021b) in the ligand-gated ion channel TMEM16A. Using cryo-EM, our work has further provided the structural basis for inhibitor binding (Nat. commun. 2022) and ligand efficacy (EMBO J 2023) in this channel. More information about our research can be found at https://www.al-lab.org/ . The project is aimed at understanding the structure and mechanism of key ion channels by combining biochemistry, cryo-EM, and electrophysiology. Established purification and recording protocols are available for structure determination and patch-clamp analysis. Training in these techniques will be provided. We have access to state-of-the-art microscopes including Krios G4 and Glacios 2 cryo-TEMs at the Faculty of Medicine and computational resources for cryo-EM data processing. Applicants will have a master’s degree with a bachelor’s GPA above 3.5 or equivalent in structural biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or a related field. He/She should demonstrate an outstanding academic performance and an enthusiasm in using cryo-EM for protein structure determination. Experience in (membrane) protein expression and purification and cryo-EM sample preparation and data collection will be an advantage, as well as knowledge in using common structural biology software and ion channel structure and function. The working language in the Department is English. To apply, please submit the following documents by email to akml@hku.hk : A cover letter describing your motivation and academic achievements, A detailed curriculum vitae (CV), Full academic transcripts, and Contact information for one to two references. In addition, applicants must submit a formal application on or before 1 st December 2026 via: https://gradsch.hku.hk/prospectivestudents/application/howtoapply/onlineapplicationsystem . For enquiries, please contact akml@hku.hk .