The Tang lab is interested in natural product biosynthesis and biocatalysis. In the natural product area, our group is interested in elucidating biosynthetic pathways of polyketides, nonribosomal peptides and related compounds. The goal is to understand the biochemical and structural basis of different enzymes encoded in these pathways. By accumulating biosynthetic knowledge and enzymatic tools, we aim towards the engineered biosynthesis of unnatural natural products through combinatorial biosynthesis. In the biocatalysis area, we build upon knowledge from the fundamental studies and aim to discover and engineer enzymes that can be used in the synthesis and semisynthesis of pharmaceutical compounds. We have demonstrated the potential of this approach in establishing a biocatalytic approach for making the blockbuster drug simvastatin.
Awards and Achievements
- NSF CAREER
- ACS Arthur Cope Scholar
- ACS Eli Lilly Award
- NIH Pioneer Award