Niu Liwen

Biography

Niu Liwen, male, professor and Ph.D. supervisor. BSc (1982) in biology from USTC;MSc in biophysics (1986) from Chinese Academy Sciences (CSA) . He has been serving as deputy dean of School of Life Sciences, USTC since 1998, director of Key Laboratory for Structural Biology since 2002, Executive Director of Chinese Crystallographic Society, deputy director of Professional Committee of Macromolecules and standing member of the Biophysical Society of China. Since September 1986, he has been working on life science research and higher education. He began to serve as associate professor in 1989, professor in 1995 and PhD. Supervisor in 1996. From March to June 1993, he served as visiting associate professor at Dept. of Biology, Purdue University, associate researcher at Dept. of Biology, Purdue University from May 1995 to May 1996). In 1989 he won the second prize of Young Scientists Award of CAS. In 1992 he enjoyed the special governmental allowance financed by State Council. In 1994 he became a candidate of “New Century Talent Project” of State Education Commission. In 1997 he was a candidate of the first level and second level of experts of “New Century Talent Project” of State Education Commission. 1998 he was honored as “Young and Middle-aged Experts with Outstanding Contributions” by CAS. In 2000 he was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars. In 2001 he won the Second Prize of Higher Education Award in Science and Technology of Ministry of Education. In 2001 he was supported by the National Natural Science Funds for Creative Research Groups. In the meantime he also won many other honors such as Elite Science Funds Award, USTC (1990), Eastern Communications Award (2000) and Title of Outstanding Supervisor for Graduate Students (1995). Currently Prof. Niu Liwen lectures on Crystallogphy of Biological Macromolecules for graduate students, Biochemistry for undergraduates and other courses. He once lectured on Biological Spectroscopy for undergraduates and Protein Folding and Structure for graduate students, etc. He has supervised many doctoral candidates, master degree candidates and undergraduates to complete their dissertation and research work. Doctoral dissertations that he supervised won the title of “Top 100 National Excellent Doctoral Dissertations” for the year 2001. Over the past 15 years, as the director or main participant, he has successively completed or is undertaking a number of national and provincial research projects, including projects and research topics of “863 Program”, “Seventh Five Year Plan”, “Eighth Five Year Plan”, “Ninth Five Year Plan” and “Tenth Five Year Plan”; first level of sub-programs of “973 Program”; general projects and key projects of National Natural Science Foundation of China and National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars; projects of Innovative Group Program; first level sub-projects of major basic research projects under “Eighth Five Year Plan”, “Ninth Five Year Plan” of CAS; Renovation Projects of Major equipments under “Eighth Five Year Plan”; projects of Presidential Foundation of CAS; projects of Young Scholar Foundation of Laboratory; projects of Special Funds of Treasury Department for Life Science and Biotechnology; Knowledge Innovation Projects; projects of Major Action Plan; Projects for Key Laboratories; projects of New Century Training Plan for Excellent Talents of State Education Commission; projects of the Doctoral Program Funds under “Eighth Five Year Plan”; sub-topics of “985 Program” of Ministry of Education of PRC and “921 Program”, etc.

Research Interest

We are interested in transcription factors, especially the complexes related to transcription elongation. These factors interact with polymerase and/or mRNA and regulate elongation. We study the functions and structures of these proteins and complexes by biochemstry and crystallographic method.  We are interested in proteins and complexes invloved in vesicular transport process;