Our research goal is to develop novel strategies for the control of tuberculosis, one of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases.  We are working on understanding how Mycobacterium tuberculosis maintains persistent infection in the host and how to rationally design the next generation of effective TB vaccines.

Selected Publications:

1. Ahn SK, Tran V, Leung A, Ng M, Li M, Liu J* . (2018). Recombinant BCG overexpressing phoP-phoR confers enhanced protection against tuberculosis. Molecular Therapy.` 5;26(12):2863-2874.
2. Zhang L , Ru HW , Chen FZ , Jin CY , Sun RF , Fan XY , Guo M , Mai JT , Xu WX , Lin QX , Liu J*. (2016). Variable virulence and efficacy of BCG vaccine strains in mice and correlation with genome polymorphisms. Molecular Therapy. 24: 398-405.
3. Tran V , Ahn SK , Ng M , Li M , Liu J*  (2016). Loss of lipid virulence factors reduces the efficacy of the BCG vaccine. Scientific Reports. 6: 29076.
4. Gordon BR , Li Y , Cote A , Weirauch MT , Ding P , Hughes TR , Navarre WW , Xia B* , Liu J* (2011). Structural basis for recognition of AT-rich DNA by unrelated xenogeneic silencing proteins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 108(26): 10690-5.
5. Gordon BR , Li Y , Wang L , Sintsova A , van Bakel H , Tian S , Navarre WW , Xia B* , Liu J*. (2010). Lsr2 is a nucleoid-associated protein that targets AT-rich sequences and virulence genes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 107(11): 5154-9.