Shiqiang Gao

I am a junior Group Leader at the Physiology Institute of University Wuerzburg. I am interested in studying photoreceptors, synthetic biology, and engineering optogenetic tools to apply them in different biological systems. I have a study and research background in molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysics, with specific expertise in molecular engineering. In 2015, I obtained my PhD with Prof. Georg Nagel in the field of Optogenetics, there I characterized the first rhodopsin with 8 transmembrane helices and showed light-activated cGMP production. Later, I introduced the all-trans-retinal production into plants and thus facilitated the functional expression of microbial rhodopsins in plants. I also developed synthetic potassium and calcium channels by fusing light-gated nucleotide cyclases with CNG channels. I have established close collaborations with international researchers and produced a number of peer-reviewed publications.