Professor and PhD Supervisor at Shandong University, recognized as a Qilu Young Scholar, a Taishan Scholar Young Expert, and a recipient of the Outstanding Young Scholar Fund of Shandong Province (Overseas). She currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Medical Structural Biology Center and the Vice Chairman of the Youth Committee of the Chinese Electron Microscopy Society.

(TL;DR: The PI's academic record is quite decent, she’s doing her best to push the science forward, and word on the street is she is a warm and nice person!)

Dr. Wenfei Li received her PhD in Biochemistry and Structural Biology from Tsinghua University in July 2015. From 2015 to 2020, she completed her postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) under the mentorship of Dr. Jamie Doudna Cate. In February 2021, she joined the School of Basic Medical Sciences at Shandong University to establish her independent research group.

(Full disclosure: keeping it honest and transparent!)

Welcome message

Ladies & Gentlemen, welcome to the Ribosome World!! ٩(1>◡<1)۶

Our absolute favorites are the adorable, fascinating, and high-impact molecular machines—Ribosomes ლ(°◕‵ƹ′◕ლ)!

(P.S. Our lab photos are fun and full of life, but they are currently exclusive to our Chinese website. To capture our joyful and passionate daily vibes, don't forget to click over to the Chinese version of our site! 

Research interests

Our research centers on "mRNA translational regulation" Our main research directions include:

(1) Energy sensing and metabolic coupling of mRNA translation — The cellular battery meter  (♥ω♥)~♪ 

We study how the translation machinery dynamically coordinates with cellular metabolic states, acting as macromolecular sensors that adjust protein synthesis efficiency in response to energy fluctuation. This helps us understand elegant, translation-level energy-saving strategies in living cells.

(2) Stress response and ribosome hibernation — Dormancy mode of the protein factory  （◐ˍ◑）

We investigate how cells deploy specific translational factors and regulatory proteins to temporarily stall, preserve, and protect mature ribosomes under environmental stress, allowing for a swift "reboot" of protein synthesis once the crisis is averted.

(3) Translational dysregulation and the mechanisms of human diseases — Factory production line accident investigation  (｡♥‿♥｡)

Focusing on translation-related pathogenesis and cellular stress conditions, we conduct deep investigations into malfunctions within translational control systems, striving to resolve the structural and molecular basis of how aberrant translation leads to cellular dysfunction.

(4) Targeting the translation system for innovative therapeutics — Unlocking translational control for therapeutics  (✪ω✪)

We explore and characterize small-molecule regulators—such as classic antibiotics and translation-targeting compounds—capable of selectively modulating translation machinery. By deciphering these drug-ribosome interfaces, we hope to provide a rational molecular blueprint for the development of highly selective translation-targeted therapeutics and strategies to combat drug resistance.

Selected publications & funding

Our research achievements have been proudly published in top-tier journals including Nature, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (NSMB), and eLife. (We know, we know, anyone can publish... But hey, a little flex won't hurt!  ^_^)

The Li Lab is immensely grateful for the continuous support from the following grants (Shoutout to our funding agencies! Thanks for letting us explore science with pure joy!):

(P.S. We just happen to really love the lucky number 7, so we'll stop the list here. Long story short: I bring home the bread, you focus on the science! )

Join us!

"As long as you have light in your eyes, we promise to light you up (mind the sunburn though! ☀️)."

We boast world-class research standards, deeply captivating projects, an intense scientific atmosphere, and above all, a warm, supportive, and loving lab culture.

Welcome to the team! (^▽^) PASSION! ヾ(◍°∇°◍)ﾞ (Pick us, pick us! You won't regret it, guaranteed!)

We are actively recruiting Postdoctoral Fellows, Assistant Researchers, and Associate Researchers all year round. Come visit and explore our lab! (づ￣0￣)づ╭❤～ (Let’s happily enjoy the sheer beauty of science together!)