Gang-yu Liu

Professor Liu’s overall research objective focuses on the development of nanotechnology and potential applications to bioanalytical chemistry. One important aspect of the research is the design and engineering of nanostructures that position bioreceptors and chemical reaction sites on surfaces with high precision. The exquisite precision attainable by the nanolithographic methods developed allows complex multivalent interactions typical of biorecognition to be controlled by varying the separation and local environment of the binding sites. Current projects include: (1) development of state-of-the-art imaging tools for high-resolution imaging of ligands, DNA, proteins and living cells; (2) advanced methodologies, e.g., 3D nanoprinting, for production of arrays of functional nanostructures; (3) single-cell mechanics; (4) using nanostructures of ligands to investigate and regulate cellular signaling processes, e.g., allergy, viral infection, immunoresponses. Another aspect is the advanced methodology for the production of drug delivery vehicles for theragnostic applications.

Education, Awards and Professional Highlights

• Ph.D. Princeton University (1992)
• M.A. Princeton University (1987)

• B.S. Peking (Beijing) University, P. R. China (1985)

   

• Faculty Fellows Award for Interdisciplinary Research Catalyst, UC Davis (2018)
• ACS Fellow (2010)
• AAAS Fellow (2007)
• Professor, UC Davis (2005-present)
• Associate Professor, UC Davis (2001-2004)
• Career Development Chair Award, Wayne State University (2000-2001)
• Outstanding Scholarly Achievement Award, Wayne State University (2000)
• Associate Professor, Wayne State University (1999-2001)
• NSF CAREER Award (1997-2001)
• Arnold and Mabel Beckman Young Investigator Award (1996-1998)
• Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award (1994-1999)
• Assistant Professor, Wayne State University (1994-1999)
• Miller Research Fellowship, University of California, Berkeley (1992-1994)
• Harold W. Dodds Honorific Fellowship, Princeton University (1990-1991)

• CGP (Chemistry Graduate Program) Fellowship, Princeton University (1986-1987)

   

• Board member, Mesilla Chemistry Workshop, 1998-present
• Senior Editor, J. Phys. Chem. 2005-2020
• Chair of NIH study session, Nanobiotechnology, March 2005
• President of the AVS-Michigan Chapter, 2000-2001

Representative and Recent Publications

Ventrici de Souza, J.F., Y. Liu, S. Wang, P. Dorig, T. Kuhl, J. Frommer and G.-y. Liu. Three-Dimensional Nanoprinting via Direct Delivery.  J. Phys. Chem. B., 2018, 122, 956−962, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b06978

Liu,Y.; Wang, K.H.; Chen, H.Y.; Li, J. R.; Laurence, T.A.; Ly, S.; Liu, F. T.; Liu, G. Y.  Periodic Arrangement of Lipopolysaccharides Nanostructures Accelerates and Enhances the Maturation Processes of Dendritic Cells  ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 2018, 1, 839−850.  DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.7b00254

Deng, W. N.; Wang, W.; Ventrici de Souza, J.;  L. Kuhl, T.L.; Liu, G. Y. New Algorithm to Enable Construction and Display of 3D Structures from Scanning Probe Microscopy Images Acquired Layer-by-Layer.  J. Phys. Chem. A, 2018, 122(26)  5756-5763. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.8b03417

Hanna, D. M.; Lohrer, M. F.; Stern, D. E.; Postlmayr, A.; Kollin, A.; Wang, S.; Liu, G. Y. An Online Algorithm for Detecting Anomalies using Fuzzy Clustering, Proceeding International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, (post deadline paper), IEEE, 2018.

Zhang, J.; Whitehead, J.; Liu, Y.; Yang, Q.; Leach, J. K.; Liu, G. Y.  Direct Observation of Tunneling Nanotubes within Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Spheroids.  J. Phys. Chem. B.  2018, 122, 9920−9926, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b07305

Zhang, J.; Piunova, V. A.; Liu, Y.; Tek, A.; Yang, Q.; Frommer, J.; Liu, G. Y.; Sly, J. Controlled Molecular Assembly via Dynamic Confinement of Solvent J. Phys. Chem. Lett.  2018, 9, 6232−6237, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b02442

Tran, V.; Karsai, A.; Fong, MC; Cai, WL; Yik, JHN; Klineberg, E; Haudenschild, DR; Liu, GY.  Label-Free and Direct Visualization of Multivalent Binding of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 with Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2019, 123(1), 39-46. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b08564

Martin, MN; Newman, T; Zhang, M; Sun, LD; Yan, CH; Liu, GY; Augustine, MP  Using NMR Relaxometry to Probe Yb3+-Er3+ Interactions in Highly Doped Nanocrystalline NaYF4 Nanostructures, J. Phys. Chem. C, 2019, 123(1), 10-16, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b07553

Sulkanen, A. R.; Sung, J. S.; Robb, M. J.; Moore, J. S.; Sottos, N. R.; Liu, G. Y. Spatially Selective and Density-Controlled Activation of Interfacial Mechanophores, Journal of The American Chemical Society, 2019, 141, 4080-4085. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b10257

Whitehead, J; Zhang, JL; Harvestine, JN; Kothambawala, A; Liu, GY; Leach, JK Dynamic regulation of connexins in stem cell pluripotency  Stem Cell, 2020, 38(1), 80-89, DOI: 10.1002/stem.3056

Zhang, JL; Yu, H; Harris, B; Zheng, YB; Celik, U; Na, L; Faller, R; Chen, X; Haudenschild, DR; Liu, GY New Means to Control Molecular Assembly  J. Phys. Chem. C, 2020,  124(1), 6405-6412. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b11377

Sulkanen, A. R.; Wang, M.; Sung, J. S.; Swartz, L. A.; Sun, G.; Moore, J. S.; Sottos, N. R.; Liu, G. Y. Production of Organizational Chiral Structures by Design, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022,144, 824−831. Doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c10491

Pattison, T. G.; Wang, S.; Miller, R. D.; Liu, G. Y.; Qiao, G. G. “3D Nanoprinting via Spatially Controlled Assembly and Polymerization” NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, 2022, 13, 1941-1947.  Doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-29432-z.

Huang, Y.; Celik, U.; Xu, Z.; Speer, D.; Ossola, D.; Faller, R.; Parikh, A. N.; Liu, G. Y. Controlled Assembly of Lipid Molecules, Chemistry, 2024, 6: 1287-1300. https://doi.org/10.3390/chemistry6060074

Huang, Y.; Xu, Z.; Celik, U.; Carnahan, C.F.; Faller, R.; Parikh, A. N.; Liu, G. Y. A New Means to Generate Liposomes by Rehydrating Engineered Lipid Nanoconstructs, Micromahines, 2025, 16, 138-149.  https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16020138