About | XPad: XJTLU Peptide and Drug Research Group

Led by Dr. Antony Kam (Department of Biosciences and Bioinformatics) and Dr. Shining Loo (Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy) at Xi'an JiaoTong Liverpool University, XPad (XJTLU Peptide and Drug) is a collaborative research group at the forefront of peptide-based technologies. We leverage our expertise in molecular pharmacology, synthetic biology, and chemical biology to develop innovative solutions for:

• Therapeutics: Designing next-generation drugs with targeted precision to combat various diseases.

• Diagnostics: Creating highly accurate and personalized medical tests for early disease detection and personalized treatment.

• Biomaterials: Engineering advanced materials for tissue regeneration and repair, promoting healing and improving lives.

• Drug Delivery Systems: Revolutionizing how therapeutics are delivered safely and effectively, maximizing their impact.

Our Heritage: From a Nobel Prize to Next-Generation Science

The scientific foundation of XPad is rooted in a distinguished history of excellence in peptide chemistry. Our lineage connects directly to Nobel Laureate Dr. Robert Bruce Merrifield at Rockefeller University, whose invention of solid-phase peptide synthesis revolutionized the field.

The Foundational Link: Professor James P. Tam

This prestigious connection comes through our mentor, the world-renowned chemist Professor James P. Tam. As a member and collaborator of Dr. Merrifield's group, Professor Tam collaborated with him for nearly 16 years, a period that included Dr. Merrifield's 1984 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This formative experience ignited Professor Tam's own passion and shaped his pivotal contributions to the field.

A leading figure in his own right, Professor Tam's pioneering work in peptide dendrimers, chemoselective ligation methods, and the discovery of ultra-stable peptides has had a profound impact on chemical biology and drug discovery. His excellence is recognized by the highest honors in the field, including the Bruce Merrifield Award and the Ralph Hirschman Award.

The Next Chapter: The XPad Lab

As founders of XPad, we honed our expertise under Professor Tam's mentorship at Nanyang Technological University. Today, we carry that legacy forward. Our work stands at the intersection of groundbreaking history and modern application, driven by a passion for discovery passed down through generations of leading scientists.

Professor James P. Tam is a distinguished Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science and a pioneering leader in chemical biology and drug discovery. Since 2001, he has held the prestigious Lee Wee Nam Professorship at the School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, where he leads the Herbalomics and Drug Discovery Laboratory. Since 2008, he has also served as Director of the Synzymes and Natural Products Center (SYNC). As a visionary academic leader, Professor Tam founded School of Biological Sciences, the Biological Research Center and the innovative Double-Degree Program in Biomedical Science and Chinese Medicine at NTU, bridging traditional and modern approaches to therapeutic discovery.

Professor Tam earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and subsequently held professorial appointments at three world-renowned institutions: The Rockefeller University, Vanderbilt University, and The Scripps Research Institute. His distinguished career trajectory reflects his exceptional contributions to the field and his recognition by leading academic institutions.

A defining moment in Professor Tam's career began in 1976 when he joined Bruce Merrifield's laboratory at The Rockefeller University. This collaboration, spanning nearly 16 years, coincided with Merrifield's groundbreaking work in solid-phase protein synthesis—research that would earn Merrifield the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1984. During this pivotal period, Professor Tam developed his passion for peptide synthesis and contributed significantly to advancing solid-phase synthesis techniques, laying the foundation for his own pioneering research contributions.

Professor Tam has established himself as a world leader in therapeutics, with particular expertise in the discovery and development of orally active biologics, immunologics, and anti-infectives. His research encompasses advanced peptide and protein chemistry, including selective chemoenzymatic ligation, as well as the synthesis and oxidative folding of cysteine-rich peptides. His innovative approach extends to developing therapeutic solutions derived from natural products, representing a unique integration of traditional and modern drug discovery methods.

His research portfolio encompasses several groundbreaking discoveries, including the invention of peptide dendrimers as synthetic vaccines and protein quaternary structure mimetics. He has pioneered chemoselective peptide ligation methods and discovered novel peptide ligases. Additionally, his work has led to the discovery of ultra-stable cysteine-rich peptides from medicinal plants with significant therapeutic potential, opening new avenues for drug development.

Professor Tam's research excellence is reflected in his impressive publication record of over 330 papers, with an H-index of 97 and more than 31,600 Google Scholar citations. His work has produced seminal publications that have profoundly impacted chemical biology and drug discovery. His exceptional contributions have earned him numerous prestigious international awards, including the Bruce Merrifield Award from the American Peptide Society, the Ralph Hirschman Award from the American Chemical Society, the Akabori Memorial Award from the Japanese Peptide Society, the Josef Rudinger Memorial Lecture Award from the European Peptide Society, and the Murray Goodman Scientific Excellence & Mentorship Award from the American Peptide Society.

Professor Tam's career exemplifies the intersection of fundamental scientific discovery and practical therapeutic innovation, making him one of the most influential figures in modern peptide science and drug discovery. His multifaceted contributions span from basic research in chemical synthesis to applied therapeutics, establishing him as a transformative leader in the field who continues to shape the future of drug discovery and development.

Master students:

Ms Yueyi Jia [BIO]

FYP students:

Ms Yudi Liu, Ms Yue Yao, Mr Junqiang Niu, Mr Jiajun Lu, Mr Rui Hong

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) students:

• Group 2023-0071 [BIO] - Outstanding poster

            Mr Junqiang Niu, Ms Yifei Wang, Ms Yige Xu, Ms Yudi Liu, Ms Yue Yao, Mr Zhouxiang Gu

• Group 2023-0072 [AoP] - Outstanding poster

           Mr Jingyu Jiang, Ms Shiqi Wang, Ms Ye Liu, Ms Yijia Yao, Ms Yunshan Tong, Ms Ziyu Yuan

• Group 2024-0119 [BIO] - excellent poster

           Mr Haoyu Feng, Ms Yining Ren, Ms Shuqin Shen, Mr Linpei Xu, Ms Feiyang Xue, Mr Mingbai Zeng

• Group 2024-0120 [AoP] - excellent poster

           Ms Yirong Bai, Ms Weijia Cai, Mr Wenbo Chen, Mr An Jiang, Ms Yiran Sun, Ms Songnan Wang

Overseas exchange students:

Mr Joe Munro (University of Liverpool, Department of Chemistry)

Ms Gui Jen Koh (Taylor's University)

XPad Lab @ SB356 [BIO]

Main benches

Peptide synthesis 

Cell culture 

Solid Phase Extraction

PCR/Bacteria hood

Electrospinning and nanoparticle production device

XPad Lab @ P020 [AoP]

Main benches

In-house protein purification system

In-house 5L bioreactor

Temperature controlled bacterial expression

Core facilities @ BIO

Flow cytometer

Zeiss confocal microscope

Oxford nanopore sequencing

Microplate reader

Core facilities @ AoP

Akta FPLC

Agilent prep-HPLC

Agilent Lc-qToF-MS/MS

Thermofisher orbitrap ELITE

Olympus spinning disk confocal microscope

Peptide synthesizer

Flash chromatography

DLS

HPLC

Cytation 5

Freeze drier

Core facilities @ CHEM

Prep-HPLC

HPLC