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Research Areas

Cryo-electron microscopy studies of flaviviruses and alphaviruses.

Research Interests

Our laboratory is interested in understanding the structural changes of flavi- and alpha-viruses and their complex formation with receptors during their infection cycle. We also investigate how potent antibodies or drugs could neutralize the virus. The ultimate aim to develop interventions against them. We use a combination of methods such as immunological, biochemical, x-ray crystallography and also cryoEM techniques such as single particle analysis and tomography.

Selected Publications

1. Melissa Wirawan, Guntur Fibriansah, Jan K. Marzinek, Xin Xiang Lim, Thiam-Seng Ng, Adelene Y. L. Sim, Qian Zhang, Victor A. Kostyuchenko, Jian Shi, Scott A. Smith, Chandra S Verma, Ganesh Anand, James E. Crowe Jr., Peter J. Bond & Shee-Mei Lok. (2019). Mechanism of enhanced immature dengue virus attachment to endosomal membrane induced by prM antibody. Structure, 27(2):253-267.e8.
   Pubmed ID: 30471923

2. Shee-Mei Lok. (2018). Flat-lying antibody prevents disease enhancement. Nature Immunology, 19(11):1150-1152.
   Pubmed ID: 30323339

3. Felix A. Rey, Shee-Mei Lok. (2018). Common Features of Enveloped Viruses and Implications for Immunogen Design for Next-Generation Vaccines. Cell, 172(6):1319-1334.
   Pubmed ID: 29522750

4. Jiaqi Wang, Marco Bardelli, Diego A. Espinosa, Mattia Pedotti, Thiam-Seng Ng, Siro Bianchi, Luca Simonelli, Elisa X.Y. Lim, Mathilde Foglierini, Fabrizia Zatta, Stefano Jaconi, Martina Beltramello, Elisabetta Cameroni, Guntur Fibriansah, Jian Shi, Taylor Barca, Isabel Pagani, Alicia Rubio, Vania Broccoli, Elisa Vicenzi, Victoria Graham, Steven Pullan, Stuart Dowall, Roger Hewson, Simon Jurt, Oliver Zerbe, Karin Stettler, Antonio Lanzavecchia, Federica Sallusto, Andrea Cavalli, Eva Harris, Shee-Mei Lok*, Luca Varani*, Davide Corti*. (2017). A human bi-specific antibody against Zika virus with high therapeutic potential. Cell, 171(1):229-241.
   Pubmed ID: 28938115
   *co-corresponding authors. 

5. Shee-Mei Lok. (2017). Unsweetened IgG is bad for dengue patients. Cell Host and Microbes, 21(3):312-314. 
   Pubmed ID: 28279340

6. Victor A. Kostyuchenko, Elisa X. Y. Lim, Shuijun Zhang, Guntur Fibriansah, Thiam-Seng Ng, Justin S. G. Ooi, Jian Shi. and Shee-Mei Lok. (2016). Structure of the thermally stable Zika virus. Nature. 533(7603):425-428.
   Pubmed ID: 27093288

7. Guntur Fibriansah, Kristie D. Ibarra, Thiam-Seng Ng, Scott A. Smith, Joanne L. Tan, Xin-Ni Lim, Justin S. G. Ooi, Victor A. Kostyuchenko, Jiaqi Wang, Aravinda M. de Silva, Eva Harris, James E. Crowe, Jr. and Shee-Mei Lok. (2015). DENGUE VIRUS: Cryo-EM structure of an antibody that neutralizes dengue virus type 2 by locking E protein dimers. Science. 349(6243):88-91.
   Pubmed ID: 26138979
   #highlighted article in Science, commentary articles on this paper is published in the journals “Nature Reviews Drug Discovery” and “Nature”.

8. Guntur Fibriansah, Joanne L. Tan, Scott A. Smith, Ruklanthi de Alwis, Thiam-Seng Ng, Victor A. Kostyuchenko, Ramesh S. Jadi, Petra Kukkaro, Aravinda M. de Silva, James E. Crowe, Jr. and Shee-Mei Lok. (2015). A highly potent human antibody neutralizes dengue virus serotype 3 by binding across three surface proteins. Nature Communications, 6:6341.
   Pubmed: 25698059

9. Guntur Fibriansah, Joanne L. Tan, Ruklanthi de Alwis, Scott A. Smith, Thiam-Seng Ng, Victor A. Kostyuchenko, Kristie D. Ibarra, Eva Harris, Aravinda de Silva, James E. Crowe, Jr. and Shee-Mei Lok. (2014). A potent anti-dengue human antibody preferentially recognizes the conformation of E protein monomers assembled on the virus surface. EMBO Molecular Medicine. 6(3):358-71.
   Pubmed : 24421336
   #Selected for cover page

10. Ee Ping Teoh, Petra Kukkaro, En Wei Teo, Angeline Lim, Tze Tong Tan, Andy Yip, Wouter Schul, Myint Aung, Victor A. Kostyuchenko, Yee Sin Leo, Soh Ha Chan, Kenneth G.C. Smith, Eng Eong Ooi, D. Michael Kemeny, Grace K. Tan,  Jowin K. W. Ng, Mah Lee Ng, Sylvie Alonso, Pei Yong Shi, Dale Fisher, Brendon Hanson, Shee-Mei Lok* and Paul A. MacAry*. (2012). The Structural Basis for Serotype-Specific Neutralization of Dengue Virus by a Natural Human Antibody. Science Translational Medicine. 4(139):139ra83.
    *co-corresponding authors
    Pubmed ID: 22723463