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Dong Lab

Our laboratory has a broad interest in understanding the molecular, structural, and cellular mechanisms of how bacterial toxins and effector proteins target and disrupt critical cellular functions. Along these lines of basic research, we are also keen in translating our insights and knowledge toward developing new scientific tools and novel therapeutics.

Dong Lab

Bacterial Toxin Biology and Therapeutics

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Lab News

Ying's paper on Vsg as a Tc toxin receptor is published on Nature


Full article:

CRISPR screens in Drosophila cells identify Vsg as a Tc toxin receptor


September 2022

Shin’s paper on delivery of nanobody into motor neurons for treating botulism is published on Science Translational Medicine as its cover story


Full article:

Delivery of single-domain antibodies into neurons using a chimeric toxin-based platform is therapeutic in mouse models of botulism.


January 2021


The project on directed evolution of botulinum neurotoxin proteases, led by our collaborator David Liu’s lab, has resulted in a publication on Science


Full article:

Phase-assisted evolution of botulinum neurotoxin proteases with reprogrammed specificity.



February 2021


Hatim's paper on investigating the receptors for botulinum neurotoxins in vivo using knock-in mouse models is published on PloS Pathogen.


Full article:

Knockin mouse models demonstrate differential contributions of synaptotagmin-1 and -2 as receptors for botulinum neurotoxins.

October 2021

Songhai and Yang's paper on developing toxin-derived Cas9 and Cas13 delivery tools is published on Cell Reports


Full article:

Targeted intracellular delivery of Cas13 and Cas9 nucleases using bacterial toxin-based platforms.


March 2022

Xiaozhe and Songhai's paper on this new family of pore-forming toxins found in Enerococcus is published on Cell


Full article:

Emerging enterococcus pore-forming toxin with MHC/HLA-1 as receptors


March 2022

Aina's paper on C. difficile toxin B fragment as a breast cancer tumor growth suppressor is published on PloS Biology


Full article:

Targeted inhibition of Wnt signaling with a Clostridioides difficile toxin B fragment suppresses breast cancer tumor growth


September 2023

John's paper on C. difficile toxin B targeting neurons and pericytes to drive neurogenic inflammation is published on Nature


Full article:

C. difficile intoxicates neurons and pericytes to drive neurogenic inflammation


September 2023