曹灿，男，博士生导师。 2011年本科毕业于中国农业大学，2017年博士毕业于中国科学院大学生物物理研究所。2018年10月至2023年4月于北卡罗莱纳大学教堂山分校进行博士后研究。

课题组目前的主要研究方向为免疫和精神类G蛋白偶联受体（G protein-coupled receptors, GPCR）的结构研究及药物发现。实验室综合利用结构生物学、药理学、基于结构的药物设计以及动物实验来对重要的G蛋白偶联受体靶点进行信号转导机制研究和药理学分析，并依此设计新的药物分子来用于疾病治疗。

1.       Chien, D. C.^#, Limjunyawong, N.^#, Cao, C.^#, Meixiong, J., Peng, Q., Ho, C. Y., Fay, J. F., Roth, B. L., & Dong, X. 2024. MRGPRX4 mediates phospho-drug-associated pruritus in a humanized mouse model. Sci Transl Med, 16746, eadk8198. ^#co-first author 

2.       Cao, C., Roth, B. L. 2023. The structure, function and pharmacology of MRGPRs. Trends in Parmacological Sciences, 444, 237-251. doi:10.1016/j.tips.2023.02.002

3.       Cao, C. ^#, Barros-Alvarez, X. ^#, Zhang, S. ^#, Kim, K. ^#, Damgen, M. A., Panova, O., Suomivuori, C. M., Fay, J. F., Zhong, X., Krumm, B. E., Gumpper, R. H., Seven, A. B., Robertson, M. J., Krogan, N. J., Huttenhain, R., Nichols, D. E., Dror, R. O., Skiniotis, G., & Roth, B. L. 2022. Signaling snapshots of a serotonin receptor activated by the prototypical psychedelic LSD. Neuron. ^#co-first author 

4.       Cao, C.^#, Kang, H. J.^#, Singh, I., Chen, H., Zhang, C., Ye, W., Hayes, B. W., Liu, J., Gumpper, R. H., Bender, B. J., Slocum, S. T., Krumm, B. E., Lansu, K., McCorvy, J. D., Kroeze, W. K., English, J. G., DiBerto, J. F., Olsen, R. H. J., Huang, X. P., Zhang, S., Liu, Y., Kim, K., Karpiak, J., Jan, L. Y., Abraham, S. N., Jin, J., Shoichet, B. K., Fay, J. F., & Roth, B. L. 2021. Structure, function and pharmacology of human itch GPCRs. Nature, 6007887, 170-175. ^#co-first author 

Highlighted by Trends in Pharmacological Sciences DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.12.005, Nature Chemical Biology DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00959-4 and The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology DOI:10.1016/j.jaci.2022.01.017.

5.       Liu, Y.^#, Cao, C.^# Huang, X. P., Gumpper, R.H., Rachman, M.M., Shih, S.L., Krumm, B.E., Zhang, S., Shoichet, B.K., Fay, J. F., & Roth, B. L. 2022. Ligand recognition and allosteric modulation of the human MRGPRX1 receptor. Nat Chem Biol, doi:10.1038/s41589-022-01173-6 2022. ^#co-first author 

6.       Cao, C.^#, Tan, Q.^#, Xu, C., He, L., Yang, L., Zhou, Y., Zhou, Y., Qiao, A., Lu, M., Yi, C., Han, G. W., Wang, X., Li, X., Yang, H., Rao, Z., Jiang, H., Zhao, Y., Liu, J., Stevens, R. C., Zhao, Q., Zhang, X. C., & Wu, B. 2018. Structural basis for signal recognition and transduction by platelet-activating-factor receptor. Nat Struct Mol Biol, 256, 488-495. ^#co-first author

7.       Cao, C., Zhang, H., Yang, Z., & Wu, B. 2018. Peptide recognition, signaling and modulation of class B G protein-coupled receptors. Curr Opin Struct Biol, 51, 53-60

8.       Wang, C.^#, Cao, C.^#, Wang, N.^#, Wang, X., Wang, X., & Zhang, X. C. 2020. Cryo-electron microscopy structure of human ABCB6 transporter. Protein Sci, 2912, 2363-2374. ^#co-first author

9.       de Graaf, C.^#, Song, G. ^#, Cao, C. ^#, Zhao, Q., Wang, M. W., Wu, B., & Stevens, R. C. 2017. Extending the Structural View of Class B GPCRs. Trends Biochem Sci, 4212, 946-960. ^#co-first author

10.    Kim, Y., Gumpper, R. H., Liu, Y., Kocak, D. D., Xiong, Y., Cao, C., Deng, Z., Krumm, B. E., Jain, M. K., Zhang, S., Jin, J., & Roth, B. L. 2024. Bitter taste receptor activation by cholesterol and an intracellular tastant. Nature, 6288008, 664-671

11.    Zhou, Y., Cao, C., He, L., Wang, X., & Zhang, X. C. 2019. Crystal structure of dopamine receptor D4 bound to the subtype ive ligand, L745870. Elife, 8.

12.    Zhang, S., Gumpper, R. H., Huang, X. P., Liu, Y., Krumm, B. E., Cao, C., Fay, J. F., & Roth, B. L. 2022. Molecular basis for ive activation of DREADD-based chemogenetics. Nature, 6127939, 354-362.

13.   Zhang, S., Chen, H., Zhang, C., Yang, Y., Popov, P., Liu, J., Krumm, B. E., Cao, C., Kim, K., Xiong, Y., Katritch, V., Shoichet, B. K., Jin, J., Fay, J. F., & Roth, B. L. 2022. Inactive and active state structures template ive tools for the human 5-HT5A receptor. Nat Struct Mol Biol, 297, 677-687.

14.    Zhang, X. C., Zhou, Y., & Cao, C. 2018. Proton transfer during class-A GPCR activation: do the CWxP motif and the membrane potential act in concert? Biophysics Reports, 43, 115-122.

15.    Zhang, H., Qiao, A., Yang, L., Van Eps, N., Frederiksen, K. S., Yang, D., Dai, A., Cai, X., Zhang, H., Yi, C., Cao, C., He, L., Yang, H., Lau, J., Ernst, O. P., Hanson, M. A., Stevens, R. C., Wang, M. W., Reedtz-Runge, S., Jiang, H., Zhao, Q., & Wu, B. 2018. Structure of the glucagon receptor in complex with a glucagon analogue. Nature, 5537686, 106-110.

16.    Zhang, X. C., Cao, C., Zhou, Y., & Zhao, Y. 2015. Proton transfer-mediated GPCR activation. Protein Cell, 61, 12-17

17.    Zhang, X. C., Zhou, Y., & Cao, C. 2015. Thermodynamics of GPCR activation. Biophys Rep, 1, 115-119.

18.   Zhang, X. C., Sun, K., Zhang, L., Li, X., & Cao, C. 2013. GPCR activation: protonation and membrane potential. Protein Cell, 410, 747-760.