Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Shanghai, China
About James J. Chou
- James J.
- Chou (Chinese: ???, born August 26, 1970, Shanghai, China) is full Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School.
- He pioneered the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy to visualize the membrane regions (transmembrane and membrane-proximal) of cell surface proteins, particularly those of immune receptors and viral membrane proteins.
- The membrane regions of cell surface proteins are difficult targets for X-ray crystallography because they are generally very hydrophobic and often dynamic; they are also too small for state-of-the-art cryogenic electron microscopy.
- The NMR methods pioneered by Chou constitute a general means of revealing these “blind spots” in structural biology.
- Using these methods, Chou made several unexpected discoveries such as the critical roles of the membrane regions in immune receptor activation and in viral membrane fusion protein assembly. In addition to the above major scientific contributions, some of his earlier significant discoveries include structure and mechanism of viral ion channels and dynamic nature of membrane channels and carriers.
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