Rate My Professor Haijun Liu

Haijun Liu is an associate professor in the Department of Biology at Saint Louis University. He holds a B.A. in Biology from Hebei Normal University (1993, graduated with honors), an M.S. in Plant Biology from Sichuan University (1996), and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Department of Biological Sciences at Louisiana State University (2008). His research investigates the structure and dynamics of biological macromolecules central to solar energy capture and transformation in photosynthesis. Employing state-of-the-art mass spectrometry coupled with biochemical and genetic engineering approaches, Liu's lab examines how membrane-bound protein complexes in photosynthetic reaction centers interact, adapt to environmental changes such as light and temperature, and contribute to larger energy flow pathways. Key contributions include structural modeling of the cyanobacterial phycobilisome core (Science Advances, 2021), characterization of photosystem I supercomplexes in desiccation-tolerant cyanobacteria (Biochimica et Biophysica Acta Bioenergetics, 2023), and intramolecular allostery in phycobilisomes (Biochemistry, 2023).

Liu has published extensively on photosystem II assembly, carotenoid protein photoactivation, and energy quenching mechanisms, with highly cited works such as 'Phycobilisomes supply excitations to both photosystems in a megacomplex in cyanobacteria' (Science, 2013; 407 citations), 'Molecular mechanism of photoactivation and structural location of the cyanobacterial orange carotenoid protein' (Biochemistry, 2014; 116 citations), and 'Psb27, a transiently associated protein, binds to the chlorophyll binding protein CP43 in photosystem II assembly intermediates' (PNAS, 2011; 107 citations). His awards include the Research Paper Award from the Rebeiz Foundation for Basic Research (2013), Phi Kappa Phi honor society induction (2003), Excellent Young Lecturer bronze medal from Hebei Normal University (1998), Guanghua Prize from Sichuan University (1994), and graduation with honors (1993). Liu's work advances understanding of photosynthetic efficiency and adaptation, influencing biophysics and bioenergetics fields.