Associate Professor Kang Liang

Dr Kang Liang FRSC is a Scientia Associate Professor and group leader of Nano-Micro-Bio Systems. He received his Bachelor (Hon) and PhD degrees from the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The University of Melbourne in 2010 and 2014, respectively. After conferral of his PhD, he joined CSIRO Manufacturing under the Office-of-the-Chief-Executive scheme in 2014 as a research fellow and then became a research scientist. In 2017, he joined the School of Chemical Engineering and the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering at UNSW Sydney. He is a Co-Chair of Australian Synchrotron Program Advisory Committee for SAXS/WAXS and BioSAXS. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is an awardee of Victoria Fellowship in Physical Sciences in 2017. He is an NHMRC Career Development Fellow (2019-2022), and an ARC Future Fellow (2023-2027).

Google Scholar profile

• PhD scholarships available! We encourage highly motivated PhD and MPhil students to join our group.
• Postdoctoral researchers please do not hesitate to contact me about possible funding opportunities. 

Research interests                           

Interfacial Engineering of Nanostructured Materials

We are interested in interfacial engineering of nanostructured materials, in particular coordination based materials; understanding the material properties at a fundamental molecular level and relating nanostructure characteristics to bulk properties and material performance.

• Adv. Mater. 2022, 10.1002/adma.202205674
• J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 10.1021/jacs.2c06471
• Nano Today 2021, 40, 101256 
• Small 2021, 17, 2100300
• Adv. Funct. Mater. 2019, 1905321
•  Chem, 2019, 5, 1597
•  Mater. Today 2019, 28, 10
•  Appl. Mater. Today 2018, 10, 93
•  Acc. Chem. Res. 2017, 50, 1423
•  Adv. Mater. 2016, 28, 7910
•  Nat. Commun. 2015, 6, 7240

NanoBionics

We are interested in engineering nanobionics by interfacing nanomaterials with living organisms to introduce new or enhanced biological functions.

• Adv. Funct Mater. 2021, 10.1002/adfm.202106787
• Environ. Sci. Technol. 2020, 54, 11356
• Science Advances 2020, 6, eaaz0330 
• Adv. Funct. Mater. 2019, 1905321
• Adv. Funct. Mater. 2019, 29, 1808900
• Small 2018, 14, 1702958
• Appl. Mater. Today 2018, 10, 93
• Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 8510
• Adv. Mater. 2016, 28, 7910

Biomimetics and Biomineralization

Biominerals, formed by living organisms through the self-organization of inorganic and organic building blocks, possess diverse and highly-organized hierarchical structures with superior material properties. Biomineralization has served as a source of inspiration for the development of materials with highly controllable and specialized properties. Our group first introduced the biomineralization of coordination materials, showing potential in catalysis, drug delivery, cytoprotection, and cell manipulation.

• Chem. Eng. J. 2021, 426, 131861
• Appl. Mater. Today 2018, 10, 93
• Chem. Commun. 2017, 53, 1249
• Adv. Mater. 2016, 28, 7910
• Nat. Commun. 2015, 6, 7240
• CrystEngComm 2016, 18, 4264
• Chem. Commun. 2016, 52, 473
• Adv. Mater. 2015, 27, 7293

Smart Nano-micro-bio Systems

We are interested in developing smart bioactive nanomaterials by interfacing bioactive compounds with functional materials, making it possible to perform desired tasks rapidly and efficiently when needed. These systems will have great potential for advanced energy and biotechnological applications.

• Adv. Mater. 2022, 10.1002/adma.202205746
• Angew Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 10.1002/anie.202209747
• Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 5421
• Advanced Nanobiomed Research 2021, 1, 2000034
• Chem. Commun. 2020, 56, 14837
• Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 7852
• Mater. Today 2019, 28, 10
• Adv. Funct. Mater. 2019, 201808900 
• Chem, 2019, 5, 1597
• Adv. Sci. 2018, 5, 1801155 
• Nat. Commun. 2015, 6, 7240 

Publication highlights

• J. Liang, B. Johannessen, Z. Wu, R. F. Webster, J. Yong, M. Y. B. Zulkifli, J. S. Harbort, Y. R. Cheok, H. Wen, Z. Ao, B. Kong, S. L.Y. Chang, J. Scott, K. Liang* "Regulating the Coordination Environment of Mesopore-confined Single Atoms from Metalloprotein-MOFs for Highly Efficient Biocatalysis" Adv. Mater. 2022, doi: 10.1002/adma.202205674.
• J. Yong, A. S. Mellick, J. Whitelock, J. Wang, K. Liang* "A biomolecular toolbox for precision nanomotors" Adv. Mater. 2022, doi: 10.1002/adma.202205746.
• J. Liang, M. Y. B. Zulkifli, J. Yong, Z. Du, Z. Ao, A. Rawal, J. Scott, J. Harmer, J. Wang, K. Liang* "Locking the Ultrasound-induced Active Conformation of Metalloenzymes in Metal-organic Frameworks" J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 39, 17865.
• Z. Guo, Y. Wu, Z. Xie, J. Shao, J. Liu, Y. Yao, J. Wang, Y. Shen*, J. J. Gooding*, K. Liang* "Self-Propelled Initiative Collision at Microelectrodes with Vertically Mobile Micromotors" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 10.1002/anie.202209747.
• J. Liu,J. Xue,L. Fu,J. Xu, M. S. Lord, K. Liang* "Genetically Encoded Synthetic Beta Cells for Insulin Biosynthesis and Release under Hyperglycemic Conditions" Adv. Funct. Mater. 2022, 10.1002/adfm.202111271.
• J. Liang, K. Liang* "Nano-bio-interface engineering of metal-organic frameworks" Nano Today 2021, 40, 101256.
• J. Liang, M. Yu, J. Liu, Z. Yu, K. Liang,* D.-W. Wang* "Energy Storing Plant Stem with Cytocompatibility for Supercapacitor Electrode" Adv. Funct. Mater. 2021, 10.1002/adfm.202106787
• J. Liang, S. Gao, J. Liu, M. Y.B. Zulkifli, J. Xu, J. Scott, V. Chen, J. Shi, A. Rawal, K. Liang* "Hierarchically Porous Biocatalytic MOF Microreactor as a Versatile Platform towards Enhanced Multienzyme and Cofactor‐Dependent Biocatalysis" Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021 doi:10.1002/anie.202014002
• J. Liang, M.Y.B. Zulkifli, S. Choy, Y. Li, M. Gao, B. Kong, J. Yun, K. Liang* "Metal-Organic Framework-Plant Nanobiohybrids as Living Sensors for On-Site Environmental Pollutants Detection" Environ. Sci. Technol. 2020, doi: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04688
• J. Liang, K. Liang* "Biocatalytic Metal-Organic Frameworks: Prospects Beyond Bioprotective Porous Matrices" Adv. Funct. Mater. 2020, doi: 10.1002/adfm.202001648.
• Z. Guo, J. J. Richardson, B. Kong, K. Liang* "Nanobiohybrids: Materials approaches for bioaugmentation" Sci. Adv. 2020, 6, eaaz0330. 
• J. Liu, Z. Guo, K. Liang* "Biocatalytic metal-organic framework-based artificial cells" Adv. Funct. Mater. 2019, 1905321.
• J. Liang, F, Mazur, C. Tang, X. Ning,* R. Chandrawati,* K. Liang* "Peptide-Induced Super-Assembly of Biocatalytic Metal-Organic Frameworks for Programmed Enzyme Cascade" Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 7852-7858. 
• Z. Guo, T. Wang, A. Rawal, J. Hou, Z. Cao, H. Zhang, J. Xu, Z Gu,* V. Chen, K. Liang* "Biocatalytic self-propelled submarine-like microparticles with pH-triggered buoyancy control for directional vertical motion" Mater. Today 2019, 28, 10-16.
• S. Gao, J. Hou,* Z. Deng, T. Wang, S. Beyer, A. Guilherme Buzanich, J. J. Richardson, A. Rawal, R. Seidel, M. Y. Zulkifli, W. Li, T. D. Bennett,  A. K. Cheetham, K. Liang,* V Chen "Improving the acidic stability of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks by bio-functional molecules" Chem 2019, 5, 1597-1608.
• S. Gao, J. Hou, J. Zeng, J. J. Richardson, Z. Gu, X. Gao, D. Li, M. Gao, D.-W. Wang, P. Chen, V. Chen,* D. Zhao, B. Kong,* K. Liang* “Super-assembled Biocatalytic Porous Framework Micromotors with Reversible and Sensitive pH-Speed Regulation at Ultralow Physiological H2O2 Concentration” Adv. Funct. Mater. 2019, 29, 1808900.
• Y. Chu, J. Hou, C. Boyer, J. J. Richardson,* K. Liang,* J. Xu* "Biomimetic synthesis of coordination network materials: Recent advances in MOFs and MPNs" Appl. Mater. Today 2018, 10, 93-105.
• J. J. Richardson,* K. Liang* ”Nano‐Biohybrids: In Vivo Synthesis of Metal–Organic Frameworks inside Living Plants“ Small 2018, 14, 1702958.