Fan Lab focuses on interdisciplinary approaches, leveraging technical strengths to develop novel cryo-EM imaging technologies, as well as efficient sample preparation and data processing methods. The group aims to establish a platform for in situ structural and functional analysis of membrane proteins within native membrane systems. Utilizing this platform, the group will conduct high-efficiency in situ studies of complex biomembrane environments, analyzing the spatial conformations, interaction networks, and multiscale organizational patterns of key macromolecules. This work will explore the coupling and regulatory mechanisms between biomembrane systems, providing a theoretical foundation for disease intervention.

Dr. Fan has long been dedicated to integrating cutting-edge multidisciplinary techniques to advance cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) technology innovation, focusing on structural biology research related to the interaction mechanisms of membrane proteins and drug molecules in major diseases. By developing a comprehensive cryo-EM technology system, Dr. Fan has overcome longstanding technical bottlenecks in the field, successfully achieving high-resolution structural analysis of small proteins and membrane proteins in near-physiological states. These efforts have led to a series of significant discoveries, including elucidating the structure and pharmacological mechanisms of voltage-gated sodium/calcium ion channels.

Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) Postdoctoral Fellowship Award

* Equal contributions# Corresponding author

1. Xiao Fan*, Jiaofeng Chen*, Xiaoshuang Huang, Zhanfeng Hou, Yuzhen Xie, Zigang Li, Nieng Yan#, and Jian Huang# (2025). Phrixotoxin-3 inhibits human Nav1.6 through tri-pocket binding.  Cell Research, 35(8):610-613.

2. Zi Yang*, Xiao Fan*, and Hongwei Wang# (2025). Near-atomic resolution single-particle 3D reconstruction using a single Cryo-EM micrograph. Journal of Chinese Electron Microscopy Society, 44(1): 1000-6281

3. Jian Huang*, Xiao Fan*, Xueqin Jin, Chen Lyu, Qinmeng Guo, Tao Liu, Jiaofeng Chen, Amaël Davakan, Philippe Lory, and Nieng Yan# (2024). Structural basis for human Cav3.2 inhibition by selective antagonists. Cell Research, 0:1–11.

4. Yang, Zi, Jingjin Fan, Jia Wang, Xiao Fan, Zheng Ouyang, Hong-Wei Wang#, and Xiaoyu Zhou# (2024). Electrospray-assisted cryo-EM sample preparation to mitigate interfacial effects. Nature Methods: 1-10.

5. Kristina Solorio-Kirpichyan, Xiao Fan*, Dmitrij Golovenko*, Andrei A. Korostelev, Nieng Yan, and Alexei Korennykh# (2024). Cryo-EM structure of histidyl-tRNA synthetase-like domain reveals activating crossed helices at the core of GCN2. PNAS nexus3, no. 12: pgae528.

6. Xiao Fan*#, Jian Huang*, Xueqin Jin and Nieng Yan# (2023). Cryo-EM structure of human voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.6. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(5), e2220578120.

7. Jian Huang*, Xiao Fan*#, Xueqin Jin, Liming Teng and Nieng Yan#. (2023). Dual-pocket inhibition of Nav channels by the antiepileptic drug lamotrigine. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(41), e2309773120.

8. Qiurong Wu*, Jian Huang*#, Xiao Fan*#, Gaoxingyu Huang, Xueqin Jin, Xiaojing Pan# and Nieng Yan# (2023). Structural mapping of Nav1.7 antagonists. Nature Communications, 14(1), 3224.

9. Jian Huang*, Xiao Fan*, Xueqin Jin, Sooyeon Jo, Hanxiong Bear Zhang, Akie Fujita, Bruce P. Bean#, and Nieng Yan# (2023). Cannabidiol inhibits Nav channels through two distinct binding sites. Nature Communications, 14(1), 3613.

10. Shuai Gao, Xia Yao, Jiaofeng Chen, Gaoxingyu Huang, Xiao Fan, Lingfeng Xue, Zhangqiang Li, Tong Wu, Yupeng Zheng, Jian Huang, Xueqin Jin, Yan Wang, Zhifei Wang, Yong Yu, Lei Liu, Xiaojing Pan, Chen Song and Nieng Yan. (2023). Structural basis for human Cav1.2 inhibition by multiple drugs and the neurotoxin calciseptine. Cell, 186(24), 5363-5374.

11. Peng Huang, Raminta Venskutonytė, Rashmi B. Prasad, Hamidreza Ardalani, Sofia W. de Maré, Xiao Fan, Ping Li, Peter Spégel, Nieng Yan, Pontus Gourdon, Isabella Artner and Karin Lindkvist-Petersson (2023). Cryo-EM structure supports a role of AQP7 as a junction protein. Nature Communications, 14(1), 600.

12. Xia Yao, Yan Wang, Zhifei Wang, Xiao Fan, Di Wu, Jian Huang, Alexander Mueller, Sarah Gao, Miaohui Hu, Carol V. Robinson, Yong Yu, Shuai Gao, and Nieng Yan (2022). Structures of the R-type human Cav2.3 channel reveal conformational crosstalk of the intracellular segments. Nature communications, 13(1): 7358.

13. Xia Yao, Shuai Gao, Jixin Wang, Zhangqiang Li, Jian Huang, Yan Wang, Zhifei Wang, Jiaofeng Chen, Xiao Fan, Weipeng Wang, Xueqin Jin, Xiaojing Pan, Yong Yu, Armando Lagrutta, Nieng Yan (2022). Structural basis for the severe adverse interaction of sofosbuvir and amiodarone on L-type Cav channels. Cell, 185(25), 4801-4810.

14. Jiemin Shen*, Miaohui Hu*, Xiao Fan*#, Zhenning Ren, Corinne Portioli, Xiuwen Yan, Mingqiang Rong, Ming Zhou# (2022). Extracellular domain of PepT1 interacts with TM1 to facilitate substrate transport. Structure, 7(30): 1035-1041.e3.

15. Heng Ni*, Xiao Fan*, Feng Zhou, Galio Guo, Jae Young Lee, Nadrian C Seeman, Do-Nyun Kim, Nan Yao, Paul M Chaikin, and Yimo Han# (2022). Direct visualization of floppy two-dimensional DNA origami using cryogenic electron microscopy. iScience, 6(25): 104373.

16. Xiao Fan(2022). "Breaking down the barriers in cryo-EM analysis of membrane proteins." Foundations of Crystallography, 2022, 78: A240-A240.

Xia Yao*, Xiao Fan*#, Nieng Yan# (2020). Cryo-EM analysis of a membrane protein embedded in the liposome. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(31): 18497-18503.

17. Yimo Han*, Xiao Fan*, Haozhe Wang, Fang Zhao, Christopher Tully, Jing Kong, Nan Yao and Nieng Yan# (2020). High-yield monolayer graphene grids for near-atomic resolution cryoelectron microscopy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117, 1009-1014.

18. Yaping Pan, Zhenning Ren, Shuai Gao, Jiemin Shen, Lie Wang, Zhichun Xu, Ye Yu, Preetham Bachina, Hanzhi Zhang, Xiao Fan, Arthur Laganowsky, Nieng Yan & Ming Zhou (2020). Structural basis of ion transport and inhibition in ferroportin. Nature Communications 11(1), 1-11.

19. Xiao Fan*, Jia Wang*, Xing Zhang, Zi Yang, Jin-Can Zhang, Lingyun Zhao, Hai-Lin Peng, Jianlin Lei#, and Hong-Wei Wang# (2019). Single particle cryo-EM reconstruction of 52 kDa streptavidin at 3.2 Angstrom resolution. Nature Communications 10, 2386.

20. Hong-Wei Wang and Xiao Fan(2019). Challenges and opportunities in cryo-EM with phase plate. Current Opinion in Structural Biology, 58, 175–182.

21. Xiao Fan*, Lingyun Zhao*, Chuan Liu, Jin-Can Zhang, Kelong Fan, Xiyun Yan, Hai-Lin Peng, Jianlin Lei# and Hong-Wei Wang# (2017). Near-Atomic Resolution Structure Determination in Over-Focus with Volta Phase Plate by Cs-Corrected Cryo-EM. Structure 25, 1623-1630.