Kien Lam UNG is a recipient of the 2025 ATIP-Avenir program

Kien Lam UNG obtained his PhD from the University of Montpellier, where he worked on the structural and biochemical characterization of Mycobacterium abscessus proteins, including transporters and enzymes involved in antibiotic resistance. After completing his PhD, he joined the Pedersen lab at Aarhus University, where he further developed his expertise in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). He made significant contributions to understanding the structure and function of plant hormone transporters, particularly the auxin transporter PIN-FORMED, which regulates plant growth. His work resulted in high-impact publications, including a first-author article in Nature and several review papers. He also received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and led a sub-team focused on plant transporters.

His project aims to study how specific modifications of surface glycans (complex sugars) influence interactions between hosts (such as humans) and pathogens (bacteria). Glycans play a key role in immune recognition and pathogen survival. This project focuses on a particular modification called O-acylation, which can affect pathogen virulence, immune evasion, and antibiotic resistance.

The study will explore two main areas: (1) understanding how certain bacteria modify their cell walls by acetylating glycans to resist immune attacks and antibiotics, and (2) investigating how human cells alter surface sugars, which can impact viral infections—such as those caused by coronaviruses—or cancer cell survival. The project employs advanced structural biology techniques, including cryo-electron microscopy, to visualize these modifications at the molecular level and identify potential drug targets to disrupt harmful interactions. This research could lead to new therapeutic strategies for bacterial infections, viral diseases, and certain cancers.