Dr. Hong has been mainly focused on the application of biotechnology in innovative drug development, including the following two research directions. She is also engaged in the drug discovery and development of novel anti-atherosclerosis, anti-virus drugs and antibiotics, and the mechanism of drug action.

Biosynthesis and Synthetic Biology of Microbial Drugs  Dr. Hong has been engaged in the biosynthetic and regulatory mechanism of microbial natural products (Lidamycin, Sansanmycin, Chuangxinmycin, etc.), and synthetic biology for drug innovation. Recently, the biosynthetic gene cluster of Chuangxinmycin was identified and its biosynthetic pathway was speculated (Acta Pharm Sin B, 2018), and the cytochrome P450 catalyzing C-S bond formation in S-heterocyclization of Chuangxinmycin biosynthesis was elucidated (Angew Chem Int Ed, 2021). The omicsynins showing potential anti-influenza A and coronavirus activity, and its biosynthetic gene cluster, were identified for the first time using multi-omics technique combined with genetic manipulation (Engineering, accepted).

New Cardiovascular Drug Discovery and Development For novel potential drug targets in the process of lipid metabolism, such as PCSK9 etc., a series of high-throughput screening models for anti-atherosclerosis drugs have been constructed and applied. Multi-target, systematic and large-scale screening of anti-atherosclerosis active compounds has been achieved and some promising new drug candidates have been found and evaluated (EBioMedicine, Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, Atherosclerosis, J Lipid Res, etc.). Recently, we have also focused on the influence of gut microbiota on cardiovascular disease and drug action mechanism, and for the first time revealed a new mechanism of bacterial metabolite butyric acid in cholesterol reversal transport (Brit J Pharmacol, 2020). Berberine was found to play an anti-atherosclerosis role by inhibiting TMAO production related to gut microorganisms (NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes, 2021).