邹桂进
助理教授

Mechano-X Institute, Applied Mechanics Laboratory,

Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University

Beijing 100084, China

Email: guijin_zou@tsinghua.edu.cn



EDUCATION

 2013-2019     Ph.D., Solid Mechanics, School of Engineering, Brown University, USA

 2009-2013     B.Sc., Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, College of Engineering, Peking University, China

 2010-2013     B.Sc., Statistics (double major), School of Mathematical Sciences, Peking University, China



SCIENTIFIC WORK EXPERIENCE

 2025/08-Present      Assistant Professor, Tsinghua University

 2024/03-2025/08     Senior Research Fellow, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

 2019/11-2024/02     Scientist, Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR, Singapore



RESEARCH INTERESTS

Interdisciplinary research at the intersection of mechanics, biology, materials science, chemistry, and medicine, with a particular emphasis on multi-scale modeling and simulation and machine learning for health-related technologies. Interests include:

  • Nanomechanics and mechanomaterials;

  • Mechanics of biological and bio-inspired soft materials;

  • Mechanics of Membrane-targeting nanomedicine;

  • Mechanics of cell-nanomaterial interactions.



PUBLICATIONS: (†equal contribution, *corresponding)

  1. Chen S†, Zou G†, Guo Q, Qian X, Li H, Gao H*, Yu J*, Extreme pH Tolerance in Peptide Coacervates Mediated by Multivalent Hydrogen Bonds for Enzyme-Triggered Oral Drug Delivery.J Am Chem Soc 2025, https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c17880

  2. Guo, X.; Dong, X.; Zou, G.; Zhang, H.; Zeng, K.; Gao, H.*; Zhai, W.* Multiscale Toughening Mechanisms in Biomimetic Tendon-like Hydrogels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2025, 122(9), e2424124122.

    https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2424124122

  3. Bai, H.; Zou, G.*; Bao, H.; Li, S.; Ma, F.*; Gao, H.* Dual-Scale Friction Dynamics Associated with Moiré Superlattices in Layered Materials, Adv Funct Mater 2025, 2420760.

    https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202420760

  4. Zou, G.; Sow, C. H.; Wang, Z.; Chen, X.*; Gao, H.* Mechanomaterials and Nanomechanics: Toward Proactive Design of Material Properties and Functionalities. ACS Nano 2024, 18 (18), 11492–11502.

    https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.4c03194

  5. Zou, G.; Kim, W.; Gao, H.* Mechanics of Membrane Targeting Antimicrobials - Pore Nucleation in Bacterial Membranes. Mech Mater 2024, 193, 104991.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmat.2024.104991

  6. Li, H.; Qian, X.; Mohanram, H.; Han, X.; Qi, H.; Zou, G.; Yuan, F.; Miserez, A.; Liu, T.; Yang, Q.*; Gao, H.*; Yu, J.* Self-Assembly of Peptide Nanocapsules by a Solvent Concentration Gradient. Nat Nanotechnol 2024, 19, 1141–1149.

    https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-024-01654-w

  7. Dong, X.; Guo, X.; Liu, Q.; Qi, H.; Zou, G.; Li, T.; Gao, H.*; Zhai, W.* An Organo-Hydrogel with Extreme Mechanical Performance and Tolerance beyond Skin. Mater Today 2024, 72, 25–35.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2023.11.014

  8. Heo, H. Y.; Zou, G.; Baek, S.; Kim, J.; Mylonakis, E.; Ausubel, F. M.; Gao, H.; Kim, W.* A Methylazanediyl Bisacetamide Derivative Sensitizes Staphylococcus Aureus Persisters to a Combination of Gentamicin and Daptomycin. Adv Sci 2023, 11(9),2306112.

    https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202306112

  9. Yi, J.; Zou, G.; Huang, J.; Ren, X.; Tian, Q.; Yu, Q.; Wang, P.; Yuan, Y.; Tang, W.; Wang, C.; Liang, L.; Cao, Z.; Li, Y.; Yu, M.; Jiang, Y.; Zhang, F.; Yang, X.; Li, W.; Wang, X.; Luo, Y.; Loh, X. J.; Li, G.; Hu, B.; Liu, Z.*; Gao, H.*; Chen, X.* Water-Responsive Supercontractile Polymer Films for Bioelectronic Interfaces. Nature 2023, 624 (7991), 295–302. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06732-y

  10. Shi, C.†; Zou, G.†; Wu, Z.; Wang, M.; Zhang, X.; Gao, H.*; Yi, X.* Morphological Transformations of Vesicles with Confined Flexible Filaments. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.2023, 120 (18)e2300380120.

    https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2300380120

  11. Bai, H.; Zou, G.*; Bao, H.; Li, S.; Ma, F.*; Gao, H.* Deformation Coupled Moiré Mapping of Superlubricity in Graphene. ACS Nano 2023, 17(13), 12594-12602. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.3c02915

  12. Jiang, Y.; Ji, S.; Sun, J.; Huang, J.; Li, Y.; Zou, G.; Salim, T.; Wang, C.; Li, W.; Jin, H.; Xu, J.; Wang, S.; Lei, T.; Yan, X.; Peh, W. Y. X.; Yen, S.-C.; Liu, Z.; Yu, M.; Zhao, H.; Lu, Z.; Li, G.; Gao, H.; Liu, Z.; Bao, Z.*; Chen, X.* A Universal Interface for Plug-and-Play Assembly of Stretchable Devices. Nature 2023, 614 (7948), 456–462. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05579-z

  13. Guo, X.; Dong, X.; Zou, G.; Gao, H.*; Zhai, W.* Strong and Tough Fibrous Hydrogels Reinforced by Multiscale Hierarchical Structures with Multimechanisms. Sci Adv 2023, 9 (2), eadf7075.

    https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adf7075

  14. Luo, Y.; Abidian, M. R.; …, Zou, G.; Chen, X.* Technology Roadmap for Flexible Sensors. ACS Nano 2023, 17 (6), 5211–5295.https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c12606

  15. Guo, Q.†; Zou, G.†; Qian, X.; Chen, S.; Gao, H.*; Yu, J.* Hydrogen-Bonds Mediate Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of Mussel Derived Adhesive Peptides. Nat Commun 2022, 13 (1), 5771.

    https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33545-w

  16. Ahmadpoor, F.; Zou, G.; Gao, H.* Entropic Interactions of 2D Materials with Cellular Membranes: Parallel versus Perpendicular Approaching Modes. Mech Mater 2022, 174,104414.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmat.2022.104414

  17. Kim, S. M.; Zou, G.; Kim, H.; Kang, M.; Ahn, S.; Heo, H. Y.; Kim, J.-S.; Lim, K.-M.; Ausubel, F. M.; Mylonakis, E.; Gao, H.; Kim, W.* Antimicrobial Activity of the Membrane-Active Compound NTZDpa Is Enhanced at Low PH. Biomed Pharmacother 2022, 150, 112977.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112977

  18. Liu, Y.; Zou, G.; Gao, H.* Domain Aggregation and Associated Pore Growth in Lipid Membranes. ACS Nano 2021, 15 (1), 604–613.https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.0c06057.

  19. Zou, G.; Liu, Y.; Gao, H.* EML Webinar Overview: Simulation-Assisted Discovery of Membrane Targeting Nanomedicine. Extreme Mech Lett 2020, 39, 100817.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eml.2020.100817.

  20. Kim, W.; Zou, G.; Pan, W.; Fricke, N.; Faizi, H. A.; Kim, S. M.; Khader, R.; Li, S.; Lee, K.; Escorba, I.; Vlahovska, P. M.; Gao, H.; Ausubel, F. M.; Mylonakis, E.* The Neutrally Charged Diarylurea Compound PQ401 Kills Antibiotic-Resistant and Antibiotic-Tolerant Staphylococcus Aureus. mBio 2020, 11 (3), 1–18.

    https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.01140-20.

  21. Shen, C.; Zou, G.; Guo, W.*; Gao, H.* Lipid Coating and End Functionalization Govern the Formation and Stability of Transmembrane Carbon Nanotube Porins. Carbon 2020, 164, 391–397.

    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbon.2020.04.011.

  22. Kim, W.; Zou, G.; Hari, T. P. A.; Wilt, I. K.; Zhu, W.; Galle, N.; Faizi, H. A.; Hendricks, G. L.; Tori, K.; Pan, W.; Huang, X.; Steele, A. D.; Csatary, E. E.; Dekarske, M. M.; Rosen, J. L.; De Queiroz Ribeiro, N.; Lee, K.; Port, J.; Fuchs, B. B.; Vlahovska, P. M.; Wuest, W. M.; Gao, H.; Ausubel, F. M.*; Mylonakis, E.* A Selective Membrane-Targeting Repurposed Antibiotic with Activity against Persistent Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019, 116 (33), 16529–16534.

    https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1904700116.

  23. Taheri Mousavi, S. M.; Zhou, H.; Zou, G.; Gao, H.* Transition from Source- to Stress-Controlled Plasticity in Nanotwinned Materials below a Softening Temperature. Npj Comput Mater 2019, 5, 2.

    https://doi.org/10.1038/s41524-018-0140-5.

  24. Zou, G.; Yi, X.; Zhu, W.; Gao, H.* Packing of Flexible Nanofibers in Vesicles. Extreme Mech Lett 2018, 19, 20–26.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eml.2017.12.003.

  25. Zou, G.; Yi, X.; Zhu, W.; Gao, H.* Packing of Flexible 2D Materials in Vesicles. J Phys D Appl Phys 2018, 51 (22),224001.https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/aabf79.

  26. Yi, X.; Zou, G.; Gao, H.* Mechanics of Cellular Packing of Nanorods with Finite and Non-Uniform Diameters. Nanoscale 2018, 10 (29), 14090–14099.https://doi.org/10.1039/c8nr04110e.

  27. Taheri Mousavi, S. M.; Zou, G.; Zhou, H.; Gao, H.* Anisotropy Governs Strain Stiffening in Nanotwinned-Materials. Nat Commun 2018, 9 (1), 1586.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03972-9.

  28. Lanza, M.; Reguant, M.; Zou, G.; Lv, P.; Li, H.; Chin, R.; Liang, H.; Yu, D.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, Z.; Duan, H.* HighPerformance Piezoelectric Nanogenerators Using TwoDimensional Flexible Top Electrodes. Adv Mater Interfaces 2014, 1 (5).https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201300101.

  29. Li, H.; Zhao, Q.; Wang, W.; Dong, H.; Xu, D.; Zou, G.; Duan, H.; Yu, D.* Novel Planar-Structure Electrochemical Devices for Highly Flexible Semitransparent Power Generation/Storage Sources. Nano Lett 2013, 13 (3), 1271–1277.https://doi.org/10.1021/nl4000079.



AWARDS

  • A*STAR Research Highlights (2024)

  • Graduate Fellowship, Brown University (2014)

  • Excellent paper for ‘Mao Yugang’ Funds Award for Undergraduate Research, Peking University (2013)