Zhong Guisheng’s group research interest lies in two main areas: 1) The structure and function of G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and cytoskeleton in many types of cells and tissues. 2) The function of natural compounds with a focus in cardiac and cancer cells. GPCRs are responsible for about 80% of cell surface signal transduction, play important roles in many physiological activities and are related to many diseases. The cytoskeleton is an important component inside cells, and its functions include mechanical support, cell motility, protein trafficking, organelle organization, cytokinesis, membrane compartmentation and other functions as well. However, the cellular structure of GPCRs orcytoskeletons are not well understood due to labeling speci citiesand the spatial resolution of conventional optic microscopy. Thus, our first experimental goal is to dissect the structure and function of GPCRs and cytoskeletons with newly developedimaging methods, such as super-resolution  uorescence imagingmicroscope. Our second experimental goal is toward translational studies with a focus in the function of natural compounds. During the past 30 years, natural products have inspired the discovery of 60% of the approved drugs. Our group is collaborating with the Academy of Chinese Botany at Kunming to screen potential candidates showing the capability to inhibit the cancer growing or to increase the function of cardiac cells. The long term of the research will be investigate the structural basis of GPCRs' function and the mechanism of how GPCRs interact with cytoskeletons.