Jing-Ke Weng is the inaugural Director of Institute for Plant-Human Interface (IPHI) and a professor of chemistry and chemical biology, and bioengineering at Northeastern University. He was a member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and an Assistant and Associate Professor of Biology at MIT between 2013 and 2023. He was a Pioneer Postdoctoral Fellow at the Salk Institute and HHMI between 2009 and 2013. He received his BS in Biotechnology from Zhejiang University and PhD in Biochemistry from Purdue University.
Publications
Awards & Recognition
- 2026 Charles Albert Schull Award
In The News
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News
Meet the researcher who thinks plants could help save the world
“I’m really, really humbled by plants all the time,” said Northeastern’s Jing-Ke Weng, the director of the Institute for Plant-Human Interface. -
Research
Findings in toxic plants could help in the development of safer heart and cancer drugs
A new research published by post-doctoral researcher Menglong Xu and Professor Jing-Ke Weng have discovered a mammal-like hormonal pathway in plants such as foxglove that could help make heart and cancer drugs safer. -
Research
Ashwagandha is having a moment. These researchers opened the door to more life-altering benefits
Ashwagandha, a popular supplement, is known for its effect on stress and sleep. Professor Jing-Ke Weng recreated its compounds in yeast, making a potential factory for its many benefits. -
News
The FDA unveils a new food pyramid that promotes red meat and protein
The new guidelines emphasize healthy fats and proteins while advising limits on saturated fats, plant biochemist and professor Jing-Ke Weng notes. -
Research
Scientists make major breakthrough that rewrites the understanding of plant evolution
Northeastern researchers led by Dr. Jing-Ke Weng trace the evolutionary history of moonseed, capable of a chemical reaction previously thought to be impossible for plants. What they found could have implications for designing new drugs. -
Research
Researchers resurrect extinct gene in plants with major implications for drug development
A team led by Jing-Ke Weng, professor of chemistry, chemical biology and bioengineering, repaired a defunct gene in the coyote tobacco plant, turning back the evolutionary clock to pave a path forward for the development and discovery of new drugs. -
News
Can you survive eating the fruit of a ‘suicide’ tree, as in the HBO show ‘The White Lotus’?
Jing-Ke Weng, professor of chemistry and chemical biology, weighs in on the "suicide" tree featured in "The White Lotus." The tree's appearance in the recent season has triggered a discussion around how accurately it is being portrayed. -
News
Are seed oils bad for you? Moderation is the key, Northeastern experts say
Jing-Ke Weng and Darin Dewiler, Northeastern professors, help explain some of the statements being made about seed oils right now. -
Research
Could allergy-free peanuts be the future? This Northeastern researcher wants to find out
Northeastern professor Jing-Ke Weng is studying how peanuts trigger allergic reactions by tracking peanut proteins in the body. This research could lead to therapies for peanut allergies and insights into how other allergens affect the body. -
Research
This researcher wants to know why frogs are so good at tasting bitter things — and what it could mean for humans
Jing-Ke Weng, professor of chemistry, chemical biology and bioengineering, is conducting research with frogs that has the potential to help humans understand allergen detection. -
Six undergraduate scientists travel to a national meeting in San Antonio to present their research
Howdy! Y’all ever seen huskies swap their snowshoes for cowboy boots? In the heart of San Antonio, Texas, a vibrant cohort of scientists from Northeastern University’s College of Science rocked the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology’s #DiscoverBMB annual conference. Among them were undergraduates Guillermo Antunez Tierney, Linden Burack, Migue Darcera, Soumili Dey, Diana...