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Research Laboratory of Biophysics

Main Research Direction

The research focuses on the structure, function, and interactions of biologically important molecules such as proteins, genes, and cell membranes. The aim is to design compounds targeting key molecules such as the Amyloid beta peptide, neuraminidase, Mpro of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, etc. This work also includes the development and improvement of computational methods to model and simulate biological systems, as well as software for predicting biochemical processes.

Members of the Strong Research Group

No.

Full Name

Position

1

Dr. Ngo Son Tung

Head of Department

2

Assoc.Prof. Dr. Le Duc Duong

Key Member

3

Dr. Nguyen Trung Hai

Key Member

4

Dr. Luu Xuan Cuong

Key Member

5

Dr. Le Thi Kim Dung

Member

6

Dr. Le Nguyen Minh Thong

Member

7

Dr. Pham Thi Thu Thao

Member

8

MSc. Nguyen Thi Thanh Uyen

Member

9 MSc. Do Anh Tuan Member

10

BSc. Thai Quynh Mai

Member

 

New publication: 

1

122

Anh Tuan Do, Trung Hai Nguyen, Minh Quan Pham, Huy Truong Nguyen, Nguyen Phuoc Long, Van Van Vu, Huong Thi Thu Phung, Son Tung Ngo. Tripeptides inhibit dual targets AChE and BACE-1: a computational study. RSC Adv. 2025, 15, 12866-12875. (Q1, IF: 3.9)

2

122

Quynh Mai Thai, Nguyen Thanh Tung, Dung Do Thi Mai, Son Tung Ngo, Dimerization of the Aβ42 under the Influence of the Gold Nanoparticle: A REMD Study. J. Phys. Chem. B 2024, 128, 47, 11705–11713. (Q1, IF: 2.8)

3

122

Thong Nguyen-Minh Le, Thong Le Minh Pham, Thang Bach Phan, Yoshiyuki Kawazoe. Stabilization of small organic molecules on V2C and V2CO2 MXenes: first-principles insights into the performance of van der Waals functionals and the effect of oxygen vacancies. RSC Adv. 2025, 15, 301-311. (Q1, IF: 3.9)

4

122

Quynh Mai Thai, Huong TT Phung, Nguyen Thanh Tung, Linh Hoang Tran, Son Tung Ngo. Assessing the ligand-binding affinity of chitinase inhibitors using steered-molecular simulations. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2025, 864, 141899. (Q2, IF: 2.8)

5

122

Thi-Thuy-Huong Le, Minh Quan Pham, Nguyen Minh Tam, Huong Thi Thu Phung, Son Tung Ngo. A computational study of buckyballs as potential inhibitors of BACE1 in Alzheimer’s treatment. Chem. Phys. Lett. 2024, 854, 141553 (Q2, IF: 2.8)

6

122

 

Thi-Thuy-Duong Pham, Quynh Mai Thai, Pham Nguyen Kim Tuyen, Huong Thi Thu Phung, Son Tung Ngo. Computational discovery of tripeptide inhibitors targeting monkeypox virus A42R profilin-like protein. J. Mol. Graph. Model. 2024, 132, 108837. (Q2, IF: 2.7)

7

122

Thi-Kim-Dung Le, Felicitas Ene, Thuc-Huy Duong, Fadjar Mulya, Warinthorn Chavasiri. Insights into the inhibitory activity and mechanism of natural compounds from Rhinacanthus nasutus on α-glucosidase through kinetic, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics studies. J. Mol. Struct. 2025, 1322, 3, 140527. (Q2, IF: 4.0)

8

122

Thi-Kim-Dung Le, Thuc-Huy Duong, Warinthorn Chavasiri. Three new constituents from the stems of Knema globularia and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Nat. Prod. Res. 2024, 1-9 (Q2, IF: 1.9)

9

122

Quynh Mai Thai, Trung Hai Nguyen, George Binh Lenon, Huong Thi Thu Phung, Jim-Tong Horng, Phuong-Thao Tran, Son Tung Ngo. Estimating AChE inhibitors from MCE database by machine learning and atomistic calculations. J. Mol. Graph. Model. 2025, 134, 108906. (Q2, IF: 2.7)

10

122

Quynh Mai Thai, Minh Quan Pham, Phuong-Thao Tran, Trung Hai Nguyen, Son Tung Ngo. Searching for potential acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: a combined approach of multi-step similarity search, machine learning and molecular dynamics simulations. R. Soc. Open Sci. 2024, 11, 10, 240546 (Q1, IF: 2.9)

Selected Publications:

9 122

CR2021

Phuong Nguyen, Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy, Bikash Sahoo, Jie Zheng, Peter Faller, John Straub, Laura Domínguez, Joan-Emma Shea, Nikolay Dokholyan, Alfonso De Simone, Buyong Ma, Ruth Nussinov, Saeed Najafi, Son Tung Ngo, Antoine Loquet, Mara Chiricotto, Pritam Ganguly, James McCarty, Mai Suan Li, Carol Hall, Yiming Wang, Yifat Miller, Simone Melchionna, Birgit Habenstein, Stepan Timr, Jiaxing Chen, Brianna Hnath, Birgit Strodel, Rakez Kayed, Sylvain Lesne, Guanghong Wei, Fabio Sterpone, Andrew Doig, Philippe Derreumaux, Amyloid Oligomers: A Joint Experimental/Computational Perspective on Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Type II Diabetes and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Chem. Rev. 2021, 121, 2545–2647.
8 122rscadv21marine Nguyen Minh Tam, Minh Quan Pham, Huy Truong Nguyen, Nam Dao Hong, Nguyen Khoa Hien, Duong Tuan Quang, Huong Thi Thu Phung, and Son Tung Ngo, Potential inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 Mpro from Marine compounds, RSC Adv. 2021,11, 22206-22213. [2021 RSC Advances HOT Article Collection]
7 122

rscad21

Nguyen Minh Tam, Minh Quan Pham, Nguyen Xuan Ha, Pham Cam Nam  and  Huong Thi Thu Phung; Computational estimation of potential inhibitors from known drugs against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2; RSC Adv., 2021,11, 17478-17486. [selected for 2021 RSC Advances HOT Article Collection]
6 122

jpca2020

Nguyen Thi Mai, Son Tung Ngo, Peter Lievens, Ewald Janssens, Nguyen Thanh Tung, Photofragmentation Patterns of Cobalt Oxide Cations ConOm+ (n = 5-9, m = 4-13): from Oxygen-Deficient to Oxygen-Rich Species, J. Phys. Chem. A 2020, 124, 7333–7339. [selected for font cover]
5 122

JCC2020

Son Tung Ngo, Trung Hai Nguyen, Nguyen Thanh Tung, Pham Cam Nam, Khanh B. Vu, Van V. Vu. Oversampling Free Energy Perturbation Simulation in Determination of the Ligand-Binding Free Energy, J. Comput. Chem. 2020, 41, 611-618. [selected for font cover]
4 122

pccp2019

Nguyen Minh Tam, Long Van Duong, Hung Tan Pham, Minh Tho Nguyen and  My Phuong Pham-Ho; Effects of single and double nickel doping on boron clusters: stabilization of tubular structures in BnNim, n = 2–22, m = 1, 2; Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2019,21, 8365-8375.
3 122

JPCB2019

Son Tung Ngo, Philippe Derreumaux, Van V. Vu; Probable Transmembrane Amyloid α-Helix Bundles Capable of Conducting Ca2+ Ions, J. Phys. Chem. B 2019, 123, 2645-2653.
2 122

jpcc2018

Nguyen Minh Tam, Nguyen Thi Mai, Hung Tan Pham, Ngo Tuan Cuong, and Nguyen Thanh Tung; Ultimate Manipulation of Magnetic Moments in the Golden Tetrahedron Au20 with a Substitutional 3d Impurity; J. Phys. Chem. C 2018, 122, 28, 16256-16264
1 CCR2018

CCR2018

Van V. Vu and Son Tung Ngo, Copper active site in polysaccharide mono