Ning Zheng’s research focuses on the molecular and structural mechanisms by which protein-protein interactions regulate eukaryotic biology and human diseases.

His laboratory has made significant contributions to understanding the cullin-RING superfamily of E3 ubiquitin ligases, which is implicated in a myriad of cellular functions such as signal transduction, cell cycle regulation, transcriptional control, and DNA repair.

[7] Zheng's recent studies have expanded to several areas of life sciences, including protein degradation, plant hormone signaling, circadian clock regulation, chromatin modification, and the structure-function relationships of ion channels and transporters.

"[8][9] This concept describes how monovalent small molecules can promote protein-protein interactions by complementing protein interfaces, facilitating targeted-protein degradation.

[11] His laboratory is actively involved in drug discovery programs aimed at treating challenging human diseases, such as cancers and neurodegenerative disorders.