Dr. Mengmeng Zhang is an associate in the Boston office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she is a member of the Patents and Innovations practice. Mengmeng advises emerging biotechnology companies on strategic patent counseling, global patent prosecution and portfolio strategy, freedom-to-operate analyses, and IP due diligence in licensing, financing, and M&A transactions. Her practice focuses on biologics and life sciences technologies, including antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, cell therapies, vaccines, nucleic acid therapeutics, diagnostics, sequencing technologies, and lipid nanoparticle delivery systems. Her scientific background spans immuno-oncology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and chemical biology.
Before joining the firm, Mengmeng was a research fellow at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, where she developed DNA-based diagnostic tools for detecting circulating tumor DNA and co-founded a start-up focused on commercializing liquid biopsy-based cancer diagnostics. She previously was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, where she developed imaging-based small-molecule inhibitor screening methods to study the anaphase-promoting complex and mechanisms of mitotic exit. Her research experience also includes work on transcriptional regulation by phosphatases, small-molecule drug discovery, and genetic engineering of immune cells, including macrophages, within the tumor microenvironment for cancer therapy.
Dr. Mengmeng Zhang is an associate in the Boston office of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she is a member of the Patents and Innovations practice. Mengmeng advises emerging biotechnology companies on strategic patent counseling, global patent prosecution and portfolio strategy, freedom-to-operate analyses, and IP due diligence in licensing, financing, and M&A transactions. Her practice focuses on biologics and life sciences technologies, including antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, cell therapies, vaccines, nucleic acid therapeutics, diagnostics, sequencing technologies, and lipid nanoparticle delivery systems. Her scientific background spans immuno-oncology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and chemical biology.
Before joining the firm, Mengmeng was a research fellow at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, where she developed DNA-based diagnostic tools for detecting circulating tumor DNA and co-founded a start-up focused on commercializing liquid biopsy-based cancer diagnostics. She previously was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, where she developed imaging-based small-molecule inhibitor screening methods to study the anaphase-promoting complex and mechanisms of mitotic exit. Her research experience also includes work on transcriptional regulation by phosphatases, small-molecule drug discovery, and genetic engineering of immune cells, including macrophages, within the tumor microenvironment for cancer therapy.
- J.D., Suffolk University Law School, 2022Cum Laude, Intellectual Property Law Concentration with Distinction, Dean’s List
- Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Harvard Medical School and Wyss Institute2013-2016
- Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, 2012
- M.S., Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 2008
- B.E., Bioengineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, 2006
- State Bar of Massachusetts
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- J.D., Suffolk University Law School, 2022Cum Laude, Intellectual Property Law Concentration with Distinction, Dean’s List
- Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Harvard Medical School and Wyss Institute2013-2016
- Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Texas at Austin, 2012
- M.S., Biological Sciences, Clemson University, 2008
- B.E., Bioengineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, 2006
- State Bar of Massachusetts
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Select Publications
- Co-author, "Structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rtr1 reveals an active site for an atypical phosphatase," 9(147) Science Signaling, 2016
- Co-author, "Chemical Tools To Decipher Regulation of Phosphatases by Proline Isomerization on Eukaryotic RNA Polymerase II," 10(10) ACS Chemical Biology 2405-14, 2015
- Co-author, "Synergistic blockade of mitotic exit by two chemical inhibitors of the APC/C," 514(7524) Nature 646-9, 2014
- Co-author, "Viewing Serine/Threonine Protein Phosphatases through the Eyes of Drug Designers," 280(19) FEBS Journal 4739-60, 2013
- Co-author, "Structural and kinetic analysis of the prolyl isomerization/phosphorylation cross-talk in the CTD code," 7(8) ACS Chemical Biology 1462-70, 2012
- Co-author, "A pharmacogenetic study of risperidone on histamine H3 receptor gene (HRH3) in Chinese Han schizophrenia patients," 26(6) Journal of Psychopharmacology 813-8, 2011
- Co-author, "Selective inactivation of a human neuronal silencing phosphatase by a small molecule inhibitor," 6(5) ACS Chemical Biology 511-9, 2011
- Co-author, "Crystal Structure of Ssu72, an essential eukaryotic phosphatase specific for the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II, in complex with a transition state analogue," 434(3) Biochemical Journal 435-44, 2011
- Co-author, "Bio-molecular architects: a scaffold provided by the C-terminal domain of eukaryotic RNA polymerase II," Nano Reviews, 2010
- Co-author, "Structural and functional analysis of the phosphoryl transfer reaction mediated by the human small C-terminal domain phosphatase, Scp1," 19(5) Protein Science 974-86, 2010
Select Publications
- Co-author, "Structure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Rtr1 reveals an active site for an atypical phosphatase," 9(147) Science Signaling, 2016
- Co-author, "Chemical Tools To Decipher Regulation of Phosphatases by Proline Isomerization on Eukaryotic RNA Polymerase II," 10(10) ACS Chemical Biology 2405-14, 2015
- Co-author, "Synergistic blockade of mitotic exit by two chemical inhibitors of the APC/C," 514(7524) Nature 646-9, 2014
- Co-author, "Viewing Serine/Threonine Protein Phosphatases through the Eyes of Drug Designers," 280(19) FEBS Journal 4739-60, 2013
- Co-author, "Structural and kinetic analysis of the prolyl isomerization/phosphorylation cross-talk in the CTD code," 7(8) ACS Chemical Biology 1462-70, 2012
- Co-author, "A pharmacogenetic study of risperidone on histamine H3 receptor gene (HRH3) in Chinese Han schizophrenia patients," 26(6) Journal of Psychopharmacology 813-8, 2011
- Co-author, "Selective inactivation of a human neuronal silencing phosphatase by a small molecule inhibitor," 6(5) ACS Chemical Biology 511-9, 2011
- Co-author, "Crystal Structure of Ssu72, an essential eukaryotic phosphatase specific for the C-terminal domain of RNA polymerase II, in complex with a transition state analogue," 434(3) Biochemical Journal 435-44, 2011
- Co-author, "Bio-molecular architects: a scaffold provided by the C-terminal domain of eukaryotic RNA polymerase II," Nano Reviews, 2010
- Co-author, "Structural and functional analysis of the phosphoryl transfer reaction mediated by the human small C-terminal domain phosphatase, Scp1," 19(5) Protein Science 974-86, 2010
Biological Sciences and Biotechnology
- Antibody
- Antigen presentation
- Biochemical assays
- Biochemistry
- Biologics
- Cancer biology
- Cancer therapeutics
- CAR-T cells
- Cell biology
- Cell culture products
- Cell therapy
- Cellular immunology
- Immuno-oncology
- Immunobiology
- Immunology
- Molecular biology
- Molecular genetics
- PCR
- Proteomics
- T and B cell biology
- T cell biology
Therapeutics and Drug Discovery
- Gene editing
- Immunotherapy targets
- Pharmacogenomics
- Vaccines
Diagnostics and Medical Devices
- Diagnostics
- Point-of-care testing (POCT)
Chemistry and Material Science
- Protein engineering
Genomics and Data Analysis
- Next-generation sequencing
- Sequencing
- Single-cell sequencing
Miscellaneous
- Cancer
- Fluorescence microscopy
- Infectious diseases
Biological Sciences and Biotechnology
- Antibody
- Antigen presentation
- Biochemical assays
- Biochemistry
- Biologics
- Cancer biology
- Cancer therapeutics
- CAR-T cells
- Cell biology
- Cell culture products
- Cell therapy
- Cellular immunology
- Immuno-oncology
- Immunobiology
- Immunology
- Molecular biology
- Molecular genetics
- PCR
- Proteomics
- T and B cell biology
- T cell biology
Therapeutics and Drug Discovery
- Gene editing
- Immunotherapy targets
- Pharmacogenomics
- Vaccines
Diagnostics and Medical Devices
- Diagnostics
- Point-of-care testing (POCT)
Chemistry and Material Science
- Protein engineering
Genomics and Data Analysis
- Next-generation sequencing
- Sequencing
- Single-cell sequencing
Miscellaneous
- Cancer
- Fluorescence microscopy
- Infectious diseases
The research-stage partnership entails a build-to-buy deal structure, including an upfront payment of $50 million from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany to fund Saturnus Bio’s research activities, securing a minority equity stake in the company, as well as additional success-based preclinical milestones, supporting the development of novel drug candidates for genetic cardiomyopathy patients. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has exclusive rights to acquire Saturnus Bio for a pre-determined option payment, in addition to success-based earnouts.
The Wilson Sonsini team that advised Saturnus Bio on the transaction includes: