About

Cheng-i Wei is a Professor and Acting Chair in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Maryland. His role involves leadership within the department, contributing to the academic and research missions of the college. The specific research focus, background, and key contributions of Cheng-i Wei are not detailed in the provided page text.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Biology
• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Medicine
• Cancer research
• Cell biology
• Internal medicine
• Virology
• Andrology
• Optoelectronics
• Materials science
• Chemical engineering
• Thermodynamics
• Physics
• Molecular biology

Selected publications

• Eeyarestatin I (ESI)-induced ERAD inhibition exhibits anti-cancer activity through multiple mechanisms in human colorectal cancer cells

  European Journal of Pharmacology · 2025-04-11 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  -terminal kinase (JNK) and intracellular production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Decrease of cell viability and ROS release were JNK-dependent and apoptosis was ROS-dependent. On the other hand, treatment of the cells with ESI downregulated the expression of translocon-associated protein (TRAP) subunits including TRAPα, β, γ and δ, which was JNK- and ROS-dependent. In summary, ESI-induced ERAD inhibition triggers ER stress, G2/M cell cycle arrest, ROS-dependent apoptosis, and autophagy in human colorectal cancer cells. We are the first to identify TRAPs as novel target ER membrane proteins that are downregulated by ERAD inhibition in human colorectal cancer cells.

  PublisherDOI

• Strata-Sword: A Hierarchical Safety Evaluation towards LLMs based on Reasoning Complexity of Jailbreak Instructions

  ArXiv.org · 2025-09-01

  preprintOpen access

  Large language models (LLMs) have gained widespread recognition for their superior comprehension and have been deployed across numerous domains. Building on Chain-of-Thought (CoT) ideology, Large Reasoning models (LRMs) further exhibit strong reasoning skills, enabling them to infer user intent more accurately and respond appropriately. However, both LLMs and LRMs face the potential safety risks under jailbreak attacks, which raise concerns about their safety capabilities. Current safety evaluation methods often focus on the content dimensions, or simply aggregate different attack methods, lacking consideration of the complexity. In fact, instructions of different complexity can reflect the different safety capabilities of the model: simple instructions can reflect the basic values of the model, while complex instructions can reflect the model's ability to deal with deeper safety risks. Therefore, a comprehensive benchmark needs to be established to evaluate the safety performance of the model in the face of instructions of varying complexity, which can provide a better understanding of the safety boundaries of the LLMs. Thus, this paper first quantifies "Reasoning Complexity" as an evaluable safety dimension and categorizes 15 jailbreak attack methods into three different levels according to the reasoning complexity, establishing a hierarchical Chinese-English jailbreak safety benchmark for systematically evaluating the safety performance of LLMs. Meanwhile, to fully utilize unique language characteristics, we first propose some Chinese jailbreak attack methods, including the Chinese Character Disassembly attack, Lantern Riddle attack, and Acrostic Poem attack. A series of experiments indicate that current LLMs and LRMs show different safety boundaries under different reasoning complexity, which provides a new perspective to develop safer LLMs and LRMs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Knockdown of translocon-associated protein subunit beta (TRAPβ) stimulates cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells

  Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research · 2025-09-07 · 2 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Actin Depolymerization Factor (ADF) Moonlighting: Nuclear Immune Regulation by Interacting with WRKY Transcription Factors and Shaping the Transcriptome

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-04-30 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract Remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton is a critical process for plant immunity, essential for the transport, activation, and stabilization of immune-regulatory molecules and organelles. In this process, actin depolymerization factors (ADFs) function as key players through severing and depolymerizing actin microfilaments. However, recent evidence suggests that ADFs may possess non-canonical immune functions inside the nucleus, in addition to the canonic cytosolic role, a phenomenon not adequately explained by the traditional mechanistic model of ADF-actin dynamics. In this study, we demonstrate that Arabidopsis ADFs exhibit a moonlighting function in the nucleus, where they interact with transcriptional machinery to regulate the transcriptome during both the resting state and the immune responses. We show that ADF2/3/4 have redundant functions in defense against virulent and avirulent Pseudomonas syringae . Notably, it is nuclear – rather than cytosolic – ADFs that contribute to defense against P. syringae and mediate pro-immune transcription. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that nuclear ADFs interact with transcription factors, histone complexes, and other components of the transcriptional machinery. Specifically, ADF2/3/4 can form a complex with WRKY transcription factors, such as WRKY22/29/48, thereby directly regulating WRKY activity to shape the pro-immune transcriptome. In summary, our study reveals that ADFs moonlight as direct regulators of transcription factors, mediating a broad range of nuclear-cytoplasmic regulation in plant immunity and potentially other biological processes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Abstract 1480 Eeyarestatin I (ESI) Stimulates JNK-dependent G2/M Arrest and Apoptosis and Downregulates Expression of Translocon-associated Proteins (TRAPs) in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells

  Journal of Biological Chemistry · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen access

  Eeyarestatin I (ESI) is a small molecule that inhibits endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) and Sec61-dependent cotranslational translocation in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. In the current study, for the first time we examined the anti-cancer activity of ESI and elucidated the underlying anti-cancer mechanisms in human colorectal carcinoma cells. The treatment of ESI repressed the viability of diverse types of human colorectal cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Assessing GPT's capabilities in consumer food survey analysis: A comparative approach for understanding food technophobia and novel protein perceptions

  Journal of Agriculture and Food Research · 2025-06-10

  articleOpen access

  This study explores the application of GPT models for automating consumer food survey analysis, focusing on Chinese consumers' acceptance of plant-based foods, cultured meat, insect-based proteins, and microbial proteins. Traditional survey analysis methods face limitations in handling large-scale, open-ended responses, whereas GPT’s natural language processing capabilities offer efficient, bias-reduced alternatives. Employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we investigate how food technophobia (FTN) and food values (FV) affect perceived benefits (PB) and perceived risks (PR), ultimately influencing consumer acceptance. Results show that acceptance is highest for plant-based foods and lowest for cultured meat, with PB positively and PR negatively impacting consumer willingness to these foods. Mediation analysis reveals that PR and PB mediate the effects of FTN and FV on acceptance, indicating that attitudes toward food safety, naturalness, and production processes shape consumer choices. The findings underscore the value of using GPT for comprehensive, real-time survey analysis and suggest marketing strategies and policies that emphasize product safety, environmental benefits, and consumer education to enhance acceptance of alternative proteins. • GPT analyzes 3,756 consumer survey responses on four alternative proteins, improving efficiency. • Plant-based foods have the highest acceptance, while cultured meat faces the greatest resistance. • PLS-SEM analysis reveals food technophobia and values significantly impact perceived risks, benefits, and acceptance.

  PublisherDOI

• Abstract 1585 Identification of translocon-associated protein subunit beta (TRAPβ) as a regulator of cell cycle progression and apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells

  Journal of Biological Chemistry · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen access

  Translocon-associated protein subunit beta (TRAPβ), also known as signal sequence receptor 2 (SSR2) facilitates co-translational translocation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER); however, its role in colorectal cancer is not comprehended yet. This study was conducted to examine the biological role of TRAPβ/SSR2 in the proliferation phenotype of human colorectal cancer cells. Transient knockdown of TRAPβ/SSR2 gene with small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) significantly suppressed the viability of SW480, HCT116, and DLD-1 cells.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Tempeh, a fermented soybean, extends lifespan via MAPK pathway and improves healthy aging in Caenorhabditis elegans

  Current Research in Food Science · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Tempeh, a traditional fermented soybean product, is widely consumed for its nutritional and health-promoting properties, but its impact on aging is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of tempeh on lifespan and healthspan using C. elegans as the study model. Soybean and tempeh extracts at concentrations between 50-200 μg/mL were tested. Both treatments significantly extended mean lifespan, with the greatest effect observed at 100 μg/mL. Tempeh required skn-1 and pmk-1 to extend the lifespan of C. elegans , suggesting PMK-1–SKN-1 pathway as the key signaling pathway, and independent to caloric restriction, insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling, AMP-activated protein kinase, or sirtuin signaling pathways. Tempeh treatment at both 50 μg/ml and 100 μg/ml significantly improved healthspan during midlife, and reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species levels compared to the control group in C. elegans . These findings indicate that tempeh may promote healthy aging by enhancing oxidative stress resistance through MAPK–SKN-1 signaling. This study highlights the potential of tempeh as a functional food source for healthy aging improvement. • Tempeh extract extends lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans. • Tempeh extends the lifespan via Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase pathway. • Tempeh improves healthy aging • Tempeh reduces oxidative stress by reducing reactive oxygen species accumulation.

  PublisherDOI

• Large language models in food science: Innovations, applications, and future

  Trends in Food Science & Technology · 2024-04-16 · 72 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Developing agricultural literacy through USR and blockchain

  International Journal of Knowledge and Learning · 2024-12-04 · 1 citations

  article

  This study proposed a concept of university social responsibility (USR) to develop agriculture literacy by involving students in actual procedure of agricultural production and sales. Through this study, students, teachers, and farmers' associations were connected in a course. Blockchain technology was used for a complete and accurate record. This study was held at National Chung Hsing University Taiwan during the first semester of the 2019 academic year. Questionnaires were given to students to analyse their agricultural literacy. Descriptive analysis showed that the mean of students' agricultural cognition, agricultural attitude, and agricultural behaviour were 3.3737, 3.7495, and 3.3912, respectively. The semantic analysis showed that students understood that they had cooperation and knowledge exchange with farmers' association by the blockchain technology. It was concluded that the students tended to have a better agricultural attitude after participating in the course and this USR concept had a subtle effect on developing students' agricultural literacy.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R03OH002583

  NIH · $44k · 1991

Frequent coauthors

• Maurice R. Marshall

  University of Florida

  81 shared

• De‐Hai Xu

  39 shared

• Charles R. Santerre

  38 shared

• G.W. Lewis

  Mississippi State University

  37 shared

• James T. Davis

  37 shared

• Robert M. Grodner

  Louisiana State University

  37 shared

• R. Ingram

  37 shared

• Jeffrey M. Hinshaw

  37 shared

Education

• B.S.

  Tunghai University of Taiwan

  1970

• M.S., medical microbiology

  National Taiwan University

  1972