Title: Application Research of Ultramicro and Ultra-high Throughput Mass Spectrometry Technology in the Biological Field
Time: November 13, 2024 (Wednesday), 15:00-16:30
Location: Wisdom Classroom 404, Zhi Zhen Building, Ningbo University Health Science Center
Speaker: Professor Yan Cunyu
Introduction:
Professor Yan Cunyu is a professor and doctoral supervisor. He is a long-term project recipient of the Zhejiang Province Talent Attraction Program and currently serves as a professor at the College of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, and the Institute for Mass Spectrometry Technology Applications. His main research interests include combining robotic sample processing with mass spectrometry imaging analysis technology to establish ultramicro, ultra-high throughput research and analytical methods for synthetic biology and biocatalysis biobanks, and the application of this technology in clinical diagnostics, new drug precursor screening, and other fields. Currently, his research primarily focuses on high-throughput screening and data mining using mass spectrometry imaging technology for large libraries produced by in silico modelling in synthetic biology research and enzyme mutant libraries generated by directed evolution strategies in biocatalysis studies. His work aims to discover optimal synthetic pathways and bioreaction catalysts for further application in industrial production. The speaker has previously worked at prestigious institutions such as the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) at the University of Manchester and the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he served as the head of the mass spectrometry platform and an independent PI. He was responsible for establishing the first domestic full-range plant signal molecule ultramicro quantitative analysis platform laboratory and has extensive cooperation with many domestic research institutes and universities. To date, he has published over 60 academic papers with an H-index of 30. He has also served as a member of the 9th Council of the Chinese Mass Spectrometry Society.
Abstract:
Ultramicro and ultra-high throughput mass spectrometry analysis represents a key technical approach aligned with the analysis of large biological samples, particularly in emerging fields such as mutagen signal metabolic monitoring in life body signaling pathways, synthetic biology, drug precursor screening, and rapid diagnosis of epidemic diseases in recent years, showing great potential for application. In the field of plant sciences, by integrating materials science and synthesizing novel derivatization reagents, ultramicro mass spectrometry analysis can achieve quantitative analysis of plant signal transduction molecules below the nanogram level, providing clear molecular evidence directly for the study of molecular interaction mechanisms in signaling pathways. In the fields of directed evolution and synthetic biology, massive sample sets produced by multi-site mutations and random combinations of functional genes can be directly screened through ultra-high throughput mass spectrometry imaging technology, offering visualized data that can provide rapid diagnostic information for downstream directed catalytic optimization and synthetic pathway improvement. Furthermore, in the realm of clinical diagnostics, ultramicro and ultra-high throughput mass spectrometry analysis is gradually complementing existing traditional medical testing and analysis technologies, offering more precise personalized medical data for individualized clinical diagnosis and treatment.
