“Innovating Health” Distinguished Speaker Seminar Series – Professor Yang Chaoyong
Hosted by: Professor Lim Chwee Teck, iHealthtech Director
Microfluidic Technologies in Clinical Biopsies: Advancing Precision Healthcare
Advancements in microfluidics are revolutionizing clinical diagnostics and biomedical research, particularly in addressing challenges in traditional biopsies. This presentation explores how our team has leveraged microfluidic technologies to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of clinical biopsies. We have employed microfluidics to create high-throughput molecular evolution strategies, discovering several classical aptamers widely adopted by the international community. These aptamers have become essential tools for molecular recognition and targeting in diagnostic applications. By integrating molecular recognition with precise microfluidic control, we have developed efficient methods for enriching and detecting circulating tumor cells and exosomes, offering valuable insights into tumor heterogeneity and supporting personalized treatment strategies. Additionally, we have combined fluid control and chemical metabolic labeling to develop single-cell multi-omic sequencing methods, enabling detailed analysis of cellular dynamic response heterogeneity. Finally, we have significantly enhanced the spatial resolution and detection sensitivity of spatial transcriptomic sequencing by merging microfluidic interfacial chemistry with nucleic acid spatial barcoding strategies, providing a powerful tool for dissecting the spatial organization and molecular features of the tumor microenvironment. These technological advances address key challenges in bioanalysis and biomedical research, transforming clinical biopsy procedures and paving the way for a new era of precision healthcare.
Professor Chaoyong Yang is a Distinguished Professor at Xiamen University and Vice-Director of Institute of Molecular Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He received his PhD from University of Florida under the guidance of Professor Weihong Tan. After postdoc training in Professor Richard Mathies’ group at UC Berkeley, he joined Xiamen University in 2008. Professor Yang has published more than 380 research papers in international journals including Nature Biotechnology, Science Advances, and PNAS. His publication has received over 24,000 citations with H index of 80. He coauthored 3 books and holds 80 patents. He is the associate editor of Analytical Chemistry and has served in the advisory board of 10 international journals. He is also cofounder of three biotech companies. His research focuses on the development of novel chemical and microfluidic tools for life science research and disease diagnosis, which integrates molecular engineering approaches, bio-nanotechnologies, and microfluidics to develop novel methods, smart materials, and functional miniaturized devices to address previously-intractable bioanalytical and biomedical problems. He received many awards including CAPA Distinguished Faculty Award in 2012, National Outstanding Young Investigator Award in 2013, Chinese Young Analyst Award in 2015, Chinese Chemical Society-Royal Society of Chemistry Young Chemist Award in 2016, and 2021 ACS Advances in Measurement Science Lectureship Award.
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