Professor of Biochemistry and Pharmacy

Vice Director of State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering

Contact Information

Office: Room 729, Researching Building 18

Email: yiyang@@ecust.edu.cn (please remove one @)

Office Phone: +86 21 6425 1311

Office Fax: +86 21 64251278

Education

1995B. S.Biological Science and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University, China

1997M. S. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Tsinghua University, China

1999Ph.D.Biochemistry, Tsinghua University, ChinaProfessional Experience

Academic Appointments:

2005-2006 Associate Biochemist & Instructor of Medicine, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

2006-         Chair Professor of Biochemistry, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology

2014-         Vice Director of State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering

Board member:

2009-  Shanghai Society of Cell Biology 2013 Vice chairman

2009-  Chinese Society of Biophysics, Committee of Young Scientist, Council member

2011-  Shanghai Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Council member

2011-  Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Committee of Enzymology, 2015, Vice director

2014-  Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Council member

2015-  Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Committee of Protein Science, Council member

2015-  Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Committee of Enzymology, Vice director

2015-  Chinese Society of Cell Biology, Committee of Young Scientist, Council member

2019-  Chinese Society of Cell Biology, Council member

2019-  Shanghai Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Vice Chairman

Awards & Honors

1990 First Prize of the National Competition of Chemistry for high school students

1995 Hua Luo-Geng Research Award of Tsinghua School of Science

1996 Novo Nordisk Research Award

1997 Procter & Gamble: Friend of Tsinghua Scholarship

1997 DuPont Research Award

1998 Award of Progress in Beijing Science & Technology

1999 First Prize of National Tan Jia-Zheng: Jiuyuan Life Science Research Award

2006 New Century Excellent Talents in University, Ministry of Education of China

2008 The Excellent Young Faculty Program, Fok Ying Tung Education Foundation

2008 Eastern Scholar, Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning

2009 Tiandin-Dongyue Grand Prize of Excellence in Teaching

2011 Dawn Scholar, Shanghai Education Commission

2012 National Outstanding Young Scientist Award, National Natural Science Foundation of China

2014 Shanghai Subject Chief Scientist, Shanghai Science and Technology Commission

2014 Chinese Overseas  Contribution Award (innovation) 

2014 Young Scientific and Technological Innovation Leading Talent,Ministry of Science & Technology

2015 Chang Jiang Scholar Distinguished Professor, Ministry of Education of China

2016 National High-level Personnel of Special Support Program: Young Scientific and Technological Innovation Leading Talent

Research Interests

This investigator's research is in the area of biochemistry and cell biology, synthetic biology and chemical biology. The research is focused on methodologies for fluorescence imaging and optogenetical manipulation of living cells, and their applications in bio-manufacturing, genetic and drug screening.

Current active major projects include:

1. Genetically encoded sensors for cellular metabolites and life activities. We are currently developing protein based sensors by fusion of fluorescent proteins and specific sensing domains. These sensors may be used conveniently for monitoring various intracellular events. Particularly, we have recently obtained highly responsive NADH, glucose and cAMP sensors for live cell imaging.

2. Genetically encoded labels for proteins and RNAs in live cells. Fluorescent proteins revolutionalized the study of proteins in vivo. However, there is no robust tools similar to fluorescent proteins for RNAs. We are working on the development of fluorescent RNAs, small RNA aptamer that became highly fluorescent when they bind with non-fluorescent dyes. We are also working on synthetic fluorescent proteins that has expanded spectrum and fast maturation rate as alternative to native fluorescent proteins.

3. Small molecular fluorescent probes for specific labeling and imaging of protein thiol post translational modifications, including protein S-nitrosation, disulfides, sulfenic acid and vicinal dithiols. We developed new fluorescent imaging methods for cellular protein disulphide, S-nitrosation, sulfenic acid and vicinal dithiols. Ongoing studies include regulation of protein thiol proteome and their functional implications.

4. Optogenetics modules and circuits. We are currently developing synthetic proteins which are activated by light. These proteins may be used for control of gene expression, enzyme catalysis and labeling of live cells and animals in a spatiotemporal manner.

5. High content, high throughput genetic and drug screening. Our new methodologies make it possible to identify genes and chemicals that regulate global cellular metabolism in a large scale. These genes and chemicals have the potential to be used in disease diagnosis and treatments.

6. Protein expression systems and bio-manufacturing technologies. We are currently working on next generation bioreactor technologies with improved efficiency and reduced emission.

Publication

1. Chen X, Zhang D, Su N, Bao B, Xie X, Zuo F, Yang L, Wang H, Jiang L, Lin Q, Fang M, Li N, Hua X, Chen Z, Bao C, Xu J, Du W, Zhang L, Zhao Y, Zhu L*, Loscalzo J and Yang Y*, Visualizing RNA dynamics in live cells with bright and stable fluorescent RNAs, Nature Biotechnology, 2019,37, 1287–1293.

2. Hao X, Gu H, Chen C, Huang D, Zhao Y, Xie L, Zou Y, Shu HS, Zhang Y, He X, Lai X, Zhang X, Zhou BO, Zhang CC, Chen GQ, Yu Z*, Yang Y* and Zheng J*, Metabolic Imaging Reveals a Unique Preference of Symmetric Cell Division and Homing of Leukemia-Initiating Cells in an Endosteal Niche, Cell Metabolism 2019, 29, 950-965.

3. Zou Y, Wang A, Shi M, Chen X, Liu R, Li T, Zhang C, Zhang Z, Zhu L, Ju Z, Loscalzo J, Yang Y* and Zhao Y*, Analysis of redox landscapes and dynamics in living cells and in vivo using genetically encoded fluorescent sensors, Nature Protocols 2018, 13, 2362-2386.

4. Xu X, Du Z, Liu R, Li T, Zhao Y, Chen X* and Yang Y*, A Single-Component Optogenetic System Allows Stringent Switch of Gene Expression in Yeast Cells, ACS Synthetic Biology. 2018, 7, 2045-2053.

5. Zhao Y*, Zhang Z, Zou Y and Yang Y*, Visualization of nicotine adenine dinucleotides redox homeostasis with genetically encoded fluorescent sensors, Antioxidants and Redox Signalling 2018,28, 213-229.

6. Hu, Wang A, Huang L, Zou Y, Gu Y, Chen X, Zhao Y* and Yang Y*, Monitoring cellular redox state under hypoxia using a fluorescent sensor based on eel fluorescent protein, Free Radic Biol Med 2018, 120, 255-265.

7. Tao R, Shi M, Zou Y, Cheng D, Wang Q, Liu R, Wang A, Zhu J, Deng L, Hu H, Chen X, Du J, Zhu W, Zhao Y* and Yang Y*, Multicoloured fluorescent indicators for live-cell and in vivo imaging of inorganic mercury dynamics, Free Radic Biol Med. 2018, 121, 26-37.

8. Tao R, Zhao Y, Chu H, Wang A, Zhu J, Chen X, Zou Y, Shi M, Liu R, Su N, Du J, Zhou HM, Zhu L, Qian X, Liu H*, Loscalzo J and Yang Y*, Genetically encoded fluorescent sensors reveal dynamic regulation of NADPH metabolism, Nature Methods 2017, 14, 720-728.

9. Zhao Y* & Yang Y*, Real-time and high-throughput analysis of mitochondrial metabolic states in living cells using genetically encoded NAD+/NADH sensors, Free Radic Biol Med, 2016, 100, 43-52.

10. Chen X, Li T, Wang X, Du Z, Liu R, and Yang Y*. Synthetic dual-input mammalian genetic circuits enable tunable and stringent transcription control by chemical and light. Nucleic Acids Research, 2016, 44, 2677–2690.

11. Zhao Y, Wang A, Zou Y, Su N, Loscalzo J, Yang Y*. In vivo monitoring of cellular energy metabolism using a highly responsive sensor for NAD+/NADH redox state. Nature Protocols 2016, 11, 1345-1359.

12. Chen X, Li T, Liu R, Ma Z, Xu X, Zhang H, Xu J, Ouyang Q, Yang Y*. An extraordinary stringent and sensitive light switchable gene expression system for bacterial cells. Cell Research 2016, 26, 854–857.

13. Zhao, Y., Hu, Q., Cheng, F., Su, N., Wang, A., Zou, Y., Hu, H., Chen, X., Zhou, H.M., Huang, X., Yang, K., Zhu, Q., Wang, X., Yi, J., Zhu, L., Qian, X., Chen, L., Tang, Y., Loscalzo, J., and Yang, Y*. SoNar, a Highly Responsive NAD(+)/NADH Sensor, Allows High-Throughput Metabolic Screening of Anti-tumor Agents. Cell Metabolism 2015, 21, 777-789.

14. Zhao, Y., and Yang, Y. *  Profiling metabolic states with genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors for NADH. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2015, 31, 86-92.

15. Wang, X., Chen, X., and Yang, Y. *  Spatiotemporal control of gene expression by a light-switchable transgene system. Nature Methods 2012, 9, 266-269.

16. Huang, C., Yin, Q., Zhu, W. *, Yang, Y. *, Wang, X., Qian, X., and Xu, Y. * (2011). Highly Selective Fluorescent Probe for Vicinal-Dithiol-Containing Proteins and In Situ Imaging in Living Cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2011, 123, 7693-7698.

17. Zhao, Y., Jin, J., Hu, Q., Zhou, H.M., Yi, J., Yu, Z., Xu, L., Wang, X., Yang, Y. *, and Loscalzo, J. Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Sensors for Intracellular NADH Detection. Cell Metabolism 2011, 14, 555-566.

18. Yang, Y., Song, Y., and Loscalzo, J. Regulation of the protein disulfide proteome by mitochondria in mammalian cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007, 104, 10813-10817.

19. Yang, Y., and Loscalzo, J. S-nitrosoprotein formation and localization in endothelial cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2005, 102, 117-122.

20. Yang, Y., Maret, W., and Vallee, B.L. Differential fluorescence labeling of cysteinyl clusters uncovers high tissue levels of thionein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A2001, 98, 5556-5559.