Research Project - Structure Determination of Human TRPV1 and TRPA1 in Cryo-EM and Discovery of the Nanoantibodies at University of Nanchang (2020-09 – 2021-12)
- Gene cloning: The human gene was cloned into a modified BacMam vector (Invitrogen) that contains an N-terminal fusion cassette (Kozac-MBP-HR3CE protease site) designed for purification using amylose resin
- Protein expression: The TRPV1 protein was expressed in HEK293S GnTI cells grown in suspension at 37°C. Cells were collected 48 hours after transduction for crude membrane and protein purification. The membrane proteins were subsequently stabilized in lipid nanodiscs using AKTA.
- Protein structure determination: The protein structure was determined using negative-stain EM and cryo-EM techniques. A poly-alanine model was first built in Coot, and the amino acid assignment was subsequently achieved based on the clearly defined side-chain densities of bulky residues, such as Phe, Tyr, Trp, Arg, and Lys
- Phage display was used to create a library of nanoantibodies in camels and selected the most promising candidates.
Team Leader - Clinical Study on Acupuncture and Moxibustion Combined with Yishen Xiezhuo Decoction in Treating IgA Nephropathy with Hyperuricemia at Jiujiang Science and Technology Bureau (2021-01 – 2022-12)
Funding: 100,000 RMB for independent project research
- Research plan design: Formulated research proposals based on literature reviews, composed ethics proposals and research reports.
- Data collection and analysis: Recruited patients, collected medical histories, determined medication plans, and collected physiological and biochemical data and conducted data analysis.
Team Leader - Roxastat Capsules and Paidu Baoshen Pills Combined Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease Phase 3~5 Clinical Study at Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2021-01 – 2022-12)
- Research plan design: Responsible for developing research proposals based on literature reviews, writing ethics proposals, research reports, and other related tasks
- Data collection and analysis: Recruited patients, collected medical histories, determined medication plans, and collected physiological and biochemical indicators during the pretest and protest. After obtaining clear data, utilized Python to perform data analysis (T-test, ANOVA, etc.)
- Risk assessment and control: assessed and managed risks during the research process, develop response measures, and deal with issues in a timely manner.
Team Member - Investigating Correlations Between Established and Novel Markers of Renal Fibrosis in Experimental and Clinical Renal Disease at University of Edinburgh (2019-09 – 2020-08)
- Protein and RNA analysis: Performed immunofluorescent staining and fluorescent in-situ hybridisation techniques to detect protein. Followed by RNA transcript localisation in models of experimental renal disease etc., unilateral ureteral obstruction, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and human biopsies
- Research findings: At the single-cell level, we identified a master regulator of progressive renal fibrosis as well as a novel marker in renal epithelial cells.
- Discovered a novel marker for identifying senescent epithelial cells at the single-cell level and harvested kidney tissue from mice embedded in different materials
Research Assistant at Xiangya Hospital Kidney Research Institute (2021-10 – 2022-10)
- Experimental design and tissue extraction: Designed experiment and participated in writing the ethical proposal to obtain ethical approval. Collected patient medical history and assisted the doctor in acquiring kidney tissue samples, followed by performing fixation, slicing, staining, and other related procedures.
- Renal histopathology detection and evaluation: Performed histological analysis of kidney tissue using a microscope to observe cellular and tissue structures and performed visualization analysis using Coot. Conducted digitization and analysis using PathoNY, diagnoses were made for both the pathology and etiology of the tissue based on the results of histological analysis.
- The significant proteins identified through single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics were validated on human tissue, while human cells were used to explore whether the target proteins are upregulated in diseased cells and impact on kidney diseases.
Research Assistant at Nanchang University Medical College Jin Zhang Lab (2020-10 – 2021-02)
- PCR design: Based on a literature review, designed, and tested appropriate primers to amplify the PCR product, and then purified and detected the resulting product.
- Protein expression: Participated in gene cloning, selection of expression vectors, transfection of cells, protein analysis (Protein purification, Protein quantification, Protein electrophoresis, Mass spectrometry analysis), membranes protein stabilise with Nanodiscs
- To analyze the three-dimensional structure of proteins, data collection and model establishment were performed using Cryo-electron microscopy.
Research Assistant at Edinburgh University Medical College David Ferenbach Lab (2019-10 – 2020-10)
- Gene expression: The tissue samples collected from organisms were fixed, sliced, stained, and de-lipidated, followed by in situ hybridization to detect the expression of the target gene. The resulting samples were observed using a fluorescent microscope to visualize the signal from the nucleic acid probe labelled with fluorescent dyes
- Findings: Discovered the impact of ageing on the kidney's ability to repair and regenerate from acute and chronic insults, as well as identified novel biomarkers in senescent cells that can improve the diagnostics of renal fibrosis.
Doctor & Test Physician at Jiujiang Chinese Medicine Hospital (2014-09 – 2019-04)
- Responsible for kidney disease diagnostics
- Performed dialysis for patients and bioartificial kidney implantation
- Responsible for diagnosing blood films and bone marrow slides for patients with a blood disease
