From January 4th to 5th, the Frontier Interdisciplinary Symposium on Chemical Biology and the Annual Academic Conference of the Institute of Chemical Biology, hosted by the Institute of Chemical Biology at Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (SZBL), took place at Tianan Cloud Park in Guangming, Shenzhen. The symposium brought together leading experts, scholars, and early-career researchers in chemical biology from across China to explore cutting-edge advances and emerging trends in this interdisciplinary field.
From January 4th to 5th, the Frontier Interdisciplinary Symposium on Chemical Biology and the annual meeting of the Institute of Chemical Biology, hosted by the Institute of Chemical Biology at Shenzhen Bay Laboratory (SZBL), took place at Tianan Cloud Park in Guangming, Shenzhen. The event featured presentations by prominent figures including Yundong Wu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Professor at Peking University; Xiaoming Feng, Academician of CAS and Professor at Sichuan University; Jianmin Yue, Academician of CAS and Researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, CAS; as well as Professor Houwen Lin (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Professor Zhen Yang (Peking University), Professor Zigang Li (Peking University), Professor Ruijun Tian (Southern University of Science and Technology), Dr. Cong Liu (Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS), Professor Zhiqiang Yu (Dongguan Hospital Affiliated to Southern Medical University), and Xiaojing Pan (Junior Principal Investigator, Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation [SMART]). Professor Xinhao Zhang, Deputy Director of SZBL, Professor Yun He, Co-Director of the Translational Innovation Center, Professor Zheng Huang, Chief Investigator, and Junior Principal Investigators Gang Li and Yang Zhang, along with all PIs, Tongzhou Scholars, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and supporting staff from the Institute of Chemical Biology also attended.
The opening ceremony on January 4th, chaired by Professor Xinhao Zhang, Deputy Director of SZBL, commenced with opening remarks from Academician Yun-Dong Wu. He warmly welcomed the attendees and expressed his hope that the symposium would facilitate the exchange of recent research findings, promote exploration of the field's frontiers, and encourage interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration.
Professor Peng Chen, Academic Convener of the Institute of Chemical Biology, reviewed the institute's development and achievements over the past five years. He stated that the institute will leverage the powerful interdisciplinary platform of chemical biology to further strengthen collaborations with fields such as life sciences, medicine, and pharmacy. By bridging disease biology and innovative drug development, fostering interdisciplinary integration, and promoting clinically driven “clinical chemical biology”, the institute aims to make significant contributions to human health.
The forum then transitioned to keynote presentations. Academician Jianmin Yue began by detailing the discovery of key natural products and their applications in light-mediated chemical research, offering innovative perspectives on natural product development and the burgeoning field of natural product chemical biology.
Professor Houwen Lin from Shanghai Jiao Tong University discussed marine drug discovery and innovation based on marine natural products, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in drug discovery and outlining future directions for marine drug development. Professor Ruijun Tian from Southern University of Science and Technology presented his team’s progress in developing and applying clinical proteomics technologies, demonstrating how innovative chemical metrology and chemical biology can drive biomedical applications and advance proteomics research. Professor Cong Liu from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS focused on chemical interventions targeting protein phase transition aggregation in Parkinson’s disease, sharing his team’s findings and highlighting the potential for clinical translation and new therapeutic opportunities.
Junior Principal Investigators (PIs) at SZBL — Xiaoyu Tang, Xin Li, Mao Li, Yangbin Liu (Associate Investigator), Yun Ge, Lang Rao, Yandong Yin, and Heng Zhang (Associate Investigator) — presented their ongoing research. Their diverse projects spanned areas such as microbial natural product discovery, epigenetic modification, targeted gene delivery, asymmetric catalysis and derivatization of natural products, development and application of protein glycosylation tools, engineered cell vesicles for immunotherapy, rapid 3D single-molecule localization imaging, and chemical biology-assisted antibody drug development, showcasing SZBL’s latest advances and innovative potential in chemical biology and related fields. Participants engaged in lively discussions with the speakers, demonstrating strong interest in the presentations. The symposium facilitated interdisciplinary exchange and provided valuable insights and inspiration, fostering enthusiasm for future research and strengthening the foundation for the Institute of Chemical Biology’s continued growth.
Professor Zigang Li led a roundtable discussion, a highlight of the meeting, with Xiaoming Feng, Academician of CAS, Jianmin Yue, Academician of CAS, Professor Houwen Lin, and Dr. Cong Liu, focusing on “Chemical Biology Serving Human Health”. Professor Houwen Lin initiated the discussion by exploring the intersection of chemical biology and clinical pharmacy, emphasizing the importance of understanding disease mechanisms. He noted that by investigating the molecular basis of diseases, chemical biology can significantly support clinical medicine, enabling earlier diagnosis and precision treatment, thus advancing both medicine and pharmacy. Academician Jianmin Yue shared insights from his research on natural product molecules. He explained that many natural products he discovered possess unique bioactivities and can serve as valuable probes in chemical biology research. These molecules also hold promise for studying interactions between natural metabolites and host-microbe relationships, warranting further investigation. Yue expressed confidence in the future of chemical biology and its growing importance in human health. Academician Xiaoming Feng highlighted chiral chemistry as a key area within chemical biology. He explained that chemistry, as a tool for addressing biological questions, can not only aid in target mechanism research but also provide a molecular foundation for studies related to human health. He encouraged young researchers to pursue fundamental research and explore new frontiers in chemical biology. Dr. Cong Liu emphasized the importance of chemical biology from a basic research perspective. He suggested that researchers should focus on clinical needs, improving communication and collaboration with clinicians to address biological challenges. While acknowledging the inherent challenges, Liu stressed the significance of this collaborative approach for promoting the integration of chemical biology and medicine and ultimately improving human health.
The meeting also featured a poster session, where 23 young researchers and students presented their work through visually engaging posters, fostering a vibrant academic exchange with attendees. The judges then selected and presented awards for the best posters to Sihui Ma, Rui Gao, and Yanfei Han. With closing remarks and a look ahead from Academician Xiaoming Feng, the first day of the Frontier Interdisciplinary Symposium on Chemical Biology came to a close.
On the morning of January 5th, Professor Peng Chen, Academic Convener of the Institute of Chemical Biology, chaired a development seminar for the Institute, with invited guests including Academician Yundong Wu, Academician Xiaoming Feng, Academician Jianmin Yue, Dr. Cong Liu, Professor Bo Zheng (Senior Principal Investigator, Institute of Chemical Biology), and Professor Zhiqiang Yu (Tongzhou Scholar). The seminar focused on the Institute’s development strategy and explored key future research directions and goals. During the seminar, internal and external experts comprehensively evaluated the past year’s work of Junior Principal Investigators (PIs) Xiaoyu Tang, Yun Ge, Yandong Yin, Lang Rao, Xin Li, Mao Li, and Yangbin Liu (Associate Investigator), providing valuable feedback and guidance. This meeting strengthened internal collaboration and provided enhanced support and development opportunities for young researchers, ultimately contributing to the Institute’s overall research advancement.
The Frontier Interdisciplinary Symposium on Chemical Biology is the annual flagship meeting of Institute of Chemical Biology at SZBL. It brought together leading chemical biology experts and scholars in China to create a high-level platform for exchange and collaboration and provide valuable networking opportunities for early-career researchers, including postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Many participants expressed enthusiasm for next meeting, hoping to engage with more scholars from different fields and generate more wonderful new ideas.
