Speaker

Ying-Jin Yuan, Vice President in Tianjin University, Professor, PhD advisor, winner of Young Talented Scholar Award, the leader of the National Creative Group Fund from NSFC, the chief scientist of the major High Tech R&D Program (863) on Synthetic Biology, the chief scientist of the National Basic Research Program (973), Fellow of IChemE. He was awarded National Distinguished Teacher Award in 2007.

Time:

2020.11.04 16:00-17:30

Abstract

Synthetic genomics focused on the sequence redesign of natural genome and chemical synthesis from scratch. We redesigned eukaryotic genome sequence and developed methods for modular assembly. Highly effective techniques were proposed to locate defects for synthetic genome, which solved the problem of cell inactivation caused by sequence errors. To repair defects, we developed strategies to correct variations simultaneously, and obtained synthetic yeast chromosome exactly matching the designer sequence. We chemically synthesized yeast chromosome V and chromosome X from scratch, and cells exhibit the wild-type fitness. Further, we proposed new techniques to precisely control genome rearrangements, revealing the relationship between structural variations and cell functions. We also established efficient strategies to introduce non-natural biosynthesis pathways in yeast to construct artificial cell factories. Chemical synthesis of yeast genome provides a new paradigm for understanding the relationship between genotype and phenotype, and remodeling cell functions.

Bio

Professor Ying-Jin Yuan is the doctoral mentor of Tianjin University. He awarded the National Outstanding Youth Fund, and he is the director of the Innovation Group of Synthetic Biology of the National Fund Committee, the director of the Center for Frontier Science in Synthetic Biology of the Mount Everest Project of the Ministry of Education. Also, he was the chief scientist of the 973 Program in China, Fellow of IChemE, and won the National Famous Teacher Award in 2007. Yuan is the vice chief editor of Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering, and chief editor of the journal of Synthetic Biology. Ying-Jin Yuan has long been engaged in synthetic biology. He developed highly effective techniques to locating and repairing sequence defects for synthetic genomes, and chemically synthesized yeast chromosome V and chromosome X from scratch. He also focused on precise and controllable genome rearrangement, and efficient construction of cell factories. He published about 170 of SCI papers in his research field, including Science, Nature Communications, ACS Synthetic Biology, Energy & Environmental Science, Metabolic Engineering, Chemical Society Reviews. His research papers were selected as highlight articles in Science, Nature, Nature Biotechnology and Nature Reviews Genetics. He has applied for more than 100 patents. Yuan won the prize of China's Top Ten Scientific Progress in 2017, Top Ten Scientific and Technological Advances in Chinese Universities, Hou Debang Chemical Technology Achievement Award, Special Prize of Tianjin Natural Science Award, and the WuXi AppTec Life Chemistry Outstanding Achievement Award.