Each generation has its mission, and each generation has its responsibility. Facing the world's scientific and technological frontiers, the main battlefield of the economy, the major needs of the country, and the lives and health of the people, a large number of young scientists from Zhejiang University have worked hard and worked hard, and integrated their personal ideal pursuits into the struggle to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The Integrated Media Center launched the column " Zhejiang University Dream Chaser " to focus on the young people who are striving for excellence, tell their wonderful stories, and show their spirit of bravely climbing the top and studying hard. Today, let’s get to together, Zhejiang University Qiushi Distinguished Professor and Professor of the School of Chemical Engineering and Biological Engineering, .
At the Institute of Biology and Molecular Intelligent Manufacturing, Hangzhou International Science and Technology Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Professor Wang Baojun, who is less than 40 years old, is leading the team to target the cutting-edge foundations and application fields of synthetic biology in .
Synthetic Biology , a new field of vigorous development - adopting engineering concepts, targeted design, transformation and even resynthesis of organisms, and creating artificial life systems that give them functions beyond nature. It has become the third biotechnology revolution after the molecular biology revolution spawned by the "DNA Double Helix Discovery" and the genomic revolution spawned by the implementation of the "Human Genome Project". It has been rated as one of the top ten disruptive technologies by top international scientific journals such as Nature and Science and many national think tanks.
How can young discipline teams and cutting-edge disciplines that drive original breakthroughs and interdisciplinary integration be upgraded and developed in the hot land of the motherland? This is another new choice that Wang Baojun, who has obtained tenured teaching position at the University of Edinburgh in the UK but has given up a million pound science fund and returned to his alma mater to "start a business".
Starting from scratch, breaking through the discipline boundaries
Selection of synthetic biology is almost a bold challenge for Wang Baojun to start from scratch. No one would have thought that is now a leading scientist in the field of synthetic biology, and only started to get involved in synthetic biology as a doctorate.
That was a lonely and difficult journey to study. Wang Baojun, who graduated from Zhejiang University's undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering, went to Imperial College to study for a doctorate in bioengineering and was very interested in synthetic biology, but because of the different research directions from the supervisor and the lack of corresponding subject background and experimental conditions, it is very difficult to learn.
"Self-driven power is the key to personal growth. Remember the days when I was studying in the laboratory day and night. I was very tired but didn't feel bitter. I just wanted to study abroad and I must get my grades!" In Wang Baojun's view, "Synthetic biology has the magic of designing and transforming life. It uses originals to assemble artificial biological systems with specified functions, which can solve many problems faced by human beings." , which attracted him to use long-term storm-style learning and experiments to break through his own discipline boundaries.
From conception to realization, Wang Baojun chose to devote himself to experiencing the deposition and explosion of science. He recalled: "In the early days of joining the University of Edinburgh, when he saw his colleagues around him make achievements one after another, and he did hundreds of experiments but still had no progress, he couldn't help but feel anxious and scared. However, the success of is often the result of countless trials and errors.
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innovative attempts and produced fruitful results
Although the subject basis of synthetic biology is molecular biology, Wang Baojun made bold attempts, and used engineering principles and methods learned at Zhejiang University to design and guide biology experiments .He described this process as building blocks, using engineering means to assemble biological molecules, design and build biological paths, fully characterize each biological original, and then select components with corresponding behavioral capabilities to assemble them according to needs to achieve innovative design of gene circuits.
In recent years, Wang Baojun has achieved a large number of breakthrough original results in the development of key enabling technologies in synthetic biology, gene circuit design and application directions -
was the first in the world to propose the engineering design method of gene circuits, and has pioneered its innovative applications in the fields of hypersensitive biosensing;
was the first in the world to develop a new "eukaryotic" prokaryotic bacteria CRISPR programmable gene Activation technology, reveals the programmability mechanism of pairing crRNA and tracrRNA in the type II CRISPR system and has opened up its application in the field of RNA sensing;
proposes a new targeted evolution method for the design of split proteins and creates the largest standardized orthogonal fracture protein intrinsic peptide library to date. solves the problem of accurate and seamless assembly of high-repetitive structural macromolecular proteins in vitro...
Every hard study and attempt is like pearls, which can finally be strung into a gorgeous necklace. Due to continuous efforts and bold innovation, Wang Baojun's research results have been widely reported by international authoritative magazines such as Nature News and Financial Times, and have also been introduced as a key citation by the UK National Science Strategy Report on Synthetic Biology Roadmap as a major landmark progress in the field of synthetic biology.
Wang Baojun became the winner of the 2015 Bill Gates Foundation Global Challenge Exploration Fund Award , with the success rate of the award being selected was only 1%; he was also the winner of the 2019 British Natural Science Foundation Outstanding Youth Science Foundation Award , and only 41 selected that year.
Return to China to start a business, seize future opportunities
The smooth sailing of overseas scientific research did not allow Wang Baojun to stop. He resolutely chose to return to China. "Synthetic biology has a broad prospect in China and can play a role in many fields such as biomanufacturing, life and health, agricultural and food, functional materials, etc.." Wang Baojun introduced that as the national "13th Five-Year Plan" and "14th Five-Year Plan" lists synthetic biology as a key research direction in the frontier fields of science and technology, biomedicine and new materials have been included in Zhejiang Province's top ten pillar industrial chains and key development industries. Synthetic biology will provide core technologies for the development of many pillar industries, thereby promoting the transformation and upgrading of industries such as health, medicine and new materials.
Now, Wang Baojun has joined the School of Chemical Engineering and Biological Engineering and embarked on a new scientific research journey. He led the team to "develop key enablement technology development, automated design and innovative applications in the fields of biosensing and biomedicine" as the main focus, and is eager to crack the development of common enablement technology tools including the development of synthetic biology, such as orthogonal inclusion peptides and CRISPR programmable gene editing and regulation technology; mining, transformation and customized design of gene components; design of gene circuits, that is, how to better improve the scale, functional complexity and design efficiency of gene circuits; and expand the application of synthetic biology in biological diagnosis, treatment and biomanufacturing and other key issues and technologies.
If you can also see the synthetic biology automation scientific device built by Wang Baojun's team, automation, big data and machine learning will present you with surprising scientific research images - this is the largest and most integrated full-process, high-throughput, automated synthetic biology scientific device in the field in the world. On average, 2,000 artificial cells can be created every day, realizing the full process, high-throughput, and automated operation from DNA original assembly, cell culture, product analysis to artificial life creation and preservation, high-throughput, and automated operations - this is a vivid depiction of the future of human beings.
targets the international frontier challenge of synthetic biology
and major national strategic needs
and continues to be at the forefront of synthetic biology
and In-depth research on the application field
is the driving force for the new round of development of the national biopharmaceutical industry
provides important driving force
is the driving force for this young scientist to set off again
(Source: Zhejiang University official account)
