Design of a Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor Based on Grating Connection

Nowdays, the study of measurement of the biological field focuses on the research of improving surface plasmon resonance （SPR） in the fields of integration and detection sensitivity. We designed a kind of grating connected surface plasmon resonance sensor. Theoretically, we analyzed the wave vector and the. effective refractive index relations with the diffraction grating structure. Then we obtained the nanoparticles enhancement SPR structure with a resolution 10times higher than that of traditional SPR sensors. Also, we used the finite-difference time-domain （FDTD） analysis and simulation which showed that it was obvious with coupling effect by the nanoparticles enhancement SPR structure that the reflectance spectral bandwidth results validated the structure significantly which improved the sensitivity. Experimental results showed that the dynamic response of the designed sensor reached 10^-6 RIU （refractive index unit）. This study has the certain significance to long-distance and special sensing applications.

Research progress of surface plasmon resonance technology in drug discovery

Surface plasmon resonance(SPR)technology is a powerful and sensitive tool for investigating molecular interactions.Technical improvements in recent years have brought new functionality to SPR apparatuses that can be widely applied at multiple stages of the drug discovery process.The technology allows users to conduct ligand fishing and offers rich and in-depth information regarding the affinity,specificity,kinetics,concentration and identification of covalent/allosteric/competitive binding behaviors.The present review highlights the principle,sample types,detection ranges,experimental methods,strengths,limitations,and the latest research progress on the application of SPR technology in the drug discovery process.

Discussion of the process control of large-scale instruments and equipment procurement in State Key Laboratory

In recent years,the usage,management and benefit of large-scale scientific research instruments and equipment in scientific research institutes have been a leading issue in the management of scientific research institutes.Within the scope of equipment budget,it is necessary for each equipment acquisition team to conduct a round of communication,coordination and negotiation with suppliers in order to improve the cost performance of equipment procurement and maximize the performance index to meet the needs of scientific research.By introducing the practical experience of the State Key Laboratory in purchasing imported equipment and managing large-scale instruments,this paper probes into the management process of the imported large-scale scientific research tax-free equipment of scientific research institutes,and explores the system and methods to guarantee and improve the efficiency of large-scale instruments in scientific research institutes from the aspects of policy,funds and technology.

Applications of multiplexed immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence and multispectral imaging technology in the field of tumor immunotherapy

Multiplexed immunohistochemistry/fluorescence(mIHC/IF)in combination with multispectral unmixing is a novel multitarget histopathological staining and imaging technique.By simultaneously revealing expression level and spatial information for up to eight biomarkers in situ,in addition to a nuclear stain within a single formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded(FFPE)tissue section,this technology can analyze the phenotype,abundance,morphology and intercellular relationship of cells while providing statistically significant results.In recent years,technical improvements have brought new insight into mIHC/IF and multispectral imaging approaches,which have been successfully applied in the field of cancer immunotherapy,specifically in regard to tumor microenvironment research,immunotherapy drug discovery,and prognostic and metastatic risk evaluation.This review highlights the principle,workflow,advantages and disadvantages of the technology,and discusses the latest applications of mIHC/IF-based imaging technology in the field of TME-related research and immunotherapy drug discovery.

High-throughput screening technologies for ion channel drug discovery

Ion channels are attractive targets for drug discovery as an increasing number of new ion channel targets have been uncovered in diseases, such as pain, cardiovascular disease, and neurological disorders. Despite their relevance in diseases and the variety of physiological functions they are involved in, ion channels still remain underexploited as drug targets. This, to a large extent, is attributed to the absence of screening technologies that ensure both the quality and the throughput of data. However, an increasing number of assays and technologies have evolved rapidly in the past decades. In this review, we summarized the currently available high-throughput screening technologies in ion channel drug discovery.

Microscale thermophoresis in the investigation of biomolecular interactions

Accurate characterization of the interactions between biomolecules not only provides fundamental insights into cellular processes but also paves the way for drug discovery and development. With recent increases in throughput and sensitivity, biophysical technologies have become prominent tools for studying biomolecular interactions. Biophysical techniques that can reduce costs, shorten detection time, simplify the complexity of the system under analysis, and simultaneously provide high-quality data content are particularly favored. Here, we summarize the qualitative and quantitative analysis of biomolecular interactions using Micro Scale Thermophoresis(MST), as well as extend the application of MST functions to explore thermodynamics, enzyme kinetics and protein folding-unfolding processes. MST has emerged as a simple and powerful biophysical approach for identifying and quantifying binding events based on the movement of molecules along microscopic temperature gradients. The advantages of MST over other competitive biophysical techniques include freedom from immobilization, rapid analysis times, lower sample consumption, and the ability to analyze binding affinities in cell lysates. This article discusses the instrumental setups, principles, experimental workflows, and examples of MST application in practice.

Retrospect and reflection on the construction of large-scale technology platform of the State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs in 2018–2020

The State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs was approved for a funding of nearly 100 million yuan specifically aimed at the purchase and maintenance of equipment and instruments from 2018 to 2020,which is a record high.The Laboratory focuses on two major directions of scientific research,the"basic scientific problems of drug resistance of complex components of natural products"and the"key biomimetic scientific problems of endogenous substances therapeutic functions".The selection of scientific instruments and equipment,trial production,upgrading,as well as high level of technical and management personnel allocation and other aspects are critical to meet the development needs of the Key Laboratory and to maintain the advantages and leading role in these two major directions of scientific research.

Construction and open access management of large-scale instrument platform

Due to the new situation of continuous expansion of scientific and technological resources in universities and the urgent demand for hardware resources for science and technology innovation it is imperative to strengthen the construction of large-scale instrument service platforms and open access management.It is not only the requirements for the development of instrument service platforms,but also the resources for science and technology of society.In the present paper,we first summarized the current equipment management,open access and major experience,then raised the problems in the construction and management process on the basis of the large instrument platform construction and open access management regulations,and finally proposed countermeasures for these problems:increasing funding input,streamlining the management system,improving the performance evaluation mechanism,and strengthening the management and operation team construction,etc.Collectively,this paper provided reference and enlightenment for the construction and open access management of similar large-scale instrument platforms.

The group of Prof.Yanxing Jia have realized the first total synthesis of natural product(–)-glaucocalyxin A

6月15日,《德国应用化学》(Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.)期刊在线刊登了我院天然药物及仿生药物国家重点实验室贾彦兴教授团队在天然产物全合成领域的最新研究成果:"Total Synthesis of(–)-glaucocalyxin A"。该工作同时被编辑选为Hot Paper。二萜类天然产物由于具有复杂的化学结构和良好的生物活性,其全合成一直是合成化学的热门研究领域。然而,具有14-羟基[3.2.1]桥环结构的二萜(图a),由于其连续手性中心多、合成挑战性更高,而鲜有全合成报道。蓝萼甲素(Glaucocalyxin A)则是该类二萜的代表分子之一,其不仅具有良好的抗肿瘤与抗炎活性,而且结构复杂,包含四个全碳环和7个连续的手性中心,至今没有全合成报道。

Surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry for drug and metabolite analysis

Surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry(SALDI-MS)uses inorganic nanomaterials as matrixes to facilitate desorption and ionization of analytes.Compared with the traditional matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry(MALDI-MS)technique,SALDI-MS has the advantages of less interference in the low mass range,better reproducibility and higher salt tolerance.It is highly suitable for the analysis of small molecule compounds.In recent years,researchers have developed a range of nanomaterials that are successfully applied to the field of small molecule drug and metabolite analysis including drug screening and quantification,drug delivery,metabolite profiling,biomarker discovery and so forth.This review summarizes the latest progress of SALDI-MS matrix materials such as metal-based,carbon-based,silica-based nanomaterials and organic framework nanomaterials and their applications.In addition,our perspective of SALDI-MS technology is also discussed for further advancement.