YONG FENG, Ph.D., Master's Supervisor
Email: fengyong01#ujs.edu.cn (Replace # with @)
Address: School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China, 212013
Education
2009.09 - 2013.06 Huazhong Agricultural University Bachelor of Science Biological Sciences
2013.09 - 2020.06 Huazhong Agricultural University Ph.D. Microbiology
Work Experience
2020.09 - 2023.08 Agricultural Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow
2023.09 - Present School of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, assistant researcher (Graduate Supervisor)
Research Interests
Directed Evolution of Proteases
We employ various protein engineering strategies to rationally engineer high-value proteases for applications in food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries, aiming to enhance their catalytic performance (such as stereoselectivity, regioselectivity, chemoselectivity, activity, and thermal stability).
Specific methods include:
Non-Rational Enzyme Design: Diversifying target genes using methods like Orthogonal DNA Replication (OrthoRep), Error-Prone PCR (epPCR), and Sequence Saturation Mutagenesis (SeSaM) to construct highly diverse mutant libraries.
Semi-Rational Enzyme Design: Employing techniques such as Combinatorial Active-site Saturation Test (CAST) and Single Codon Saturation Mutagenesis (SCSM) to build high-quality, “small yet potent” mutant libraries.
High-Throughput Enzyme Screening: Screening mutant libraries using technologies including Microtiter Plate screening, Flow Cytometry, and Droplet-based Microfluidics to isolate mutants with superior performance.
AI-Assisted Enzyme Evolution: Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyze high-throughput screening data, establish Sequence-Structure-Function relationship models, thereby guiding subsequent mutation strategies and enabling rapid enzyme evolution and de novo design.
Recruitment of Overseas Graduate Students
Our research group has ample funding, a highly dynamic and active research atmosphere, and offers excellent platforms and development opportunities. We sincerely welcome enthusiastic students to apply for Master’s programs (both academic and professional tracks). We particularly welcome candidates passionate about cutting-edge fields such as Directed Enzyme Evolution and AI-Assisted Protein Design.
Contact Email: fengyong01@ujs.edu.cn (Replace # with @).
Academic Achievements
Projects: Principal Investigator (PI) for 4 research projects of various types.
Participation: Key participant in 4 major national projects, including National Natural Science Foundation of China and National Key R&D Programs.
Publications: Published 9 high-level SCI papers as the first or corresponding author (including co-corresponding authorship).
Academic Appointments
Young Editorial Board Member for the journal Systems Microbiology and Biomanufacturing.
Regular reviewer for several high-impact international journals.
