Mengsu Yang, City University of Hong Kong

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Abstract

The Analyst profiles Mengsu Yang, Professor of Chemistry at City University of Hong Kong and member of The Analyst Editorial Board.

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Biography

Mengsu Yang was born on 15 November, 1964 in Quanzhou, China. He received a B.Sc. in Chemistry (1984) from Xiamen University, China. He went to Canada in 1986 and received an M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry (1989) from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. He went on to complete his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry (1993) in the University of Toronto under the supervision of Professor Michael Thompson. His Ph.D. work was focused on the development and applications of acoustic wave biosensor techniques. He moved to California to look for warm weather and to continue his research training as a postdoctoral fellow at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, where he worked in Professor David Millar's laboratory in the Department of Molecular Biology for two years, focusing on the study of DNA conformations and DNA–protein interactions using fluorescence probes and fast laser techniques.

Mengsu Yang joined the Department of Biology and Chemistry in the City University of Hong Kong as an Assistant Professor in November 1994, and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1997 and Professor in 2002. He currently also serves as the Director of the Biotech and Health Centre in the Shenzhen Research Institute of the City University of Hong Kong. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and 20 patents/patent applications on the development and applications of novel analytical and bioanalytical techniques. He was the recipient of the K. C. Wong Education Foundation Outstanding Scholar Award and a senior visiting professor in Tsinghua University in 2003. He currently holds honorary professorships in Zhejiang University and the Chinese Academy of China. He is also a co-founder and director of Genetel Pharmaceuticals Ltd., a City University spin-off company specializing in developing molecular diagnostic and therapeutic products for the early detection and treatment of diseases.

Tell us about your current research and why you chose to research these areas

My group's research activities have been focused on the development of biochip technology (including microarrays, microfluidics and biosensors) for analytical and bioanalytical applications. With a Ph.D. background in biosensor development and some experience with molecular biology during my postdoctoral period, I was naturally attracted to the DNA chip technique when it was first reported in the early 1990s. Our group (Fig. 1) is the first in Hong Kong to establish a DNA microarray core facility which provides gene expression profiling services to the local biomedical research community. We are also developing DNA microarrays for the detection of genetic mutations and virus/bacteria genotyping. Regarding our microfluidics research, we are interested in the development of novel microfluidic structures for cell analysis. The reason my group is involved in microfluidics research is largely due to one talented Ph.D. student, Li Cheuk Wing, who joined my lab several years ago and expressed an interest in this area. I gave him the freedom and support and he managed to generate some interesting results such that I convinced more graduate students to participate in this project. As for biosensor research, we are applying the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) techniques to study the conformational changes of proteins during protein–DNA binding at the sensor–solution interface, and the effects of small molecules on the binding. Recently we have started a project on the development of a point-of-care biosensor platform based on piezoelectric ceramic resonators, which are widely used in the telecommunications industry but not so much in analytical chemistry.

Fig. 1 Professor Yang's research group.

Which piece of research are you most proud of?

When we first started the research in microfluidics, we had limited resources and access to microfabrication facilities. Our goal was to develop a microfluidic structure for cell transport and localization without the use of an electrical field. We built an in-house capability of fabricating multi-level PDMS structures via single-step photolithography. Wing came up with a smart solution of using gravity and a ‘parallel dam’ structure to control the cell movement and concentration gradient of the analyte, which enabled cell-based assays to be carried out under controlled conditions and on a single-cell basis. On the applied side, we have developed a series of molecular diagnostic products based on multiplex fluorescence PCR and DNA microarray techniques for the detection and genotyping of the human papillomavirus (HPV), the cause of cervical cancer which is the second most common cancer in women, particularly in developing countries. The products are being commercialized by Genetel Pharmaceuticals Ltd. for hospitals and clinical laboratories in China and other Asian countries. Genetel was selected as the 2006 Grand Winner of the Hong Kong Awards for Industries in the Technological Achievement category for the development of products and related technology. We believe that the products will make a great impact on women's health by contributing to the reduction of the cervical cancer incidence rate and mortality rate in the world.

Where do you see the area of analytical science progressing in China over the next 10 years?

For the past few years, China has been the most dynamic and fastest growing economy in the world. We have witnessed the rapid increase in scientific outputs from China, in terms of both quantity and quality, in all areas of chemistry. Discoveries in other fields of chemistry will not be possible without the advancement in analytical science. More importantly, the Chinese government has put a high priority on nanotechnology and life sciences and has allocated a lot of resources to these two areas, which will further accelerate research in the analytical sciences and the development of new detection and measurement technologies. I can see that over the next ten years, Chinese scientists will be making significant contributions in the areas of nanodetection – the development of new analytical techniques for nanoscience and the applications of nanomaterials and nanotechnology in analytical devices, and biodetection – the development of analytical techniques, particularly sensors and biochips, for medical and environmental (including food safety) applications.

An increasing proportion of papers published in The Analyst originate from Asia. What do you think publishing in The Analyst offers Chinese authors in particular?

The Analyst has redefined its scope as the journal for innovative research in ‘interdisciplinary detection science’, which covers the latest developments in all aspects of theory and application of analytical and bioanalytical techniques. Supported by a large panel of expert academic reviewers in different countries and regions, and an efficient and professional editorial team, The Analyst provides the authors with rapid responses and fast publication times. The journal also enjoys an increasingly high impact factor and top-class ranking in analytical science. Today's analytical chemistry is truly a multi-disciplinary science with contributions from, and impact in, numerous fields including biochemistry, biotechnology, clinical chemistry, engineering, environmental science, food science, forensics, materials science, pharmacy and physics. I would certainly suggest my colleagues in China consider publishing their latest research work in The Analyst.

You have studied and worked in many countries. Why do you think the globalization of science is so important?

I guess for science it is about communication and the exchange of ideas. But I think it is more about people, or getting to know people beyond the names on papers. Recent technological advancements such as internet capabilities have greatly facilitated communication and information exchange, but you need to know the people by living and working together to broaden your horizons, to understand the differences and avoid miscommunication.

Thomas L. Friedman described in The World Is Flat how companies in India and China are becoming part of large global complex supply chains that extend across oceans through a process called outsourcing, providing everything from service representatives and X-ray interpretation to component manufacturing. In that sense, science has gone global much earlier. While in the globalization of the market, capital goes one way and manufactured goods go the other, in science the most important asset is ideas. And ideas can only be generated by the interaction of minds, and ideas go all directions

In the UK the number of students applying for physical science degrees has been dropping. Is the situation the same in China?

In China it is still very competitive to enter the universities such that the science departments still attract large numbers of applicants. However, the best students tend to go to business, medicine, and law.

What do you believe to be the most important factors for encouraging a new generation of analytical scientists?

Career prospects. Supply and demand. We are moving into the demand side now as the concerns for infectious diseases, food safety, environmental pollution, and security require the contribution from more and more analytical scientists.

Did you always have a passion for analytical science from a young age, or was it something you later became interested in?

I was a big fan of Sherock Holmes when I was a kid, but he did not use many forensic or analytical techniques. I studied chemistry in college because that was the best subject I did in high school. Actually, organic chemistry was my first choice in grad school and I did a masters degree in it. I realized it was easier drawing a compound on paper than synthesizing it. When I moved to Toronto I did not have a specific aim for an analytical project but the biosensor research program offered by Professor Michael Thompson seemed to be very interesting, and still is. Besides, there seemed to be more female students in analytical labs although I ended up marrying an accounting student (I could not have done as much without the support of my family). Mike was brave enough to take me into his group and it turned out to be great. I really enjoy doing this kind of multi-disciplinary research which allows me to learn and apply the knowledge from different fields.

When not pursing activities in the scientific community, what other pastimes do you enjoy?

I love sports. I still play soccer with the graduate students every week. I am learning golf but it is too time-consuming. I go hiking on weekends with the family. Hong Kong has some of the best country parks with beautiful hiking trails. It is hot and humid in summer here so the best outdoor activity then is swimming. I also enjoy having friends over together with good meals and a pint of beer or a glass of wine.

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