Recently, more basic research achievements of Tongji University have been published in international academic journals, demonstrating "Tongji Strength" in basic science. We aim at the international academic frontier lines and serve the major needs of the country. Here at Tongji endeavors have been made in doing basic research to improve our innovative spirit and research strength, and make research achievements.
Important breakthroughs in life science research
On June 7, Professor GAO Shaorong and WANG Yixuan from the School of Life Science and Technology of Tongji University published a paper entitled "Cell fate roadmap of human primed-to-naive transition reveals preimplantation cell lineage signatures" online on nature communications, which first revealed the fate transition map of human cells during primed-to-naive induction. It provides an important basis for the study of Naive pluripotency and early embryonic development. Meanwhile, it is found that there are trophoblast-like and primitive endoderm like heterogeneous cell populations in the process of primed-to-naive transformation, which provides an important research model for the development of human embryos in vitro.
Paper published in nature communications
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-30924-1
Also on July 7, an online cover article entitled "Stage-specific H3K9me3 occupancy ensures retrotransposon silencing in human preimplantation embryos" by the research team of GAO Shaorong / LIU Xiaoyu / WANG Chenfei from the School of Life Science and Technology of Tongji University and the team of OU Xianghong from the Second People's Hospital of Guangdong Province was published in Cell Stem Cell. It describes the dynamic change map of histone H3K9me3 modification during human preimplantation embryo development. The research reveals the establishment and function of stage-specific H3K9me3 modification on retrotransposons, and discovers the key regulatory factors that may mediate the establishment of H3K9me3 modification.
The cover article published in Cell Stem Cell
Article link: https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909 (22)00250-8
Medical research oriented to people's life and health
On June 22, the research results of Professor ZHENG Jialin and researcher XIA Xiaohuan of our School of Medicine were published online in Clinical and Translational Medicine. They discovered that iNSC-derived exosomes (iNSC-EXO) could penetrate the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain through the tail vein of mice, and playing a similar role as NSC EXO in promoting the functional repair of neural tissue and inhibiting neuro inflammation after ischemic stroke in mice. It revealed the important clinical transformation value of iNSC- EXO as a substitute for NSC-EXO in the treatment of neurological diseases, which provided a new source of exosomes for the cell-free treatment of neurological diseases based on exosomes.
The research results of Professor Zheng Jialin and researcher Xia Xiaohuan of Medical School of Tongji University were published online in the international authoritative journal Clinical and translational medicine
Article link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ctm2.936
On June 25, Professor ZHENG Jialin, researchers ZHANG Bingbo and XIA Xiaohuan published another research article in Journal of Nanobiotechnology after their publication in Nano Letters in May. The team synthesized ultra-fine CeO2@BSA and Pd@insulin nanoclusters with reactive oxygen species (ROS) as the target through a convenient, green and efficient incubation approach of natural proteins (bovine serum albumin and insulin), which effectively overcame the shortcomings of the existing nano enzymes. The repairing effect of nanoclusters on nerve function and the improvement on nerve inflammation and injury of CeO2@BSA and Pd@insulin were verified in mice of acute and chronic central nervous system diseases such as traumatic brain injury and depression. Through the new nano enzyme synthesis technology, a series of new nano drugs against brain injury and depression were obtained, which provided a theoretical basis and technical means for promoting the clinical transformation and application of nano enzymes.
The research results of Professor ZHENG Jialin, researcher ZHANG Bingbo and researcher XIA Xiaohuan were published in Journal of Nanotechnology
Article link: https://jnanobiotechnology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12951-022-01495-6
On June 14, a research paper entitled "fentanyl induces autism-like behaviors in mice by hypermethylation of the glutamate receptor gene Grin2b" by the research team headed by Professor SHEN Yuan from the Institute of Anesthesiology and Brain of Tongji University’s School of Medicine, the research team headed by Professor XIE Zhongcong of Massachusetts General Hospital of Harvard University’s School of Medicine, and researchers from the First Maternal and Child Health Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University, the Soldiers Home in Massachusetts (Chelsea), and the University of Pennsylvania, was published jointly online in the British Journal of Anesthesia, a leading international journal in anesthesiology. This study simulates the process of using opioid analgesics fentanyl in children during multiple anesthesia operations through animal experiments. It is discovered that fentanyl can induce hypermethylation of the promoter region of Grin2b gene of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of young mice by activating mu opioid receptor, resulting in the down-regulation of its mRNA and protein expression, and ultimately lead to autism like behavior in neonatal mice in the long term. This paper was also selected as the best research of the Massachusetts Institute of Harvard University in June 2022.
The paper published in British Journal of Anesthesia
Article link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007091222002392
Innovative achievements in physics science research
On June 10, Physical Review X published a research paper entitled Nonparametric Power-law Surrogates by Professor Yan Gang from School of Physics Science and Engineering of Tongji University, and Frontiers Science Center for Intelligent Autonomous Systems. In this paper, a new and theoretically supported nonparametric approach is proposed to expand the effectiveness and applicability of a power-law model in small samples and noisy data, providing an insight into revealing the underlying mechanism of real complex systems.
Schematic diagram of power-law surrogate method under constraints as illustrated in the paper published in Physical Review X
Article link: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.12.021056
On June 15, an article entitled "Fourfold Anisotropic Magnetoresistance of L10 FePt Due to Relaxation Time Anisotropy" by Professor ZHOU Shiming's team from the School of Physical Science and Engineering of Tongji University and the research team headed by Professor YUAN Zhe from the Center for Advanced Quantum Studies and Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University, was published in Physics Review Letters. This research reveals for the first time that the fourfold symmetric anisotropic magnetoresistance originates from the anisotropy of electron relaxation time, which is caused by the fourfold change of Fermi surface density of states. At the same time, the fourfold term is independent of the crystal direction of the current, which becomes the decisive criterion of this mechanism. Furthermore, first-principle calculations reproduce the non-monotonic change of the fourfold symmetry term with the degree of disorder and the monotonic change of the spin orbit coupling intensity in iron platinum ordered alloys. Finally, it should be pointed out that under the spin orbit coupling, the Fermi surface state density modulated by the direction of magnetic moment is a common phenomenon in ferromagnetic metals, so the mechanism proposed in this paper is universal for single crystal Ferromagnetic metals. In addition, the anisotropy of electron relaxation time will also cause the anisotropic behavior of important physical parameters, including magnetic damping.
Research results published in Physical Review Letters
Article link: https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.247202
On June 27, Professor Li Wenbin and Professor Wang Zhanshan from the School Of Physical Science and Engineering of Tongji University published a paper entitled "ultrafast time-resolved pump-probe investigation of nanosecond extreme ultraviolet- light-induced damage dynamics on B4C/Ru nano-bilayer film" on Nano Letters. In this paper, a high time-and-space resolution nanosecond extreme ultraviolet pump femtosecond infrared laser detection imaging damage testing system was established for the first time, and the dynamic process of extreme ultraviolet-damage of B4C/Ru nano-bilayer film mirror was studied by using this system, and the phenomenon of self- recovery in the extreme ultraviolet radiation damage was revealed.
Professor Li Wenbin and Professor Wang Zhanshan from the school of physical science and engineering of Tongji University published online on nano letters entitled "ultrafast time-resolved pump detection study on Nanosecond ultra ultraviolet induced damage dynamics of B4C / Ru nano bilayer films"
Article link: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01171
Important progress has been made in chemical science research
On July 4, a research article entitled “Anionic Co-insertion Charge Storage in Dinitrobenzene Cathodes for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc−Organic Batteries” by Professor LIU Mingxian's team from the School of Chemical Science and Engineering of Tongji University was published online in German Applied Chemistry. The research on dinitrobenzene as the cathode material of zinc-organic batteries revealed the mechanism of anionic co intercalation charge storage in the nitro arene cathode, which promoted the efficient utilization of nitro sites and the rapid oxidation-reduction rate of low reaction energy barrier, and realized the synergistic output of high specific capacity and long cycle life of water-based zinc-organic batteries.
Professor LIU Mingxian's team published an article in German Applied Chemistry
Article link: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202208821
Recently, the monograph Rare Earth Metal-Organic Framework Hybrid Materials for Luminescence Responsive Chemical Sensors written by Professor YAN Bing with the School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, was published in English by Elsevier. The monograph does a comprehensive review of the latest research progress of luminescence responsive chemical sensors of rare earth MOFs hybrid materials. This is the second monograph in English by Professor YAN Bing following his first one on luminescence functional rare earth hydroid materials published by Springer in 2017.
The English monograph by Professor YAN Bing published by Elsevier
