1. Summary
My major contributions focus on the two major aspects in the drug discovery workflow:
Drug target discovery and mechanistic study:
1. Design and develop novel metabolic fluxomics platform for early drug target discovery,
pharmacological mechanism study, and unknown metabolite id. The readout analysis is for
understanding multiple pathway phenotypic responses to define fine tune condition for
pharmacological interventions.
2. Design and develop the LC-MS/MS based metabolomic and proteomic studies, using
chemical biology tools, for drug targets screening and validation.
Drug development: Compound screening, chemical series selection, lead development and
candidate selection
1. Develop in vitro enzyme assays for initial compound screening and mechanistic studies for
dissecting compound action – define chemical series/hits and chemical mechanism.
2. Design/develop cell based assay for compound screening – define chemical series/hits
(tool compound) for targets in the specific cell types.
3. Design and develop the LC-MS/MS based metabolomic and proteomic studies in animal
disease models to prove tool compound target engagements and pathway analysis.
Technical background:
- Spectroscopy/spectrometry (LC-MS/MS, intact protein MS, IR, UV/Vis, EPR etc) in small
molecule and protein biophysical characterization;
- Enzyme mechanistic study, enzyme kinetics, biochemical assay, protein-protein/ligand
interaction, oxygen-sensitive enzymes, stopped flow and fast mix coupled chemical/freeze
quench techniques;
- Protein expression, purification, engineering and modification;
- HPLC, FPLC (AKTA), LC-MS/UV-Vis (Waters), LC-MS/MS (AB Sciex QTRAP5500,
Thermo LCQ, LTQ, Orbitrap and QE plus, Waters LCT Premier), LC-chromatography in
glycolytic/TCA/pentose pathway/polyol pathway metabolites, lipids and proteomics (protein
modifications & quantitation), metabolomic tracer studies, metabolites cell/tissue extraction;
- Pharmaceutical industrial experience, diabetic/metabolic disease knowledge, method
development, good team player, mentoring experience, good communication, excellent trouble
shooting and problem solving skills;
- Proven record of creative work and critical contributions to move projects forward.
- Scientific publications in both industrial and academic settings.