Shao Yangyang, researcher of Hundred Talents Program, School of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, doctoral supervisor, main research direction is synthetic microbiology. Relevant research work was published in well-known academic journals as the first author, and the results were selected as “Top Ten Advances in Chinese Science” and so on. I have received many awards and fund support, including the original innovation project of the Basic Frontier Science Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences from 0 to 1, the National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Project, etc., and was selected as the 2018 “MIT Technology Review” China Science and Technology Innovation “35-year-old The following 35 people”.
The emergence and development of synthetic biology has made it possible to manipulate or transform biological systems. The subversion of synthetic biology lies in the fact that human beings, like the “creator”, can design and synthesize DNA sequences by themselves to “write” the genes that determine the characteristics of life.
Shao Yangyang received his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2018. In the same year, he entered the Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for postdoctoral research.
In August 2018, as the first author, Shao Yangyang published a paper in the internationally renowned top journal “Nature”. She and her research team of Qin Zhongjun, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, created the world’s first single-chromosome eukaryotic cell, which opened up a new direction for major basic research on the origin and evolution of eukaryotic chromosomes. This achievement also marks a milestone breakthrough in synthetic biology in China.
The work of Shao Yangyang’s team has been highly appraised by international industry experts. Garni, an authoritative expert in the field of yeast genetics, believes that this series of yeast strains is a powerful resource for studying chromosome biology, and published an article review in “Nature”. In addition, the editor of “Cell” also published a special article to comment on this work, thinking that this work pushed genome engineering to the limit. In addition, this achievement has been recommended by F1000prime twice.
In addition to the recognition of the industry, the first artificial single-chromosome eukaryotic cell has also received many awards. For example, “Top Ten Advances in Chinese Science in 2018”, “Top Ten Advances in China’s Life Sciences”, “40 Landmark Achievements of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the 40 Years of Reform and Opening Up”, “Top Ten Science and Technology News in China”, etc. Due to his outstanding contribution in this work, Shao Yangyang was selected as one of the “35 people under the age of 35” for technological innovation in China by MIT Technology Review in 2018.
Shao Yangyang’s team also created circular single-chromosome eukaryotic cells. This work not only broke the natural boundary of eukaryotes usually containing linear structural chromosomes, but also established a multi-dimensional characterization of circular and linear single-chromosome yeast cells. Study the “bridge” of prokaryotic and eukaryotic chromosomes. She said, “Artificially created life systems usually cannot adapt well to nature for a while. Let’s call it version 1.0. At present, our work is to artificially improve the function of single-chromosome yeast, hoping to obtain excellent performance and further development. Applied version 2.0 single-chromosome yeast cells.”
At present, Shao Yangyang’s team has obtained a linear single-chromosome yeast mutant strain with high meiosis efficiency through laboratory evolution, as well as normal growth and greatly improved resistance to genotoxic drugs The circular single-chromosome yeast mutant strain, through the exploration of related molecular mechanisms, hopes to provide new insights into diseases with abnormal chromosome structure.
The unthinkable is the miracle. When the dream shines into reality, the branches and leaves are luxuriant and youthful. We believe that Shao Yangyang will bring more exciting research results in the future and write a new chapter for the unknown world.
