[PUBLICATION] Wang Shuo reports the highest molecular weight of polysarsoine work in JACS

Feb. 2024

The rapid and controlled synthesis of high-molecular-weight (HMW) polysarcosine (pSar), a potential polyethylene glycol (PEG) alternative, via the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of N-carboxyanhydride (NCA) is rare and challenging. In the latest work of Wang Shuo, he reports well-controlled ROP of sarcosine NCA (Sar-NCA) catalyzed by various carboxylic acids, which accelerate the polymerization rate up to 50 times, and enables the robust synthesis of pSar with unprecedented ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) up to 586 kDa (DP ~ 8200) and exceptionally narrow dispersity (Ð) below 1.05.  This is the second first-authored research paper of Shuo, keep it on! [Link]

[PUBLICATION] Lu Jianhua’s latest work is published in JACS

Feb. 2024

Biologics, including proteins and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), face significant challenges when it comes to achieving intracellular delivery within specific organs or cells through systemic administrations. In this work, we develop a novel approach for delivering proteins and ASOs to liver cells, both in vitro and in vivo, using conjugates that tethering N-acetylated galactosamine (GalNAc)-functionalized, cell-penetrating polydisulfides (PDS). These conjugates hold tremendous potential in overcoming the various biological barriers encountered during systemic and cell-specific delivery of biomacromolecular cargos, opening new avenues for the diagnosis and treatment of a range of liver-targeting diseases. This is the third first-authored JACS paper of Jianhua Lu, great work! [Link]

[AWARDS] Lu Jianhua Won Prestigious Award

Aug. 2023
Lu Jianhua's PhD Thesis was awarded the prestigious "Elite Youth Spark Award" by the Young Chemists Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society (中国化学会青年化学工作者委员会菁青化学奖 星火奖). She received the award and gave an invited talk in a CCS conference in Changsha.

[Graduation] The Lu group celebrates newly minted PhD and BS

June 2023
Three graduate students successfully defended their PHD theses on May 27th.
Dr. Zhang Zhengchu, Class of 2017, will continue his postdoc research in the group.
Dr. Lu Jianhua (Excellent PhD thesis of PKU) and Dr. Zhang Yi, Class of 2018, will join Dalian Changfeng as a scientist and Jiangsu Xishan Senior High School as a teacher.

Ji Yulong, Class of 2019, received his B.S. degree in chemistry and will pursue PhD in the University of Tokyo at Japan.

We wish all of them great success in their new journey.

[PUBLICATION] Guangqi's paper published in Nature Synthesis

May 2023

In the search for synthetic mimics of proteins, we developed a high-throughput platform utilizing the unique chemistry of selenolate on the side chain of synthetic polypeptides. The method is amenable to automation and with the assists of machine learning, functional polypeptides with desired catalytic activity were identified at an much improved rate and efficiency. Check out the study at [LINK]; please also check out the News covering the story by Nat. Synth. [Link]

[Fairwell] Dr. Wei Xiong leaves the Lu group

Jan. 2023
Dr. Wei Xiong, once a PhD student and then a postdoc of the Lu group, finishes his 8-year journey at PKU. He will join Prof. Gutekunst' group as a postdoc at Georgia Tech. We sincerely thank him for his dedication and contribution to the group, and wish him all the best and continous success in his new role.