Li, Feng - Brock University - Department of Chemistry

个人简介

Assistant Professor at Department of Chemistry and cross-appointed at Centre for Biotechnology, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada Adjunct Professor at College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China Education Ph.D. (2013) in Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Albertaca, Canada BSc (2006) in Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Tianjin University, China Awards Young Investigators in (Bio-)analytical Chemistry, Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry (Springer Journal), 2019 Analytical Methods Emerging Investigator, Analytical Methods (RSC Journal), 2019 Early Researcher Award, Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, Government of Ontario, 2018 Emerging Investigator in Analytical Science, Analyst (RSC Journal), 2016

研究领域

Our research is focused on developing novel bioanalytical tools that allow us to address meaningful biological and chemical questions, leading to better management of devastating diseases such as cancer. Specifically, we are interested in interfacing bioanalytical chemistry with DNA nanotechnology to fabricate tools for 1) diseases diagnosis at point-of-care settings; 2) dynamic monitoring key nucleic acids and proteins in various biochemical processes; and 3) addressing fundamental questions in nucleic acid chemistry and DNA nanotechnology. 1) Development of novel signal generation and amplification mechanisms for ultrasensitive detection of biomolecules and for cell imaging: Signal generation and amplification is the key to the development of various biosensors, imaging probes, and molecular tools for applications raging from fundamental research, to personalized healthcare, to food safety, and to environmental monitoring. We aim to develop novel signal generation/amplification mechanisms by integrating nucleic acid chemistry, molecular engineering, nanomaterials, and DNA nanotechnology. 2) Novel techniques for point-of-care disease diagnostics: Early screening and diagnosis of cancer at the asymptomatic stage has demonstrable benefits on survival and response to therapeutics. However, major cancer biomarkers including circulating tumor cells, nucleic acids, and proteins are present only in trace levels in human blood samples, making them extremely challenging to be accurately identified and quantified. This is especially true for protein biomarkers, because unlike nucleic acids, proteins cannot be readily amplified by techniques like PCR. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop sensitive tools to detect trace levels of protein cancer biomarkers from human blood samples. We aim to develop a set of protein sensors potentially useful for point-of-care cancer diagnosis. 3) Fundamentals in nucleic acid chemistry and DNA nanotechnology: We are also interested in investigating new principles and strategies in DNA nanotechnology and their applications to nucleic acid chemistry, DNA computing, and biosensor fabrications. For example, we have recently integrated affinity motifs (termed as binding-induced DNA strand displacement) and allostery (termed as allosteric DNA toehold) into DNA strand displacement networks to expand the applicability and flexibility of current dynamic DNA nanotechnology.

近期论文

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Mason, S. D.; Wang, G. A.; Yang, P.; Li, Y.; Li, F.* Probing and controlling dynamic interactions at biomolecule-nanoparticle interfaces using stochastic DNA walkers. ACS Nano, 2019, 13, 8106-8113. Li, Y.; Mansour H.; Wang, T.; Poojari, S.; Li, F.* Naked-eye detection of grapevine red-blotch viral infection using a plasmonic CRISPR Cas12a assay. Analytical Chemistry, 2019, 91, 11510-11513. Dong, T.; Wang, G. A.; Li, M. W.; Li, F.* Systematic investigation of quantitative paper-based DNA reader (qPDR) for distance-based quantification of nucleic acids and mercury ions. Analytical Methods, 2019, Accepted. (Invited contribution in “Analytical Methods Emerging Investigator Series”) Dong, T.; Wang, G. A.; Li, F.* Shaping up field-deployable nucleic acid testing using microfluidic paper-based analytical devices. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2019, 411, 4401-4414. (Invited review in “Young Investigators in (Bio-)analytical Chemistry” theme issue) Ding, Y.; Li, X.; Zhang, X.; Li, F.;* Hou, X.; Wu, P.* Systematic probing of the sequence selectivity of exonuclease III with a photosensitization colorimetric assay. ACS Omega, 2019, 4, 13382-13387. Fan, L.;* Wang, X.; Ge, J.; Li, F.;* Zhang, C.; Lin, B.; Shuang, S.; Dong, C.* Golgi-targeted off-on fluorescent probe for real-time monitoring pH changes in vivo. Chemical Communications, 2019, 55, 6685-6688. Fan, L.;* Wang, X.; Ge, J.; Li, F.;* Wang, X.; Wang, J.; Shuang, S.; Dong C.* A lysosome-targeting and polarity-specific fluorescent probe for cancer diagnosis. Chemical Communications, 2019, 55, 4703-4706. LI, X.; Gao, L.; Li, F; Hong, X.; Wu, P.* Universal and label-free photosensitization colorimetric assays enabled by target-induced termini transformation of dsDNA resistant to Exo III digestion. Chemical Communications, 2019, 55, 7211-7214. Wang, X. D.; Fan, L.;* Ge, J.; Li, F.; Zhang, C.; Wang, J.; Shuang, S. M.; Dong, C. A lysosome-targetable fluorescent probe for real-time imaging cysteine under oxidative stress in living cells. Spectrochim. Acta A Mol. Biomol. Spectrosc. 2019, 221, 117175. Li, F; Wang, G. A.; Dong, T. Paper-based molecular diagnostic device and uses thereof. International Patent (PCT). 2019, WO 2019/038706 A2. Mason, S.; Tang, Y.; Li, Y.; Xie, X.; Li, F.* Emerging bioanalytial applications of DNA walkers. Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 2018, 107, 212-221. Li, Y.; Wang, G, A.; Mason, S. D.; Yang, X.; Yu, Z.; Tang, Y.; Li, F.* Simulation-guided engineering of an enzyme-powered three dimensional DNA nanomachine for discriminating single nucleotide variants. Chemical Science, 2018, 9, 6434-6439. Li, F.;* Lin, Y.; Lau, A.; Tang, Y.; Chen, J.; Le, X. C.* Binding-induced molecular amplifier as a universal detection platform for biomolecules and biomolecular interaction. Analytical Chemistry, 2018, 90, 8651-8657. Wang, G. A.; Dong, T.; Mansour H.; Matamoros, G.; Sanchez, A. L.; Li, F.* Paper-Based DNA Reader for Visualized Quantification of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections. ACS Sensors, 2018, 3, 205-210 Soleymani, L.;* Li, F.* Mechanistic Challenges and Advantages of Biosensor Miniaturization into the Nanoscale. ACS Sensors, 2017, 2, 458-467 Li, F.;* Li, J.; Tang, Y.; Wang, C.; Li, X.-F.; Le, X. C.* Targeted enlargement of aptamer functionalized gold nanoparticles for quantitative protein analysis. Proteomes, 2017, 5, 1 (Invited contribution in the special issue of "Approaches to Top-Down Proteomics: In Honour of Prof. Patrick H. O'Farrell") Yang, X.; Tang, Y.; Traynor, S. M.; Li, F.* Regulation of DNA strand displacement using allosteric DNA toehold. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2016, 138, 14076-14082. Li, F.*; Tang, Y.; Traynor, S. M.; Li, X.-F.; Le, X. C.* Kinetics of proximity-induced intramolecular DNA strand displacement. Analytical Chemistry, 2016, 88, 8152-8157. Yang, X.; Tang, Y.; Mason, S. D.; Chen, J.; Li, F.* Enzyme-powered three dimensional DNA nanomachine for DNA walking, payload release, and biosensing. ACS Nano, 2016, 10, 2324-2330. Yang, X.; Tang, Y.; Alt, R. R.; Xie, X.; Li, F.* Emerging techniques for ultrasensitive protein analysis. Analyst, 2016, 141, 3473-3481. (Invited Review in "Emerging Investigator" Themed Issue) Chen, J.; Deng, B.; Wu, P.; Li, F.; Li, X.-F.; Le, X. C.; Zhang, H.; Hou, X. Amplified binding-induced homogeneous assay through catalytic cycling of analytes for ultrasensitive protein detection. Chemical Communications, 2016. 52, 1816-1819. Tang, Y.; Xu, Y.; Li, F.; Jamiff, L.; Steve, E. Hrudey; Li, X.-F. Non-targeted identification of peptides and disinfection byproducts in water. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2016, 42, 259-266.