Zhao Yufen

Zhao Yufen

Zhao Yufen, born in December 1948 in Hankou, Hubei Province, native place: Qi County, Henan Province, is an organic chemist, member of the academic department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, foreign academician of the Russian Academy of international Sciences, and President of the Institute of new drug technology of Ningbo University.

In 1971, Zhao Yufen graduated from Tsinghua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and was admitted to Shixi branch of the State University of New York as a graduate student in chemistry. After receiving a doctorate in 1975, he continued to work as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of chemistry of the University and New York University. In 1979, he returned to China and worked in the Institute of chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 1988, he was transferred to the Department of chemistry of Tsinghua University as a professor. In 1991, Zhao Yufen returned to China He was elected member of the academic department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (academician); in 1993, he served as the director of the Key Laboratory of life organophosphorus chemistry of the Ministry of education; in 1994, he served as the vice president of the Institute of life sciences and engineering of Tsinghua University; in 1995, he was elected as a foreign academician of the Russian Academy of international Sciences; in 2000, he joined the school of chemistry and chemical engineering of Xiamen University; in 2006, he served as the director of the Department of pharmacy of Xiamen University; in December 2017, he was elected as a member of the President of Institute of new drug technology, Ningbo University.

Zhao Yufen is mainly engaged in organic chemistry of life, organophosphorus chemistry, origin of life, medicinal chemistry and chemical biology.

Academician Zhao Yufen's main research fields are organic phosphorus chemistry and chemical biology. It is found that phosphorylated amino acids can produce nucleic acid and protein at the same time, and form LB film and liposome. It is proposed that phosphorylated amino acid is the minimum system of life evolution. It is found that amide nucleotide can regulate the amount of amino acid peptide. It is proposed that amide nucleotide is the early form of genetic code regulating peptide synthesis before the emergence of life. It is found that there are a lot of n-phosphate in eukaryotes These proteins are involved in many physiological and pathological processes, which provides a new idea for new drug development; we found that fibroid dipeptide can cleave DNA, RNA and protein, and the cleavage mechanism is similar to the hydrolysis of phosphodiester bond in biochemistry; we invented a new method for the synthesis of proglutinin, and obtained patent authorization, which has realized industrialization and obtained new drug certificate of API and preparation We have invented a new method to synthesize the mother nucleus of harringtonine, studied the cleavage and rearrangement of a series of phosphorylated amino acids and small phosphorylated peptides by mass spectrometry, analyzed the protein sequence and studied the weak interaction between biological macromolecules and small organic molecules. Already in J Am.Chem.Soc .,J. Org.Chem ., Chem.Commun More than 500 papers and 8 monographs have been published, and 86 national invention patents have been granted, including one patent from the United States, one from Germany and one from Japan.

Character experience

In December 1948, Zhao Yufen was born in Hankou, Hubei Province, and his native place is Qixian, Henan Province. In 1949, when Zhao Yufen was less than one year old, she went to Changhua, Taiwan with her parents. Senior high school studied in Changhua women's middle school in Taiwan. When applying for University, she chose the chemistry major of Tsinghua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan. in 1971, Zhao Yufen graduated from Tsinghua University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and was admitted as a graduate student majoring in chemistry at the State University of New York at Shixi, USA. due to her excellent entrance performance, she obtained the qualification of directly pursuing a doctor's degree, and her tutor is Professor F. Fausto Ramirez. in 1975, Zhao Yufen graduated from the Department of chemistry of State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA, and received a doctor's degree. In 1978, Zhao Yufen learned the address of her hometown in Qi county from a relative in the United States. She contacted many parties and finally received a reply. In the summer of the same year, she went to visit her grandparents in Qixian County, Henan Province from the United States, so the Taiwan authorities prohibited her from returning to Taiwan. In 1979, Zhao Yufen returned to China and worked in the Institute of chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 1988, Zhao Yufen was transferred to the Department of chemistry of Tsinghua University as a professor. In 1991, 43 year old Zhao Yufen was elected member of the academic department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (academician), and founded the open laboratory of life organic phosphorus chemistry under the State Education Commission. In 1993, Zhao Yufen was the director of the organic phosphorus Open Laboratory of Tsinghua University. In 1994, Zhao Yufen was vice president of the Institute of life sciences and engineering, Tsinghua University. In 1995, Zhao Yufen was elected a foreign academician of the Russian Academy of international sciences. In 2000, Zhao Yufen joined the school of chemistry and chemical engineering of Xiamen University. In June 2006, Zhao Yufen was the director of the Department of pharmacy of Xiamen University (until 2011). In 2007, Zhao Yufen led the campaign against Xiamen PX project and won the support of Xiamen municipal government. Finally, the project was dismounted and moved to Zhangzhou Gulei peninsula. in December 2017, he joined Ningbo University full-time and served as the president of new drug Technology Research Institute of Ningbo University.

Main achievements

Achievements in scientific research

Zhao Yufen found that phosphorylated amino acids can produce nucleic acid and protein at the same time, and form LB film and liposome, and proposed that phosphorylated amino acids are the minimum system of life evolution; found that amide nucleotide can regulate the amount of amino acid peptide, and proposed that amide nucleotide is the early form of genetic code regulating peptide synthesis before the emergence of life; found that there are a lot of amino acids in eukaryotes These proteins are involved in many physiological and pathological processes, which provides a new idea for the development of new drugs. We found that silk histone dipeptide can cleave DNA, RNA and protein, and the cleavage mechanism is similar to the hydrolysis of phosphodiester bond in biochemistry. We invented a new method for the synthesis of proglumidine, and obtained patent authorization. We have realized industrialization and obtained the development of API and preparation New drug certificate; invented a new method to synthesize the mother nucleus of the anticancer drug harringtonine; studied the cleavage and rearrangement of a series of phosphorylated amino acids and small phosphorylated peptides by mass spectrometry, analyzed the protein sequence and studied the weak interaction between biological macromolecules and organic small molecules. according to the official website of Tsinghua University in August 2019, Zhao Yufen has been in J Am.Chem.Soc .,J. Org.Chem ., Chem.Commun More than 500 papers and 8 monographs have been published. Since 1996, Zhao Yufen has returned to Taiwan for many times. Relying on the connections between teachers, students and academics, Xiamen University has become a sister school with Donghai University and Chenggong University in Taiwan, and has successfully held four "Taiwan Strait Symposium on chemical biology, biotechnology and medicine development". up to may 2011, Zhao Yufen, as the project leader, has been responsible for completing a number of key projects of NSFC, outstanding youth fund and other scientific research projects. according to the official website of Tsinghua University in August 2019, Zhao Yufen has successively obtained 86 national invention patents, one from the United States, one from Germany and one from Japan; the second and third prizes of science and technology progress award of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the second prize of science and Technology Progress Award of State Education Commission.

personnel training

Zhao Yufen insisted on holding various lectures such as "academician forum" for freshmen and sophomores of School of chemistry and chemical engineering of Xiamen University. Zhao Yufen suggested: to build a cross-strait chemical and biological science and technology belt to promote academic and scientific and technological exchanges between the two sides. The construction objectives are: (1) to effectively integrate the most powerful and priority research forces in Fujian Province and the surrounding areas of Xiamen Island, to transform the chemical and biological science and technology research achievements into commodities through industry, University and research cooperation, and to strengthen China's international competitiveness in the field of chemical and biological science and technology industry; (2) to build Xiamen into an industrial park To build Xiamen into a central city of the Strait chemical and biological science and technology belt, give full play to its unique geographical position, actively absorb excellent economic and technological talents at home and abroad, and effectively promote economic, trade and scientific and technological exchanges with Nanyang, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan (especially with Taiwan); (3) grasp the mainstream trend of global scientific and technological development, and make use of the recent geographical, economic and cultural characteristics of Xiamen and Taiwan With the advantage of frequent exchanges, Taiwan's R & D talents and funds of chemical and biological science and technology are actively attracted to Xiamen for investment. In 1999, Zhao Yufen won the national 100 excellent doctoral thesis tutor award of the Ministry of education.

Honorary recognition

Social service

Personal life

Zhao Yufen's family has six brothers and sisters. As a child, Zhao Yufen often ran barefoot for more than 20 minutes to go to school in order to save shoes. Besides studying, I also help with laundry, cooking and looking after my younger siblings, from the third to the fourth. Unfortunately, Zhao Yufen's father died in poverty when he was a teenager. in 1971, 23-year-old Zhao Yufen completed her college education and got the admission notice of the State University of New York at Shixi with excellent results. She also received a high scholarship. However, the $300 ticket to the United States is a problem for a poor family. Zhao Yufen finally took the scholarship certificate as proof and got the ticket by repaying the airline $30 a month after arriving in the United States. In 1996, after becoming famous, Zhao Yufen returned to Taiwan again. 25 years later, her mother died. In 1971, the parting with my mother became the last parting between heaven and man.

Character evaluation

Zhao Yufen is one of the authorities in the field of life sciences in China. He created a new theoretical system of "phosphorylated amino acids are the common origin of protein and nucleic acid". This new achievement of explaining the origin of life has been widely cited by the world's life chemistry circle, which has promoted the progress of phosphorus chemistry and life chemistry in the world. (review of Zhengzhou University) Zhao Yufen proved by a large number of experimental results and rigorous theoretical demonstration that the compound of amino acid and phosphorus phosphorylated amino acid is the seed of the origin of life, and put forward that "phosphorus is the essence of life"

Chinese PinYin : Zhao Yu Fen