1. Review of Discipline History
The Pathogen Biology discipline at Xuzhou Medical University is a key supporting discipline in the first and second phases of Jiangsu Province's development. In 2003, it was authorized to offer a Master's degree, and in 2022, it received approval to offer a Doctoral degree. In 2010, the Laboratory of Infection and Immunity was established, integrating three primary disciplines: Basic Medicine, Clinical Medicine, and Preventive Medicine. The laboratory has been recognized as a university-level and city-level key laboratory and was designated as the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism in 2016. The discipline has fostered long-term and stable collaborations with internationally renowned universities in the United States, Australia, and Japan. In June 2022, it was approved as the Jiangsu International Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism. This partnership enables joint academic discussions and collaborative research with high-level international laboratories and research centers.
2. Main Research Direction of the Discipline
This discipline emphasizes interdisciplinary and collaborative innovation across Basic Medicine, Biology, Clinical Medicine, and Pharmacy. It has identified three distinctive research areas: (1) Metabolism and Anti-Infective Immunity; (2) Gut-Brain Axis and Neurodegenerative Diseases; (3) Intestinal Microecology and Tumor Immunity.
3. Discipline Leader and Team Introduction
Introduction of Discipline Leader: Wenshi Wang, professor, doctoral supervisor, doctoral (post-doctoral) co-supervisor, National-level Talent Project Participant, Jiangsu Distinguished Professor. He is the deputy Dean of the School of Basic Medical Sciences of Xuzhou Medical University, the director of the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, the first-level discipline leader of School of Basic Medical Sciences at Xuzhou Medical University, and the second-level discipline leader of pathogenic biology. He received his PhD (in viral hepatitis) from Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and carried out research at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Heidelberg University, Germany as a postdoctoral fellow and EASL Sheila Sherlock Scholar of the European Society of Hepatology.
His main research interests are basic and translational applied research on major infectious diseases such as viral hepatitis, including the pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection, hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, immune response and inflammation development, virus evolution, and transmission tracing. From the innovative perspective of host immunity and metabolism, computer screening analysis and in vitro biological experiments were integrated to explore novel antiviral drugs and targets.
He has been funded by the European Federation of Microbiology Societies (FEMS) Research Fund and the Sheila Sherlock Fellowship of the European Society of Hepatology. He published over 60 SCI-indexed papers, with more than 20 articles authored as corresponding or first author in prestigious academic journals, including Journal of Hepatology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Trends in Microbiology, JHEP Reports, PNAS, and Science Signaling. He was awarded the Royal Dutch Society for Microbiology (KNVM) Kiem Award (Field of Medical Microbiology), the Dutch Digestive Society (NVGE) 1st Prize NVG E Gastro-intestinal Research Award, he was selected as the cover of DDD NEWS, the official journal of the Dutch Digestive Society. At present, he serves as a member of the Jiangsu Medical Graduate Education Steering Committee, Executive Director and Deputy Secretary-General of the Jiangsu Immunology Society, director of the Jiangsu Microbiology Society, and a member of the Academic Committee of Xuzhou Medical University.
The discipline consists of 50 faculty members, including 15 senior titles (30%), 17 associate senior titles (34%), and 18 individuals with intermediate professional titles or below, including postdoctoral researchers (36%). Among these, 40 hold doctoral degrees, representing 80% of the staff. The discipline has 11 doctoral supervisors and 14 postgraduate supervisors. Notably, the team includes 6 distinguished professors from Jiangsu, along with 6 high-level young and mid-career doctors from abroad. Additionally, the discipline boasts 1 expert who has received a special government allowance from the State Council, 1 young and mid-career expert recognized for outstanding contributions within the province, 14 "Double Innovation" talents, and members of the provincial "Double Innovation" team. Other accolades include a provincial "Double Innovation" doctor, participants in the provincial "333 High-Level Talent Cultivtion Project", and the provincial "Six Major Talent Peaks" project. The team also includes a scientific and technological innovation team in Jiangsu Province and a provincial "Qinglan Project" excellent teaching team. Furthermore, the discipline is home to 9 provincial "Qinglan Project" young and mid-career academic leaders and outstanding young backbone teachers.
4. Scientific Research Status
In recent years, the discipline has undertaken over 130 research projects of various types. These include 1sub-project under the national "Twelfth Five-Year" Plan, 1 sub-project under the National "973" Program, one sub-project under the National Science and Technology Major Project, and 25 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Team members have also participated in the completion of 2 EU projects. The discipline has received 3 provincial and ministerial science and technology achievement awards, 1 second prize for national teaching achievements, 4 provincial teaching achievement awards, and 7 national authorized invention patents.
The discipline has published more than 280 research papers in both domestic and international journals, including over 190 SCI-indexed articles in high-impact journals such as PNAS, Microbiome, HEPATOLOGY, Cellular & Molecular Immunology, Theranostics, and Obesity Reviews. The team has also edited 5 monographs and 8 textbooks. Notably, the book “Biology of Clonorchis Sinensis and the Prevention and Treatment of Clonorchiasis Disease” has become a key reference for researchers in the field.
5. Strength of the Disciplinary Research Platform
The Immunity and Metabolism Laboratory is a key laboratory of Jiangsu Province, covering an area of 3,000 square meters. The laboratory is equipped with 10 advanced technology platforms, including immune molecular platforms, flow cytometry and sorting platforms, antibody engineering platforms, molecular biology platforms, cell culture platforms, proteomics platforms, metabolomics platforms, pathology platforms, bacterial culture and isolation platforms, and P2 laboratory research platforms. The laboratory's total value of instruments and equipment exceeds 25 million yuan and includes 36 major instruments, such as a flow cytometer, MACS magnetic bead sorting system, automatic immunohistochemistry instrument, laser confocal microscope, AKATA protein purification system patch clamp system, ultra-thin microtome, tissue embedding machine, scanning electron microscope (fluorescence), transmission electron microscope, among others. This comprehensive array of state-of-the-art equipment provides an excellent hardware platform to support a wide range of research activities and meets the needs of talent training in related fields.
6. Situation of Discipline Talent Cultivation
This discipline emphasizes the development of graduate students' research innovation capabilities. It has established and refined a comprehensive teaching system for graduate students, including procedures for laboratory entry and exit, a management system for graduate students "three assistants," and a regular assessment system. The discipline fosters a supportive environment for students to engage in scientific research training. Graduate students are encouraged to apply for projects at various levels, with a multi-channel and holistic approach to cultivating research thinking and academic innovation. Many master's graduates have been admitted to prestigious universities such as Peking University, Southeast University, and Soochow University for doctoral studies, while PhD graduates have gone on to exchange and study at high-level research platforms, including the University of California and other leading international institutions.
The discipline attaches great importance to the training of graduate supervisors, especially young teachers. On one hand, it attracts distinguished foreign talents to return and work as graduate supervisor. On the other, it continues to promote the training and promotion plan of current faculty members. To strengthen international collaboration, the discipline has implemented a joint graduate training program with foreign universities and research institutions. It strives to align graduate education with international standards, enhancing its global competitiveness and influence. Additionally, the discipline encourages graduate supervisor, especially young faculty, to engage in academic exchanges and cooperation with renowned institutions at home and abroad, working towards the establishment of a high-level academic team.
Currently, the discipline offers courses for 26 undergraduate programs, including clinical medicine, anesthesiology, imaging medicine and nuclear medicine, biology, preventive medicine, pharmacy, nursing, laboratory science, and related master's and doctoral programs such as Medical Immunology, Medical Microbiology, and Human Parasitology. It offers doctoral and master's degrees in biology, basic medicine, and clinical medicine. The teaching of these courses has received positive feedback from both faculty and students.
7. Disciplinary Social Services
The discipline has made significant contributions to social service, achieving a series of notable accomplishments. It has conducted surveys and provided preventive measures for infectious disease pathogens, playing a pivotal role in the prevention and control of major infectious diseases. Notably, it was involved in the first O157:H7 hemorrhagic Escherichia coli epidemic control in China and the first diagnosis of hepatitis TT virus. It is also the only designated parasitic disease screening and diagnosis center in northern Jiangsu.
The discipline has actively engaged in autoimmune disease detection, offering clinical diagnostic services to Xuzhou and surrounding areas. In addition, it has led initiatives to send medical professionals to rural areas to enhance the medical technology of township hospitals. Collaborative efforts with relevant units and institutions in Xuzhou and its surrounding regions have promoted the popularization of scientific knowledge.
In the past three years, the laboratory has hosted several national and provincial academic conferences and summit forums, positioning itself as a regional hub for academic exchange. These efforts have fostered academic collaboration within the industry and enhanced the discipline's influence.
8. Enrollment and Employment
In the past three years, the program has enrolled 38 master's students, 2 doctoral students, and 27 graduate master's students. The employment rate has reached 100%. Graduates have achieved notable success in their respective fields and have earned high recognition both within the province and internationally.
