1. Review of Discipline History
The discipline of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has been a traditionally dominant field in our university. It was designated as the key discipline of the Provincial Education Commission in 1985 and approved as a master's degree awarding program in the same year. Since 1994, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has been recognized as a provincial key discipline under Jiangsu Province’s "Ninth Five-Year Plan", "Tenth Five-Year Plan", and "Eleventh Five-Year Plan". In 2005, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation was established. In 2013, as the core component of the first-level discipline of Biology it was approved as a doctoral degree authorization program. In 2014, a mobile postdoctoral station in Biology was established. In 2022, it was dynamically adjusted to become a doctoral program in Basic Medicine, recruiting and training doctoral students. In 2010, it was approved as part of the "First Phase of the Jiangsu University Advantageous Discipline Construction Project". After its acceptance in 2014, it became part of the second-phase discipline construction project (Medical Biology). In 2018, it was included in the third-phase discipline construction project (Basic Medicine).
The establishment of this discipline aims to cultivate interdisciplinary professionals in Biochemistry and Medical Neurobiology, address the country’s major needs in neurological disease research and clinical practice, and hold significant social value.
2. Main Research Direction of the Discipline
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation. The research interests include: (1) Neurobiological mechanisms of sensory coding in brain state regulation. (2) Tumor epigenetics and bioinformatics. (3) Research on biochemical, molecular, and cellular pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental diseases. (4) Study on pathogenesis of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus. (5) The neural circuits of learning and memory. (6) Study on the pathogenesis of PTSD. (7) Research on neural circuits and mechanisms of cognitive function. (8) Study on the molecular mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases.
3. Discipline Leader and Team Introduction
Currently,in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology discipline, there are 35 full-time faculty members, including 8 professors and 11 associate professors, with 34 holding doctoral degrees. The discipline includes 3 distinguished professors in Jiangsu Province, 1 core member of the Jiangsu Double Innovation Team, 1 academic leader under the provincial "Qinglan Project", 2 outstanding young backbone teachers of the provincial "Qinglan Project", and 1 recipient of the Young Science and Technology Talent Promotion Project by the Jiangsu Science and Technology Association. Additionally, there are 8 recipients of the provincial "Double Innovation Doctor" award, 7 doctoral supervisors, and 18 master's supervisors. The discipline features a well-balanced faculty in terms of age structure, a strong foundation in scientific research, and a team of dedicated full-time faculty members with doctoral degrees. Their expertise spans various fields, including Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Neurobiology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Biophysics, Developmental Biology, Microbiology, and Biochemical Pharmacy.
Introduction of Discipline Leader: An 'an Li, head of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, PhD, professor, doctoral supervisor. In 2010, he received his Doctorate in radio physics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Colorado from 2012 to 2015. In recent years, his research has focused on sensory neurobiology, with a particular emphasis on olfaction. As a host, he has led multiple research projects, including grants from the National Natural Science Foundation, the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, and the major Science and Technology Innovation 2030 project. As the first author and corresponding author, he has published more than 30 SCI-indexed papers in high-impact journals such as Nature Communications, Cell Reports, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA (PNAS), NPJ Parkinson’s Disease, and The Journal of Neuroscience. Of these, 17 were published in top-tier journals classified as first-quartile (Q1) by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He holds 2 authorized invention patents and 3 utility model patents. Additionally, he has contributed to 1 academic monograph. He is responsible for teaching courses such as "Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" and "Progress and Advanced Technology in Medical Molecular Biology". He has also supervised 8 doctoral students and 26 master's students.
4. Scientific Research Status
The discipline primarily relies on the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation for research activities and has received several prestigious awards, including the Second Prize in Science and Technology Progress from the National Education Commission, the Second Prize in Natural Science from the Ministry of Education (awarded twice), the Second Prize in Chinese Medical Science and Technology, the Second Prize in Science and Technology awarded by the People's Government of Jiangsu Province, the Second Prize and Third Prize in Science and Technology Progress of Jiangsu Province, and the Second Prize in Jiangsu Province Medical Science and Technology. Over the past five years, more than 30 research projects have been approved, including 14 projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 5 provincial and ministerial fund projects, 5 natural science fund projects for universities in Jiangsu Province, and 5 science and technology plan projects for social development in Xuzhou City. In recent years, over 50 research papers have been published in high-impact international journals such as Nature Communications, PNAS, NPJ Parkinson’s Disease, Cell Reports, Neuropsychopharmacology, The Journal of Neuroscience, Brain Pathology, and Acta Physiologica (Oxf). Additionally, the discipline has obtained 2 national invention patents and 3 utility model patents, along with 1 provincial excellent doctoral thesis, 2 provincial excellent master’s theses, and 5 provincial graduate science and technology innovation program projects.
5. Strength of the Disciplinary Research Platform
The discipline is currently affiliated with the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, which houses a comprehensive range of research platforms, including proteomics, electrophysiology, animal behavior, molecular biology, genomics, morphology, and protein purification and analysis, as well as a conventional laboratory platform. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art instruments, including a live cell workstation, cryo-electron microscope, laser confocal microscope (ZEISS), fluorescence inverted microscope system (Olympus), flow cytometer, brain patch-clamp system, multi-channel in vivo electrophysiological recording and analysis system, and an ultra-high-speed centrifuge, along with various behavioral research equipment. With a total equipment value exceeding 30 million yuan, these resources fully support the scientific research needs of graduate students and faculty within the discipline.
6. Situation of Discipline Talent Cultivation
This discipline prioritizes the cultivation of graduate students' research and innovation capabilities by establishing a comprehensive graduate teaching system, a structured graduate entrance and exit laboratory system, a graduate “three-assistance” management system, and a regular graduate assessment system. It actively fosters a conducive environment for scientific research training, encouraging graduate students to apply for projects at various levels while providing multi-channel, comprehensive training in research methodology 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 pursued research and academic exchanges at renowned international institutions, including the University of California and Duke University.
Efforts are also made to enhance the training of graduate advisors, particularly young faculty members. The discipline actively attracts outstanding international graduates to return as faculty members while simultaneously promoting the professional development and advancement of in-house faculty. Emphasizing collaboration and exchange, the program has established an open graduate training system, fostering joint training programs with foreign universities and research institutions to elevate the quality of graduate education and strengthen international competitiveness and influence. Faculty, particularly young instructors, are encouraged to engage in academic exchanges and collaborations with leading institutions worldwide to further develop a high-level academic team.
Currently, the discipline also offers courses such as Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Molecular Biology, and Human Body Energetics to undergraduate students majoring in Clinical Medicine, Anesthesiology, Imaging Medicine and Nuclear Medicine, Biology, Preventive Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Laboratory Science. Additionally, it provides Medical Molecular Biology and Progress and Advanced Technology in Medical Molecular Biology for master's and doctoral programs. The teaching efforts in these courses have been well received by both faculty and students.
7. Disciplinary Social Services
On September 21, 2017, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation partnered with the Life Science Museum to host the Developmental Biology Open Day with a focus on Alzheimer's disease. In 2018, the discipline organized the Academic Seminar on Basic and Clinical Research of Encephalopathy, inviting renowned experts from both domestic and international institutions to present their findings. This event strengthened academic exchanges, fostering collaboration and enhancing the university's visibility and influence in the broader community.
To further leverage its talent and platform advantages, the discipline has continued to strengthen its social service function. In 2019, the Xuzhou Brain Function and Brain Diseases Science Popularization Base was established and approved, providing an important educational platform to improve primary and secondary school students' understanding of brain function and related diseases. This initiative significantly contributes to raising societal awareness and fostering interest in medical knowledge.
In 2022, the discipline hosted the Summit Forum on Sensory Cognition and Nervous System Diseases, further establishing the region as a center for academic exchange and promoting collaboration within the field. The event strengthened industry-wide academic discourse and enhanced the discipline's impact. In 2024, the discipline has assisted in organizing the International Conference on Immune Metabolism and Diseases, strengthen the collaboration between universities and research institutions, and support the development of basic medical disciplines and the long-term development of the university.
To expand the scope of service provided by its laboratory platform and enhance collaboration with clinical hospitals, the discipline has opened its laboratory to affiliated hospitals, funding 40 research projects. The laboratory also accepts external researchers to conduct scientific studies, offering a comprehensive technical platform and experimental resources to support individuals passionate about medicine and scientific research. Additionally, the discipline actively promotes school-enterprise cooperation, maintaining close ties with local businesses such as Enhua Pharmaceutical, and pursuing collaborative research and development initiatives.
8. Enrollment and Employment
In the past five years, the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has enrolled over 60 doctoral and master's graduates, and more than 40 graduate students are studying for master's degree. Graduates from our biochemistry and molecular biology program have pursued careers in research and development at prominent institutions, including major hospitals, leading domestic biomedical companies, and universities. These include Capital Medical University, Beijing Normal University, Shanghai Wuxi Apptech New Drug Development Co., Ltd., Jiangsu Enhua Pharmaceutical, and Jiangsu Wanbang Biochemical Medicine, among others. Our graduates have achieved outstanding results in their respective roles, earning high praise and recognition both within the province and internationally.
