معرفی
Yi Lu is a Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the Grainger College of Engineering. His research focuses on the interface between chemistry and biology, developing innovative chemical tools to understand biological systems and advance biotechnology. Key areas include biosynthetic inorganic chemistry, biocatalysis, bioanalytical chemistry, DNA nanotechnology, and gene editing.
Research Interests:
- Engineering biocatalysts for sustainable energy and pharmaceutical synthesis.
- Designing DNA-based sensors for metal ions, metabolites, and glycoRNAs in diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer.
- Developing functional DNA nanomaterials for targeted drug delivery and diagnostics.
- Improving gene-editing technologies for precision medicine.
Awards & Grants:
- Lead Detect Prize (2024) for lithium detection innovation.
- Welch Foundation Catalyst Grant (2024) for interdisciplinary research.
- CPRIT Grant (2024) for ferroptosis-based cancer therapy studies.
Advising & Labs: Dr. Lu mentors a dynamic research group, including students like Casey (Indiana University), Whitney (Kymera Therapeutics), and Mandira (Princeton BioLabs). His lab collaborates on projects such as ARTNet (anti-cancer drug development) and CPRIT-funded ferroptosis research. Notable techniques include DNAzyme sensors, aptamer-based imaging, and synthetic biology.
