Yong Zeng
Colonel Allen R. and Margaret G. Crow Term Professor
Research Focus
Precision Medicine calls for paradigm-shifting analytical tools and biomarkers to revolutionize disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Working at the nexus of chemistry, nanomaterials, bioengineering, and medicine, our group strives to develop innovative micro/nanoscale technologies to tackle pressing challenges in precision diagnostics and medicine, including cancer and infectious diseases. Our innovations span advanced bioassays, lab-on-a-chip systems, and next-generation biosensing modalities empowered by CRISPR/Cas systems, intelligent nanobiohybrids, robotics and AI. In close collaboration with clinicians, our long-term interest lies in translational research to advance laboratory innovations into clinical utilities that improve patient outcomes.
Education and Training
2008–2011 Postdoc, University of California, Berkeley (Lab of Richard A. Mathies)
2002–2007 Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton (Lab of D. Jed Harrison)
Selected Awards
2024 Colonel Allen R. and Margaret G. Crow Term Professorship, University of Florida 2017–2020
Docking Family Scholar, University of Kansas 2018
SLAS Technology Readers Choice Award 2016
Lab on a Chip Emerging Investigator 2016
Analyst Emerging Investigator 2014 J.R. & Inez Jay Award, University of Kansas
Selected Activities
Analytical Division Head, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, 2022–present
The Commissioning Panel member for Lab on a Chip, 2024
Executive Technical Program Committee member for the MicroTAS conferences, 2022–present
2022 Session Chair, “Extracellular Vesicles” MicroTAS 2022 conference, Hangzhou, China.
Standing member, NIH Instrumentation and Systems Development Study Section, 2020–2024
Selected Publications
Y. Wen, Y. Li, H. Chu, S. Cheng, Y. Zeng* “Hydromechanical Modulation of Enzymatic Kinetics Using Microfluidically Configurable Nanoconfinement Arrays”, ACS Central Science, 2024, 10, 2059-2071.
H. Yan, Y. Wen, Z. Tian, N, Hart, S. Han, S. Hughes, Y. Zeng*, “A One-pot Isothermal Cas12-based Assay for the Sensitive Detection of MicroRNAs”, Nature Biomed. Eng., 2023, 7, 1583–1601.
P. Zhang, X. Wu, G. Gardashova, Y. Yang, Y. Zhang, L. Xu, Y. Zeng*, “Molecular and Functional Extracellular Vesicle Analysis Using Nanopatterned Microchips Monitors Tumor Progression and Metastasis”, Science Trans. Med., 2020, 12, eaaz2878.
P. Zhang, X. Zhou, M. He, Y. Shang, A.L. Tetlow, A.K. Godwin, Y. Zeng*, “Ultrasensitive Detection of Circulating Exosomes with a 3D-Nanopatterned Microfluidic Chip”, Nature Biomed. Eng., 2019, 3, 438–451.