BIOGRAPHICAL
Name: Jun Ren        Title: Associate Professor
Office Address: Room 547 

Email Address: renjun@dlut.edu.cn 

Website: https://renjundut.wixsite.com/mysite

EDUCATION and TRAINING
1999-2003: Dalian University of Technology, China, B.S., Polymer
2003-2009: Dalian University of Technology, China, Ph. D., Biochemical engineering
2009-2011: Dalian University of Technology, China, Postdoctoral fellow, Biomedical engineering

Current grant support:

1. National Major Research and Development Program (No.2021YFC2103401, 2021.12-2024.12)

2. Dalian Major Research and Development Program (No.2018YF22SN062, 2018.01-2020.12)

3. Dalian High Level Talent Innovation Support Project (No.2016RQ023, 2016.10-2019.09)

4. National Major Research and Development Program (No.2016YFC1103000, 2016.06-2020.12)

Selected publications (For a complete list, please visit https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=48461725300)

27. Meng, X.; Xiong, H.; Ji, F.; Gao, X.; Han, L.; Wu, Z.; Jia, L; Ren, J.*, Facile surface treatment strategy to generate dense lysozyme layer on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene enabling inhibition of bacterial biofilm formation. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 2023, 225:113243.

26. Ren, J.; Xiong, H.; Huang, C.; Ji, F.; Jia, L.*, An engineered peptide tag-specific nanobody for immunoaffinity chromatography application enabling efficient product recovery at mild conditions. Journal of Chromatography A 2022, 1676: 463274.

25. Ren, J.; Meng, X.; Xiang, X; Ji, F.; Gao, X.; Han, L.; Jia, L*. Tyrosine-based dual-functional interface for trapping and on-site photo-induced covalent immobilization of proteins. Bioconjugate Chemistry 2022, 33 (5): 829-838

24.  Ren, J.; Xiang, X; Ji, F.; Gao, X.; Han, L.; Jia, L*. Benzotriazole-5-carboxylic as a mixed-mode ligand for chromatographic separation of antibody with enhanced adsorption capacity. Journal of Chromatography B 2021, 1179:122652.

23.  Ren, J.; Zhang, C.; Ji, F.; Jia, L.*, Characterization and comparison of two peptide-tag specific nanobodies for immunoaffinity chromatography. Journal of Chromatography A 2020, 1624: 461227.

22. Huang, C.; Ren, J.*; Ji, F.; Muyldermans, S.; Jia, L.*, Nanobody-Based high-performance immunosorbent for selective beta 2-microglobulin purification from blood. Acta Biomaterialia 2020, 107: 232-241.

21. Peng, Q.; Zang, B.; Zhao, W.; Li, D.; Ren, J.; Ji, F.; Jia, L.*,Efficient continuous-flow aldehyde tag conversion using immobilized formylglycine generating enzyme. Catalysis Science & Technology 2020, 10(2): 484-492.

20. Bao X.; Ren J.; Wang Y.; Jia L.*, Quantitative determination of the beta-2-microglobulin monomer by gel filtration chromatography, Chinese Journal of Chromatography 2019, 37(5): 533-538.

19. Zang, B.; Ren, J.;  Li, D.;  Huang, C.; Ma, H.;  Peng, Q.; Ji, F.; Han, L.; Jia, L.*, Freezing-assisted synthesis of covalent C–C linked bivalent and bispecific nanobodies. Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 2019, 17(2), 257-263.

18. Long, X.; Ren, J.*; Zhang, C.; Ji, F.; Jia, L., Facile and Controllable Fabrication of Protein-Only Nanoparticles through Photo-Induced Crosslinking of Albumin and Their Application as DOX Carriers. Nanomaterials 2019, 9:5.

17. Ren, J.; Tian, K.; Jia, L.*; Han, X.; Zhao, M., Rapid covalent immobilization of proteins by phenol-based photochemical cross-linking. Bioconjugate Chemistry 2016, 27 (10), 2266-2270.

16. Gao, M.; Ren, J.*; Tian, K.; Jia, L.*V, Characterization of non-specific protein adsorption induced by triazole groups on the chromatography media using Cu (I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition reaction for ligand immobilization. Journal of Chromatography A 2016, 1476, 63-68.

15. Zang, B.; Ren, J.*; Xu, L.; Jia, L.*, Direct site-specific immobilization of protein A via aldehyde-hydrazide conjugation. Journal of Chromatography B-Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences 2016, 1008, 132-138.

14. Han, L.; Chu, S.; Wei, H.; Ren, J.; Xu, L.; Jia, L.*, Functionalized magnetic Fe3O4-beta-cyclodextran nanoparticles for efficient removal of bilirubin. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 2016, 16 (6), 5537-5545.

13. Yang, L.; Han, L.; Ren, J.; Wei, H.; Jia, L.*, Coating process and stability of metal-polyphenol film. Colloids and Surfaces a-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 2015, 484, 197-205.

12. Wei, H.; Han, L.; Tang, Y.; Ren, J.; Zhao, Z.; Jia, L.*, Highly flexible heparin-modified chitosan/graphene oxide hybrid hydrogel as a super bilirubin adsorbent with excellent hemocompatibility. Journal of Materials Chemistry B 2015, 3 (8), 1646-1654.

11. Ren, J.; Han, P.; Wei, H.; Jia, L.*, Fouling-resistant behavior of silver nanoparticle-modified surfaces against the bioadhesion of microalgae. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2014, 6 (6), 3829-3838.

10. Ren, J.; Yao, P.; Cao, Y.; Cao, J.; Zhang, L.; Wang, Y.; Jia, L.*, Application of cyclodextrin-based eluents in hydrophobic charge-induction chromatography: Elution of antibody at neutral pH. Journal of Chromatography A 2014, 1352, 62-68.

9. Ren, J.; Yao, P.; Chen, J.; Jia, L.*V, Salt-independent hydrophobic displacement chromatography for antibody purification using cyclodextrin as supermolecular displacer. Journal of Chromatography A 2014, 1369, 98-104.

8. Xu, L.; Wang, C.; Chen, L.; Ren, J.; Xie, J.; Jia, L.*, Detection of A beta-interacting proteins via a novel A beta-adsorbents that use immobilized regular comb polymer. Journal of Chromatography B-Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences 2014, 971, 94-98.

7. Ren, J.; Wang, L.; Han, X.; Cheng, J.; Lv, H.; Wang, J.; Jian, X.; Zhao, M.; Jia, L.*, Organic silicone sol-gel polymer as a noncovalent carrier of receptor proteins for label-free optical biosensor application. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2013, 5 (2), 386-394.

6. Wei, H.; Han, L.; Ren, J.; Jia, L.*, Anticoagulant surface coating using composite polysaccharides with embedded heparin-releasing mesoporous silica. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2013, 5 (23), 12571-12578.

5. Wei, H.; Ren, J.; Han, B.; Xu, L.; Han, L.; Jia, L.*, Stability of polydopamine and poly(DOPA) melanin-like films on the surface of polymer membranes under strongly acidic and alkaline conditions. Colloids and Surfaces B-Biointerfaces 2013, 110, 22-28.

4. Wang, L.; Ren, J.; Han, X.; Claes, T.; Jian, X.; Bienstman, P.; Baets, R.; Zhao, M.*; Morthier, G., A label-free optical biosensor built on a low-cost polymer platform. IEEE Photonics Journal 2012, 4 (3), 920-930.

3. Wei, H.; Xu, L.; Ren, J.; Jia, L.*, Adsorption of bilirubin to magnetic multi-walled carbon nanotubes as a potential application in bound solute dialysis. Colloids and Surfaces a-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects 2012, 405, 38-44.

2. Ren, J.; Bai, Y.; Hao, L.; Dong, Y.; Pi, Z.; Jia, L.*, Amelioration of experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis rats by blood purification treatment using 4-mercaptoethylpyridine-based adsorbent. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A 2011, 98A (4), 589-595.

1. Ren, J.; Jia, L.*; Xu, L.; Lin, X.; Pi, Z.; Xie, J., Removal of autoantibodies by 4-mercaptoethylpyridine-based adsorbent. Journal of Chromatography B-Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences 2009, 877 (11-12), 1200-1204.

Book chapters:

1. Jun Ren, Houliang Wei, Li Xu, Lingyun Jia. Blood Detoxication. Comprehensive Biotechnology (3rd edition), Elsevier, 2019, 5, 723-734.

2. Jun Ren, Houliang Wei, Lingyun Jia. Adsorbents for the treatment of autoimmune diseases through hemoperfusion. Hemoperfusion: general and biospecific adsorbents, immunosorbents and leucocyte adsorbents, World Scientific, 2017, chapter 22: 629-648.

3. Jun Ren, Houliang Wei, Lingyun Jia. Blood Detoxication. Comprehensive Biotechnology (2nd edition), Elsevier, 2011, 5, 729-739.

Overview of my current research work

In general, I am very interested in understanding the mechanism of biomolecule recognition, which plays central role in a variety of life activities, and hope to exploit its potential application in different area of biotechnology and biomedical applications.

(1)   Biomedical materials for blood purification treatment

One specific interest is to develop techniques that enable recognizing and separating some specific disease-related molecules directly from human blood circulation, for achieving blood purification treatment for a range of serious diseases. To this end, we have developed several strategies to design functional materials, including affinity ligand screening, camelid-derived single chain antibody or nanobody, and molecular imprinting et al. These techniques are used to synthesize selective adsorbents for removing pathogenic factors from the blood of patients suffering from autoimmune diseases, renal failure, sepsis, and even cancer. For example, we are using nanobody to develop blood purification materials to treat dialysis related amyloidosis (DRA) by selectively removing beta 2 microglobulin. Meanwhile we are also isolating nanobodies against cytokines for synthesizing selective adsorbents, which could be used to control “Cytokine Storm” by directly reducing circulating cytokines from the blood of critically-ill patients with deadly inflammation.

Currently, two of my patented blood purification adsorbents have been industrialized to develop medical appliances for treating autoimmune disease and DRA, respectively. The former has been in the stage of clinical trial in China.

(2)   Biomolecular engineering for bioprocessing and biohybrid materials

Other studies focus on engineering functional proteins and developing approaches for bioseparation, biosensing, and biofunctional device design, which are mainly based on the construction of biohybrid material system. Current work is centered at the application of engineering nanobody. The development of the methodologies involves production of engineered nanobody, specific tagging, multivalued complex, site-specific modification, bioconjugation, surface modification, as well as addressing issues such as stability, efficiency and activity rate in the process of applications.

We have been developing chemical and biological methods that could enable the immobilization of nanobody or other functional proteins in a controllable and efficient manner, to facilitate the preparation of affinity chromatography media, and biosensor surfaces. We used photochemical crosslinking of phenol groups to immobilize proteins and prepare all-protein nanoparticles. The reactions could be completed within seconds without loss of protein activity. Nanobody-based multiprotein complexes have been designed to form multifunctional protein assemblies.   

These technologies and methods are expected to be extended to other biomedical areas, such as assembly of targeted nanoparticles for drug delivery, disease detection and mechanistic studies.