Zhang Research Group

We are hiring! With successes in research grants, we have multiple Research Scientist or Postdoctoral Positions immediately open in the following areas:

  1. Targeted proteomics and protein biomarker validation
  2. Paneth cell and intestinal proteomics and antimicrobial peptides
  3. Global lipidomics and lipid unsaturation analysis
  4. Glycosphingolipidomics

**Please apply by contacting Dr. Zhang!**

 

Research Focus

Biological Mass Spectrometry, Proteomics, Lipidomics, Metabolomics, Disease
Biomarkers, Analytical Biochemistry.

Qibin Zhang, Ph.D.
CTBR Co-Director, Professor of Chemistry
Tel: 704-250-5803
Email: q_zhang2@uncg.edu
Chemistry website: https://chem.uncg.edu/person/qibin-zhang/

RESEARCH OVERVIEW

The Zhang research group focuses on developing new capabilities for more accurate, more sensitive, and higher throughput measurement of biomolecules, and the clinical application of proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics for comprehensive identification of disease biomarkers, and systems biological understanding of the pathogenic mechanism underlying the complex human diseases. Our research could lead to clinical assays for early diagnosis of human diseases, and effective intervention and prevention strategies for better human health. Below is a list of our research directions.

 

Proteomics
  • Temporal plasma proteomics and biomarkers of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) progression
  • Cell-specific and spatial tissue proteomics
  • Immunopeptidome and novel T1D autoantigens
  • Antimicrobial peptides and intact proteomics
  • Glycated proteome and diabetic complications

Lipidomics

  • Tissue-specific global lipidomics
  • High-resolution ozone-induced dissociation mass spectrometry
  • Advanced capabilities for intact analysis of glycosphingolipids
  • Glycation of lipids and diabetic complications

Metabolomics

  • Tryptophan catabolism
  • Oxylipins and inflammation
  • Fatty acid and energy metabolism
  • Chemical isotope labeling-based metabolomics
The Zhang research group has state-of-the-art mass spectrometry instrumentation (including Thermo QExactive HF, TSQ Quantiva, LTQ-Orbitrap with ETD, nano-LC and UPLC, and a Leco GC-TOF) and bioinformatics and statistics tools. Depending on the project, students and postdocs are also exposed to a variety of other experimental techniques including microscopy, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, physical chemistry, and synthetic organic chemistry.

Current Members

Ashraf Alsagheer, Postdoctoral Researcher

Rohit Kamble, Postdoctoral Researcher

Ryan Smith, Graduate Student

Jongmin Woo, Research Scientist

Recent Publications

  1. Vu, N., Narvaez-Rivas, M., Chen, G.-Y., Rewers, M. J., Zhang, Q.* (2019) Accurate Mass and Retention Time Library of Serum Lipids for Type 1 Diabetes Research, Anal Bioanal Chem, accepted. (selected by the Editors as Paper in Forefront) DOI: 10.1007/s00216-019-01997-7.
  2. Barrientos, R. C., and Zhang, Q.* (2019) Fragmentation behavior and gas-phase structures of cationized glycosphingolipids in ozone-induced dissociation mass spectrometry, J Am Soc Mass Spectrom, accepted. DOI: 10.1007/s13361-019-02267-7.
  3. Barrientos, R. C., and Zhang, Q.* (2019) Differential Isotope Labeling by Permethylation and Reversed-Phase LC/MS for Relative Quantification of Intact Neutral Glycolipids in Mammalian Cells, Anal Chem, accepted. DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01206.
  4. He, X., Chen, G.-Y. and Zhang, Q.* (2019) Comprehensive identification of Amadori compound- modified phosphatidylethanolamines in human plasma, Chem Res Toxicol 32, 1449-1457.
  5. Nieman, D.C.,* Gillitt, N.D., Chen, G.-Y., Zhang, Q., Sakaguchi, C.A. and Stephan, E. H. (2019) Carbohydrate Intake Attenuates Post-Exercise Plasma Levels of Cytochrome P450-Generated Oxylipins, Plos One 14, e0213676.
  6. Chen, G.-Y. and Zhang, Q.* (2019) Comprehensive analysis of oxylipins in human plasma using reversed-phase liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry with heatmap-assisted selection of transitions, Anal Bioanal Chem 411, 367-385.
  7. Zhang, L., Lanzoni, G., Battarra, M., Inverardi, L., and Zhang, Q.* (2019) Label-Free LC-MS/MS Strategy for Comprehensive Proteomic Profiling of Human Islets Collected Using Laser Capture Microdissection from Frozen Pancreata, Methods Mol Biol 1871, 253-264.
  8. Liu, C. W., and Zhang, Q.* (2018) Isobaric Labeling-Based LC-MS/MS Strategy for Comprehensive Profiling of Human Pancreatic Tissue Proteome, Methods Mol Biol 1788, 215-224.
  9. He, X. and Zhang, Q.* (2018) Synthesis, purification and mass spectrometric characterization of stable isotope-labeled Amadori-glycated phospholipids, ACS Omega 3, 15725-15733.
  10. Zhang, L., Liu, C. W., and Zhang, Q.* (2018) Online 2D-LC-MS/MS Platform for Analysis of Glycated Proteome, Anal Chem 90, 1081-1086.
  11. Chen, G. Y., Zhong, W., Zhou, Z., and Zhang, Q.* (2018) Simultaneous determination of tryptophan and its 31 catabolites in mouse tissues by polarity switching UHPLC-SRM-MS, Anal Chim Acta 1037, 200-210.
  12. Liu, C. W., Bramer, L., Webb-Robertson, B. J., Waugh, K., Rewers, M. J., and Zhang, Q.* (2018) Temporal expression profiling of plasma proteins reveals oxidative stress in early stages of Type1 Diabetes progression, J Proteomics 172, 100-110.
  13. Barrientos, R. C., and Zhang, Q.* (2018) Isobaric Labeling of Intact Gangliosides toward Multiplexed LC-MS/MS-Based Quantitative Analysis, Anal Chem 90, 2578-2586.
  14. Barrientos, R. C., Vu, N., and Zhang, Q.* (2017) Structural Analysis of Unsaturated Glycosphingolipids Using Shotgun Ozone-Induced Dissociation Mass Spectrometry, J Am Soc Mass Spectrom 28, 2330-2343.
  15. Vu, N., Brown, J., Giles, K., and Zhang, Q.* (2017) ozone-induced dissociation on a traveling wave high-resolution mass spectrometer for determination of double-bond position in lipids, Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 31, 1415-1423.
  16. Narvaez-Rivas, M., Vu, N., Chen, G.-Y., and Zhang, Q.* (2017) Off-line mixed-mode liquid chromatography coupled with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry to improve coverage in lipidomics analysis, Anal Chim Acta 954, 140-150.
  17. Liu, C. W., Bramer, L., Webb-Robertson, B. J., Waugh, K., Rewers, M. J.,* and Zhang, Q.* (2017) Temporal profiles of plasma proteome during childhood development, J Proteomics 152, 321-328.
  18. Zhang, L., Lanzoni, G., Battarra, M., Inverardi, L., and Zhang, Q.* (2017) Proteomic profiling of human islets collected from frozen pancreata using laser capture microdissection, J Proteomics 150, 149-159.
  19. Narvaez-Rivas, M., and Zhang, Q.* (2016) Comprehensive untargeted lipidomic analysis using core-shell C30 particle column and high field orbitrap mass spectrometer, J Chromatogr A 1440, 123-134.
  20. Liu, C. W., Atkinson, M. A., and Zhang, Q.* (2016) Type 1 diabetes cadaveric human pancreata exhibit a unique exocrine tissue proteomic profile, Proteomics 16, 1432-1446