Interview with Yongjing
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in research/science?
There are so many medical conditions cannot be cured, such as cancer, dementia, stroke, motor neurone disease. Additionally, there are so many people died of unknown medical conditions due to lack of diagnostic capacity. All these have made medical doctors feel so powerless due to lack of suitable medication or technologies. You can’t make bricks without straw after all. This inspired me to pursue a career in research, Pharmaceutical science then Biochemistry in particular. It was as simple as that: I want to play my bit and make a difference in pharmaceutical research. Even now, it is still the driving force for me to work hard, a little harder, even harder, on a daily basis in my research. As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic caused millions of deaths worldwide and changed our daily life and ways of living significantly. With the joint efforts from all the scientists around the globe, we may be well-prepared and prevent any future disease from spreading. This makes our research meaningful.
What advice would you give to young people looking to pursue a career in science?
Science is everywhere in our daily life, from bigger things like agriculture, energy, environment, healthcare to smaller things like washing laundry and baking cakes in the kitchen. For young people, in order to pursue a career in science, I think mindset is the key. It is very difficult to perform well if you don’t enjoy (or even hate) science whatsoever. Ask yourself some questions. Are you passionate about science? Are you willing to take the challenge to make meaningful impact for our society? If your answers are yes, taking STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics) subjects in higher education is the critical step and lays the foundation work for future research. This is because STEM is crucial for innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, and advancement in various fields. Believe it or not, science can be challenging but incredibly fascinating and rewarding. Additionally, hand-on experience, quick learning, critical eye, and good communication skills will ensure you have a successful career in science.
Can you tell us about your career before joining NIBRT?
I earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Pharmaceutical Science and had the opportunity to work in formulation development, advanced drug delivery, drug analysis, pharmacokinetics, clinical trials, and regulatory aspects. However, there were always many things puzzled me. For instance, why did some structurally similar molecules have totally different biological activities? What was the underlying mechanism of action of a specific medication? How was the active ingredient in a medication discovered in the first place? These motivated me to change research field to pursue a PhD in Biochemistry followed by working as a Research Fellow in Trinity College Dublin. It opened a whole new world for me. I have gained extensive experience and expertise in molecular biology of cancer, protein 3D structure determination, mammalian cell culture, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and metabolic pathway analysis.
Why did you decide to take a role with NIBRT?
I knew NIBRT very well before I joined NIBRT while I was working on a collaborative project funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) to investigate the impact of Extractable and Leachable (E & L) from single use technologies on biopharmaceutical manufacturing. As a research institute, NIBRT offers a unique platform for scientists to grow and thrive at the interface of academia and biopharmaceutical industry. Only when you are physically in NIBRT, you understand the true meaning of “state-of-the-art”, “cutting-edge”, and “ground-breaking”. Over the years, I have been working in the Cell Technology Group led by Prof. Michael Butler on a series of projects funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), Enterprise Ireland (EI), Agilent Technologies, and Kerry Groups. I have accumulated extensive experience and expertise in almost every aspect of the biopharmaceutical research and still counting. It is a real joy doing research in NIBRT.
What does your current role entail? (Current and upcoming)
As a Senior Research Scientist, I have been working on a series of different projects trying to tackle different challenges. For example, I have developed a glycoengineering method to modify the glycan profiles of various monoclonal antibodies produced from Chinese Hamster Ovary cells. It helped gain deeper insights into the impact of glycosylation on functional and biological activities, such as protein function, cell adhesion, and immune regulation. The successful delivery of the project continued to attract a series of extended collaborative projects funded by Agilent Technologies spanning a wide range of research topics, including integrated workflow for high-throughput glycan analysis, SARS-CoV-2 biomarker discovery, spike protein variants evolution, Adeno-associated virus (AAV) for Cell Gene Therapy. Recently, I have been promoted as a Lead Research Scientist in Advanced Biotherapies and Cell Factories Group led by Prof. Mark Smales. I will lead and deliver a research programme to generate a fundamental, transformative, and conceptual mechanic shift in our understanding of the cell expression systems and processes used to produce advanced biotherapeutics and apply modern engineering biology approaches to deliver more efficient, predictable, and affordable manufacturing approaches. Apart from continued research work, I will take extra responsibility in project management and demonstrate strong team leadership.
Can you tell us about your career progression with NIBRT?
The state-of -the-art facilities and infrastructure in NIBRT are second to none, which made NIBRT the perfect workplace for every scientist keen on Biopharmaceutical research. At the same time, I have received tremendous support from my supervisor Prof. Michael Butler and the wider NIBRT community. Over the years, my scientific and technical expertise has been strengthened and expanded significantly. I am very grateful for my research output, including 9 published journal articles and book chapters, 4 under peer-review, 3 Agilent application notes, and 8 Webinars and conference presentations. Recently, I have been promoted from Senior Research Scientist to Lead Research Scientist. Apart from continued scientific research, I will take more and more responsibility in project management and team leadership. Overall, NIBRT is a very dynamic and supportive workplace. No matter what career stage you are in, NIBRT will help you take off as a real scientist.
What skills have you developed since joining the research team in NIBRT?
NIBRT offered me a unique opportunity to participate in various projects spanning a wide range of research topics by collaborating with both academic and industrial partners, such as Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), Enterprise Ireland (EI), Agilent Technologies, and Kerry Group. Naturally, different projects tried to tackle different challenges and answer different questions faced by the fast-evolving Biopharmaceutical industry. This in turn helped me accumulate extensive experience in methodology development, new technologies application, and data analysis and mining. Additionally, my soft skills have been strengthened significantly over the years, such as manuscript and proposal writing, critical thinking, trouble shooting, structured problem solving, as well as project management.
What has been your highlight working with NIBRT? (Any Awards or recognitions you have received)
The state-of-the-art facilities in NIBRT allows me to conduct ground-breaking research and stay at the forefront of biopharmaceutical innovation. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, I was quickly deployed to carry out relevant research, including serum biomarker discovery and mapping the spike protein variants evolution. It was so satisfying and rewarding when my research findings were published in various prestigious journals and books, including Glycobiology and Springer Nature. Additionally, my project funded by Agilent Technologies was selected as “Research Case Study-Agilent” in NIBRT Annual Report 2021 (https://www.nibrt.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/NIBRT-Annual-Report-2021_release.pdf). In the following year, I was recognized as an “Outstanding Contributor to NIBRT”. All of these made my research more meaningful. The following quote from Agilent technologies highly praised my devotion to research: “They bring a wealth of knowledge, forward thinking and enthusiasm to our projects and are helping shape the resources and solutions planned for the ever-changing Biopharmaceutical market for the future. We are excited to grow this collaboration to extend into the Cell and Gene Therapy market and to work together to create innovative solutions to tackle tomorrow’s challenges.”.
In your opinion, what is the unique opportunity NIBRT offers to candidates?
In my opinion, NIBRT offers a unique platform for any scientist keen on Biopharmaceutical research. (1) The state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure provide a dynamic environment for delivery of excellent science and translation research and opportunities for career growth, development, and progression. (2) NIBRT research covers diverse topics, spanning from fundamental biopharmaceutical manufacturing to early-stage, proof of concept development of biologics and advanced therapy products. (3) NIBRT fosters various collaborative projects at the interface of academia and biopharmaceutical industry. Innovation, collaboration, real-world impact, and NIBRT brand are highly valued. (4) The support from individual supervisor and wider NIBRT community is tremendous, so that scientists can enjoy the freedom of research. You are always highly encouraged to shape some early ideas into a strong plan.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining the research team at NIBRT?
For anyone thinking about joining research in NIBRT, I think 3Ds (discipline, determination, dedication) are key. Research in the ever-changing biopharmaceutical field can be very exciting and rewarding but challenging. There are so many new things to learn every day, such as new products, new protocols, new technologies, new cells, new diseases, new mechanisms. Your passion in research and willingness to take the challenge will definitely promote you to perform well and make meaningful impact on Biopharmaceutical research. Additionally, NIBRT fosters various projects covering a wide range of research topics, such as cell engineering, mammalian cell culture, protein science, cell gene therapy, formulation, data analysis, bioinformatics. Make sure your past experience and expertise align well with NIBRT’s research and mission. Of course, NIBRT is a very dynamic and supportive workplace cherishing diversity, belonging, and inclusion. Whichever career stage you are at, you will find yourself opportunities and embark on a rewarding and successful career at NIBRT research.
