Dr Run Zhang

Analytical biochemistry: Biosensing and Bioimaging

Dr Zhang leads a team of over 10 Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) students working on the development of responsive molecules/nanomaterials for biosensing and imaging, early disease detection and treatment, food/agricultural/environmental analysis. Specifically, his research focuses on:

1. Responsive molecules and nanoprobes for in-situ luminescence biosensing and imaging of highly reactive biomolecules
2. Theranostic molecules and nanomaterials for diseases (e.g. cancer, cardiovascular) detection and treatment, such as phototherapy (PDT/PTT), gas therapy, and sonodynamic therapy (SDT)
3. Background-free luminescence analysis of biological/food/agricultural/environmental samples through developing molecular and nano-sensors with prolonged luminescence lifetime

Dr Run Zhang is a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland (AIBN UQ). He received his PhD of Chemistry from Dalian University of Technology, China in 2012. He worked at the Physics and Astronomy department of Macquarie University (MQ) as Postdoc (2012) and independent MQ Research Fellow (2013-15) at the department of Chemistry Biomolecular Sciences. He visited the AIBN in 2015 and officially joined the AIBN in 2016. He received ARC DECRA (2017-19) and NHMRC Emerging Leadership (2020). His research within the AIBN has been supported by NHMRC (New Investigator, and Investigator) and ARC (DECRA). Dr Zhang has received several awards, such as IAAM Fellow, Vebleo Fellow, and Biosensors Young Investigator Award.

Dr Run Zhang is an assessor for ARC and NHMRC, and international research grant programmes, such as Royal Society and the British Academy (Marie Skłodowska-Curie), European Research Council (Consolidator), and Health Research Council of New Zealand. He is dedicated to serving scientific community as the reviewer for >200 manuscripts/year, editor/board member/guest editor for several journals, such as TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry-An Asian Journal, and Methods. 

Key Publications

Supported by three NHMRC and ARC grants at AIBN UQ, Dr Zhang has published more than 100 papers in top-ranked international journals in the last 5 years.

A full list of publications can be seen here.

1. R. Zhang, J. Yuan, Responsive Metal Complex Probes for Time-Gated Luminescence Biosensing and Imaging, Accounts Chemical Research, 2020, 7, 1316-1329.
2. C. Liu, R. Zhang, W. Zhang, J. Liu, Y.-L. Wang, Z. Du. B. Song, Z. P. Xu, J. Yuan, "Dual-Key-and-lock" Ruthenium Complex Probe for Lysosomal Formaldehyde in Cancer Cell and Tumour, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2019, 141, 8462-8472.
3. J. Liu, Y. Wu, C. Fu, B. Li, L. Li, R. Zhang, Z. P. Xu, Charge Reversion Simultaneously Enhances Tumor Accumulation and Cell Uptake of Layered Double Hydroxide Nanohybrids for Effective Imaging and Therapy, Small, 2020, 16, 2002115.
4. R. Zhang, L. Liang, Q. Meng, J. Zhao, L. Li, H. T. Ta, Z. Zhang, Y. Sultanbawa, Z. Xu. Responsive Upconversion Nanoprobe for Background-Free Hypochlorous Acid Detection and Bioimaging. Small. 2019, 15,1803712.
5. Y. Lu, J. Zhao, R. Zhang, Y. Liu, D. Liu, E. M. Goldys, X. Yang, P. Xi, A. Sunna, J. Lu, Y. Shi, R. C. Leif , Y. Huo, J. Shen, J. A. Piper, J. P. Robinson, D. Jin. Tunable lifetime multiplexing using luminescent nanocrystals. Nature Photonics, 2014, 8, 32-36.
6. F. Zhang, X. Liang, W. Zhang, Y.-L. Wang, H. Wang, Y. H. Mohammed, B. Song, R. Zhang, J. Yuan. A Unique Ir(III) Complex-based Chemosensor for Multi-Signal Detection and Multi-Channel Imaging of Hypochlorous Acid in Liver Injury. Biosensor and Bioelectronics, 2017, 87, 1005-1011.
7. L. Cao, R. Zhang, W. Zhang, Z. Du, C. Liu, Z. Ye, J. Yuan. A Ruthenium(II) Complex-Based Multisignal Chemosensor for Luminescent Bioimaging of Hypochlorous Acid. Biomaterials, 2015, 68, 21-31.
8. Q. Meng, H. Jia, P. Succar, L. Zhao, R. Zhang, C. Duan, Z. Zhang. A Highly Selective and Sensitive ON-OFF-ON Fluorescence Chemosensor for Cysteine Detection in Endoplasmic Reticulum. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2015, 74, 461-468.
9. Y. Lu, J. Zhao, R. Zhang, Y. Liu, D. Liu, E. M. Goldys, X. Yang, P. Xi, A. Sunna, J. Lu, Y. Shi, R. C. Leif , Y. Huo, J. Shen, J. A. Piper, J. P. Robinson, D. Jin. Tunable lifetime multiplexing using luminescent nanocrystals. Nature Photonics, 2014, 8, 32-36.
10. R. Zhang, B. Song, Z. Dai, Z. Ye, Y. Xiao, Y. Liu, J. Yuan. Highly sensitive and selective phosphorescent chemosensor for hypochlorous acid based on ruthenium(II) complexes. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2013, 50, 1-7