Faculty
Dr. Tian Ruijun is a Chair Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Southern University of Science and Technology, a recipient of the National Outstanding Young Scientist Fund, director of the Center for Chemical Biology and Omics Analysis, director of the Technology Transfer Center at Southern University of Science and Technology, vice president of the Guangming Institute for Advanced Studies, and an adjunct professor at the First Affiliated Hospital of Southern University of Science and Technology. He is also the vice president of the China National Proteomics Organization (CNHUPO), vice president of the Chromatography Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society, etc. In 2008, he obtained a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He later pursued postdoctoral research at Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology in University of Ottawa and Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in University of Toronto / Mount Sinai Hospital. Since 2014, he has been appointed in the Department of Chemistry at Southern University of Science and Technology, focusing on methodological and technological research in proteomics, with an emphasis on its application in biomedical directions such as cell signal transduction and the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer. He has published over a hundred papers in leading academic journals, including Nature, Nat. Chem. Biol., Cell Chem. Biol., PNAS, Nat. Commun., Mol. Cell. Proteomics, and Anal. Chem. He has received several awards, including the 2012 Young Investigator Award from the International Association for Proteins Structure Analysis and Proteomics (IAPSAP), the Outstanding Youth Fund of Guangdong Province, and a distinguished professorship from Shenzhen's Pengcheng Scholar program. He has led team grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics in Shenzhen. He has served as the co-executive chair for the 23rd National Chromatography Academic Conference of the Chinese Chemical Society, the 5th Sino-Canadian Systems Biology Symposium, and the 2nd Youth Scholars Symposium of the China National Proteomics Organization (CNHUPO). He also serves on the editorial boards of journals such as Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry and Chinese Journal of Chromatography, and as guest editor for Current Opinion in Chemical Biology.
Undertaken Research Projects：
1. Spatial visual proteomics for tumor microenvironment analysis; China State Key Basic Research Program; 2024.12-2029.11 (Role: PI)
2. Multidimensional discovery and characterization of dynamic modifications of key protein complexes in the tumor microenvironment; National Natural Science Foundation of China; 2023.01-2025.123(Role: PI)
3. Separation and mass spectrometry of complex biological samples; National Natural Science Foundation of China; Outstanding Youth Science Fund; 2022.01-2026.12 (Role: PI)
4. Shenzhen key laboratory of functional proteomics; 2024.02-2026.02 (Role: PI)
5. Multi-omics profiling of novel targets and molecular mechanisms in tumor drug resistance,
Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission; Major Science and Technology Project, 2025.03-2028.03 (Role: PI)
Selected Publications：
Invited reviews:
1. P. W. Huang,? W. N. Gao,? C. Y. Fu,? R. J. Tian,* Functional and clinical proteomic exploration of pancreatic cancer, Mol. Cell. Proteomics, 2023,22, 100575. (Invited Reviews)
2. Z. Y. Liu,? X. Chen,? S. R. Yang, R. J. Tian,* F. J. Wang,* Integrated mass spectrometry strategy for functional protein complex discovery and structural characterization, Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol., 2023,74, 102305. (Invited Reviews)
3. Y. H. Mao, X. Wang, P. W. Huang, R. J. Tian,* Spatial proteomics for understanding the tissue microenvironment, Analyst, 2021, 146, 3777-3798. (Invited Reviews)
4. J. N. Zheng,? X. Chen,? Y. Yang, C. S. H. Tan, R. J. Tian,* Mass spectrometry-based protein complex profiling in time and space, Anal. Chem., 2021, 93, 598–619. (Invited Reviews)
5. X. T. Ye,? J. Tang,? Y. H. Mao,? X. Lu, Y. Yang, W. D. Chen, X. Y. Zhang, R. L. Xu, R. J. Tian,* Integrated proteomics sample preparation and fractionation: method development and applications, TrAC Trends Anal. Chem., 2019, 120, 115667. (Highlighted as Front Cover)
6. R. J. Tian,* Exploring intercellular signaling by proteomic approaches, Proteomics, 2014, 14, 498-512. (Invited Reviews)
Research articles:
1. Y. H. Mao,? Y. Li,? Z. D. Zheng,? Y. F. Xu,? M. Ke, A. He, F. C. Liang, K. R. Zhang, X. Wang, W. N. Gao, R. J. Tian,* All-at-once spatial proteome profiling of complex tissue context with single-cell-type resolution by proximity proteomics, Cell Systems, 2025 May 5:101291.
2. P. W. Huang,? W. N. Gao,? C. Y. Fu,? M. Wang,? Y. G. Li,? B. Z. Chu, A. He, Y. Li, X. M. Deng, Y. H. Zhang, Q. Kong, J. X. Yuan, H. B. Wang, Y. Shi,* D. Gao,* R. Y. Qin,* T. Hunter, R. J. Tian,* Clinical functional proteomics of intercellular signaling in pancreatic cancer, Nature, 2025, 637, 726–735.
3.Y. F. Xu,? X. Wang,? Y. Li,? Y. H. Mao,? Y. R. Su, Y. Z. Mao, Y. Yang, W. N. Gao, C. Y. Fu, W. D. Chen, X. T. Ye, F. C. Liang, P. Z. Bai, Y. Sun, S. P. Li, R. L. Xu, R. J. Tian,* Multimodal single cell-resolved spatial proteomics reveal pancreatic tumor heterogeneity, Nat. Commun., 2024, 15, 10100.
4. Y. H. Mao,? Y. Chen,? Y. Li,? L. D. Ma,? X. Wang, Q. Wang, A. He, X. Liu, T. Y. Dong, W. N. Gao, Y. F. Xu, L. Liu, L. Ren, Q. Liu, P. Zhou, B. Hu, Y. W. Zhou,* R. J. Tian,* Z. L. Shi,* Deep spatial proteomics reveals region-specific features of severe COVID-19-related pulmonary injury, Cell Reports, 2024, 43, 2,113689.
5. Q. Wu,? J. N. Zheng,? X. T. Sui,? C. Y. Fu,? X. Z. Cui, B. Liao, H. C. Ji, Y. Luo, A. He, X. Lu, C. S. H. Tan,* R. J. Tian,* High-throughput drug target discovery by fully automated proteomics sample preparation platform, Chemical Science, 2024, 15, 2833-2847.
6.Y. C. Weng,? W. D. Chen,? Q. Kong,? R. X. Wang, R. X. Zeng, A. He, Y. J. Liu, Y. H. Mao, Y. Q. Qin, W. S. C. Ngai, H. Zhang, M. Ke, J. Wnag, R. J. Tian,* P. R. Chen,* DeKinomics pulse-chases kinase functions in living cells, Nat. Chem. Biol., 2024, 20, 615-623.
7. J. N. Zheng,?* Z. D. Zheng,? C. Y. Fu,? Y. C. Weng, A. He, X. T. Ye, W. N. Gao, R. J. Tian,* Deciphering intercellular signaling complexes by interaction-guided chemical proteomics, Nat. Commun., 2023, 14, 4138.
8. X. Chen,? S. P. Ji,? Z. Y. Liu, X. Yuan, C. S. Xu, R. X. Qi, A. He, H. Zhao, H. P. Song, C. L. Xiao, W. N. Gao, P. Chen, R. Luo, P. F. Li,* F. J. Wang,* X. M. Yang, R. J. Tian,* Motif-dependent immune co-receptor interactome profiling by photoaffinity chemical proteomics, Cell Chem. Biol., 2022, 29, 1024-1036.
9. M. Ke,? X. Yuan,? A. He, P.Y. Yu, W.D. Chen, Y. Shi, T. Hunter, P. Zou, R. J. Tian,* Spatiotemporal Profiling of Cytosolic Signaling Complexes in Living Cells by Selective Proximity Proteomics, Nat. Commun., 2021, 12, 71.
10. Y. Shi,* W. N. Gao, N. K. Lytle, P. W. Huang, X. Yuan, A. M. Dann, M. Ridinger, K. E. DelGiorno, G. Erikson, H. Y. Sun, J. Meisenhelder, E. Terenziani, P. Santisakultarm, U. Manor, R. L. Xu, M. Leblanc, S. E. Umetsu, E. A. Collisson, A. M. Lowy, T. Reya, T. R. Donahue, M. Downes, G. M. Wahl, R. M. Evans, T. Pawson, R. J. Tian,* T. Hunter,* Targeting LIF-mediated paracrine interaction for pancreatic cancer therapy and monitoring, Nature, 2019, 569, 131-135.
11. B. Z. Chu,? A. He,? Y. T. Tian, W. He, P. Z. Chen, J. T. Hu, R. L. Xu, W. B. Zhou, M. J. Zhang, P. Y. Yang, S. S. C. Li, Y. Sun,* P. F. Li,* T. Hunter, R. J. Tian,* Photoaffinity-engineered protein scaffold for systematically exploring Native phosphotyrosine signaling complexes in tumor samples. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2018, 115, E8863-E8872.
12. R. J. Tian,*? H. P. Wang,? G. D. Gish, E. Petsalaki, A. Pasculescu, Y. Shi, M. Mollenauer, R. D. Bagshaw, N. Yosef, T. Hunter, A. Gingras, A. Weiss,* T. Pawson, A combinatorial proteomic analysis of intercellular signaling applied to the CD28 T cell co-stimulatory receptor, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. , 2015, 112, E1594–E1603.
13. Q. Kong,? M. Ke,? Y. C. Weng, Y. Q. Qin, A. He, P. F. Li,* Z. W. Cai,* R. J. Tian,* Dynamic phosphotyrosine-dependent signaling profiling in living cells by two-dimensional proximity proteomics, J. Proteome Res., 2022, 21, 2727–2735.
14. Q. Kong,? Y. C. Weng,? Z. D. Zheng, W. D. Chen, P. F. Li,* Z. W. Cai,* R. J. Tian,* Integrated and high-throughput approach for sensitive analysis of tyrosine phosphoproteome, Anal. Chem., 2022, 94, 40, 13728–13736.
15. Y. H. Mao,? P. Z. Chen,? M. Ke, X. Chen, S. P. Ji, W. D. Chen, R. J. Tian,* Fully integrated and multiplexed sample preparation technology for sensitive interactome profiling, Anal. Chem., 2021, 93, 5, 3026–3034.
16. P. W. Huang, Q. Kong, W. N. Gao, B. Z. Chu, H. Li, Y. H. Mao, Z. W. Cai, R. L. Xu, R. J. Tian,* Spatial proteome profiling by immunohistochemistry-based laser capture microdissection and data-independent acquisition proteomics, Anal. Chim. Acta, 2020, 1127, 140-148.
17. Q. Kong,? P. W. Huang,? B. Z. Chu, M. Ke, W. D. Chen, Z. D. Zheng, S. P. Ji, Z. W. Cai, P. F. Li, and R. J. Tian,* High-throughput and integrated chemical proteomic approach for profiling phosphotyrosine signaling complexes, Anal. Chem., 2020, 92, 8933-8942.
18. X. Lu,? Z. K. Wang,? Y. Gao, W. D. Chen, L. J. Wang, P. W. Huang, W. N. Gao, M. Ke, A. He, and R. J. Tian,* Autoproteome chip system for fully automated and integrated proteomics sample preparation and peptide fractionation, Anal. Chem., 2020, 92, 8893-8900.
19. P. W. Huang, H. J. Li, W. N. Gao, Z. W. Cai,* R. J. Tian,* A fully integrated spintip-based approach for sensitive and quantitative profiling of region-resolved in vivo brain glycoproteome, Anal. Chem., 2019, 91, 9181-9189.
20. R. L. Xu,? J. Tang,? Q. T. Deng, W. He, X. J. Sun, L. Xia, Z. Q. Cheng, L. S. He, S. Y. You, J. T. Hu, Y. X. Fu, J. Zhu, Y. X. Chen, W. N. Gao, A. He, Z. Y. Guo, L. Lin, H. Li, C. F. Hu, R. J. Tian,* Spatial-resolution cell type proteome profiling of cancer tissue by fully integrated proteomics technology, Anal. Chem., 2018, 90, 5879?5886.
21. W. D. Chen, S. Wang, S. Adhikari, Z. H. Deng, L. J. Wang, L. Chen, M. Ke, P. Y. Yang, R. J. Tian,* Simple and integrated spintip-based technology applied for deep proteome profiling, Anal. Chem., 2016, 88, 4864-4871.