Li Gongyu

Ph.D., Researcher

Gongyu Li, Ph.D., Professor, Research Center for Analytical Science, graduated from University of Science and Technology of China, born in Yudu, Jiangxi Province.

Special Talent：NSFC Outstanding Young Scholars
Address：Room B229, Research Center for Analytical Science, 94 Weijin Road, Nankai University, Tianjin.
Telephone：
Email：ligongyu@nankai.edu.cn

Research Group Website：https://www.x-mol.com/groups/gongyu_li
Research Interest：Protein stereochemistry and structural mass spectrometry.

History：

2008.09-2012.06, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, B.S.

2012.09-2017.06, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Ph.D.

2017.08-2021.01, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Postdoctoral Research Associate

2016.04-2016.08, Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Visiting Student

2021.02-now, College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tenure Track Assistant Professor

Honors and Awards

Tianjin Association for Science and Technology Advanced Society Worker (2023);

Chief Scientist for the National Key R&D Program of China - Youth Program (2022);

NSFC Outstanding Young Scholars (2022);

Member of Tianjin Chromatography Research Association (2021);

ASMS Postdoctoral Career Development Award (2019);

Finalists for FACSS Innovation Award (2019).

Scientific Achievements & Selected Publications

While significant strides have been made in mapping the protein profiles of various cancers, the early diagnosis and intervention of neurodegenerative diseases remain a formidable challenge. This is largely due to the absence of reliable, long-term biomarkers that can track the entire disease lifecycle. To address this, the Li Research Group at Nankai University has developed an analytical platform utilizing native ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS). This system, named High-Performance Conformation-Resolved Mass Spectrometry, is designed for the cross-scale amplification and chiral differentiation of proteins at the proteome level. The methodology enables the identification of stereoisomeric protein modifications, which are not readily resolved by conventional mass spectrometry. Using this platform, the group has systematically documented the widespread presence of D-stereoisomerization across the human proteome. The research has elucidated protein stereochemistry-structure-activity relationships for specific biomarker proteins, including the identification of a domain-dependent inhibitory effect on protein aggregation. Furthermore, a correlation between these modifications and the progression of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and lung adenocarcinoma has been demonstrated. The findings have potential applications in the elucidation of pathological mechanisms, early molecular stratification, personalized prognostics, and the identification of therapeutic targets.

Selected Publications:

1. Weida Qin, Ruomeng Li, Juan Liu, Jun Liu, Xiaoli Wang, Binbin Hu, Zhen Zheng, Zhilin Yu and Gongyu Li*. Spatially Constrained Disulfide Bond Shuffling Delays Insulin Aggregation and Enhances Neurotoxicity. Nat. Commun. 2025, 16, 6841.

2. Xiaoli Wang, Tingting Liang, Anran Jin, Chenao Zhang, Jiaxin Zhou, Mingrui Li, Ziyi Sun and Gongyu Li*. C-terminal Radical Oxidation Inhibits α-Synuclein Aggregation and Cytotoxicity Via an Oxidative Oligomer-disrupting Pathway. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 26, 23136-23144.

3. Yamei Wang, Dongbei Jin, Lifang Ren, Ning Wang, Yifei Jia, Zhen Zheng, Wensheng Cai, Haohao Fu* and Gongyu Li*. Sialylation Shields Glycoproteins from Oxidative Stress: Mechanistic Insights into Sialic Acid Oxidation and Structural Stability. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 7, 5828-5838.

4. Jun Liu, Xiaoli Wang, Xiangjun Si, Rui Zhao, Weida Qin, and Gongyu Li*. Time-resolved In-cell Protein Interactions and Structural Dynamics via Rapid Buffer Online Exchange-Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, e18076.

5. Ruochen Guo, Ning Wang, Weishu Wang, Zeyu Zhang, Wendi Luo, Yushi Wang, Haiqin Du, Yifei Xu,Gongyu Li*, and Zhilin Yu*. Artificial Peptide-Protein Necrosomes Promote Cell Death. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202314578.

6. Xia Xu, Weida Qin, Haohao Fu, Ruomeng Li, Chunxiao Chen, Baofa Sun, Daiwen Pang, Xueguang Shao and Gongyu Li*. High-Coverage Stereoproteome Mapping Uncovers Pervasive Protein Stereoisomerization Associated with Neurodegeneration. Anal. Chem. 2025, 97, 14, 7814-7824.

7. Yifei Jia, Yichang Liu, Yamei Wang, Jinyu Li* and Gongyu Li*. Sialylation-Induced Stabilization of Dynamic Glycoprotein Conformations Unveiled by Time-Aligned Parallel Unfolding and Glycan Releasing Mass Spectrometry. Chem. Sci. 2024, 15, 14431-14439.

8. Xia Xu, Li Han, Zhen Zheng*, Rui Zhao, Lingjun Li, Xueguang Shao, Gongyu Li*. Composite Multidimensional Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry for Improved Differentiation of Stereochemical Modifications. Anal. Chem. 2023, 95, 2221-2228.

9. Jun Liu, Zhen Zheng, Ning Wang and Gongyu Li*. Plasma-Droplet Fusion-Mass Spectrometry Reveals Sub-Millisecond Protein Unfolding Dynamics Induced by Reactive Oxygen Species. Anal. Chem. 2024, 96, 6, 2292-2296.

10. Zhen Zheng, Min Ma, Yifei Jia, Yusi Cui, Rui Zhao, Shuangshuang Li, Cody Wenthur*, Lingjun Li* and Gongyu Li*. Expedited Evaluation of Conformational Stability-Heterogeneity Associations for Crude Polyclonal Antibodies in Response to Conjugate Vaccines. Anal. Chem. 2023, 95, 29, 10895-10902.

Professional Cultivation

The Gongyu Li Research Group focuses on the cutting-edge direction of Conformation-resolved Mass Spectrometry for Protein Stereochemistry Mapping, and has been active over a decade in the field of structural mass spectrometry. Targeting the international analytical challenge posed by protein chiral isomers—characterized by unchanged molecular weight, minimal local structural differences, and ultrafast dynamic conformational changes—Dr. Li has established the theoretical basis for large-scale separation of protein chiral variants and constructed a methodological framework for their untargeted analysis. This achievement breaks the long-standing international technical barrier that hindered the large-scale identification of chiral isomers via traditional mass spectrometry, pioneering the first-of-its-kind untargeted panoramic analysis of stereoisomers at the proteome scale worldwide. Furthermore, the applicant has preliminarily elucidated the critical regulatory mechanisms of protein chiral isomerization in neurodegenerative diseases.

Over the past five years, Dr. Li has published 25 research papers as corresponding author in prestigious journals including Nat. Commun., J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Chem. Sci. and Anal. Chem. Additionally, Dr. Li has filed 8 national invention patents and software copyrights (3 granted to date). Dr. Li has presided over key research projects such as the National Key R&D Program of China (Young Scientist Project, 2022) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Excellent Young Overseas Scholars (2021), with total funding of nearly 10 million RMB for projects led in the past five years.

Honors and awards include the Outstanding Society Worker title conferred by the Tianjin Association for Science and Technology (2023) and the ASMS Postdoctoral Career Development Award (2019). Dr. Li holds academic committee positions including Member of the Proteomics Division of the Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Member of the Mass Spectrometry Division of the China Association for Instrumental Analysis, and Standing Member of the Toxicological Analysis Division. The applicant also serves as Young Editorial Board Member for journals such as Chinese Chemical Letters.

Beyond research, Dr. Li has co-authored 2 monographs on analytical chemistry, acted as a core faculty member for the Ministry of Education’s Chemistry 101 Program, and co-initiated and organized a series of domestic forums on cutting-edge structural mass spectrometry, making significant contributions to advancing the field of structural mass spectrometry in China.

English