Shanghai Institute of Material Medical Chinese Academy of Sciences

Biography

Dr. Tiehai Li obtained his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Biology at Nankai University in 2012. He then conducted postdoctoral research at Georgia State University under the guidance of Prof. Peng George Wang. In 2015, he joined the group of Prof. Geert-Jan Boons at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center of the University of Georgia as a postdoctoral researcher. Since Sept. 2019, he started his independent research career at Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His major research interests focus on developing efficient methods and strategies for the synthesis of biologically important glycans and glycoconjugates, as well as designing and synthesizing carbohydrate-based drugs and vaccines.

Education:

2007.09-2012.06 Ph.D. in Chemical Biology, Nankai University

2001.09-2005.06 B.S. in Chemistry, Hubei Normal University

Work Experience:

2019.09-Present Professor, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2015.04-2019.09 Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Georgia

2012.08-2015.02 Postdoctoral Fellow, Georgia State University

Research Directions

Synthesis and biological functions of glycans and glycoconjugates

Grants & Research Projects

1. National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC-22377134), Project Leader, 2024.01-2027.12

2. National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC-22077130), Project Leader, 2021.01-2024.12

Achievements

1. A diversity-oriented chemoenzymatic platform has been established for efficient synthesis of comprehensive glycan libraries to decipher functional glycomics.

2. A host-guest chemistry-mediated biomimetic chemoenzymatic approach has been developed for efficient synthesis of complex glycosphingolipids.

3. An integrated chemoenzymatic approach has been developed to streamline the assembly of complex glycopeptides in the liquid phase.

4. Modular synthesis of complex natural polysaccharides and identification of related active glycan domains have been achieved to simplify polysaccharides for biomedical applications.

5. Neutralizable fondaparinux-based ultralow and low molecular weight heparin mimetics have been designed and synthesized.

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Social Titles

Committee Member of Division of Glycobioengineering, Chinese Society of Biotechnology

Editorial Board Member of Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry

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Awards & Honors

T. Ogawa Young Investigator Award (2024)

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Pubilcations

Full Publication List

Selected Publications

Full Publication List: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3600-1828

Selected Publications

1. Yuan Ma, Yating Liu, Chang Cao, Jiarong Peng, Yinyu Jiang, Tiehai Li*. Host-Guest Chemistry-Mediated Biomimetic Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Complex Glycosphingolipids. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 6974-6982.

2. Chaoyu Hu, Fei He, Ruixue Wu, Wanqi Zhou, Wenjing Ma, Tianhui Hao, Pengjun Cai, Farong Ye, Zhuojia Xu, Hu Zhou, Ping Wang, Kan Ding*, Tiehai Li*. Precision Synthesis and Antiliver Fibrosis Activity of a Highly Branched Acidic 63-Mer Pectin Polysaccharide. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 8422-8432.

3. Wenjing Ma, Junyuan Luo, Huan Liu, Qi Du, Tianhui Hao, Yinyu Jiang, Zhengwei Huang, Lefu Lan*, Zhonghua Li*, Tiehai Li*. Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Highly O-Glycosylated MUC7 Glycopeptides for Probing Inhibitory Activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilm Formation. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2025, 64, e202424312.

4. Wenjing Ma, Zhuojia Xu, Changcai Teng, Chang Cao, Ruixue Wu, Xiao Meng, Qiang Sui, Qi Gao*, Chengli Zong *, Tiehai Li*. Enhanced Antitumor Immunity of a Globo H-Based Vaccine Enabled by the Combination Adjuvants of 3D-MPL and QS-21. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202418948.

5. Zhuojia Xu, Yating Liu, Jialin Liu, Wenjing Ma, Zhumin Zhang, Digantkumar G. Chapla, Liuqing Wen, Kelley W. Moremen, Wen Yi, Tiehai Li*. Integrated chemoenzymatic synthesis of a comprehensive sulfated ganglioside glycan library to decipher functional sulfoglycomics and sialoglycomics. Nat. Chem. 2024, 16, 881-892.

6. Tianhui Hao, Ke Feng, Hongzhen Jin, Jiawei Li, Chenkai Zhou, Xingbang Liu, Wei Zhao, Fan Yu*, Tiehai Li*. Acceptor-Reactivity-Controlled Stereoconvergent Synthesis and Immunological Activity of a Unique Pentasaccharide from the Cell Wall Polysaccharide of Cutibacterium acnes C7. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e202405297.

7. Yating Liu, Mengkun Yan, Minghui Wang, Shiwei Luo, Shasha Wang, Yawen Luo, Zhuojia Xu, Wenjing Ma, Liuqing Wen, Tiehai Li*. Stereoconvergent and Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Tumor-Associated Glycolipid Disialosyl Globopentaosylceramide for Probing the Binding Affinity of Siglec-7. ACS Cent. Sci. 2024, 10, 417-425.

8. Jie Zhao, Xinliang Liu, Jialin Liu, Farong Ye, Bingcheng Wei, Minggang Deng, Tiehai Li*, Ping Huang*, Ping Wang*. Chemical Synthesis Creates Single Glycoforms of the Ectodomain of Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Glycoprotein D. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 2615-2623.

9. Wenjing Ma, Zhuojia Xu, Yuhan Jiang, Jialin Liu, Dandan Xu, Wei Huang, Tiehai Li*. Divergent Enzymatic Assembly of a Comprehensive 64-Membered IgG N-Glycan Library for Functional Glycomics. Adv. Sci. 2023, 10, 2303832.

10. Liangwei Zhang, Yating Liu, Zhuojia Xu, Tianhui Hao, Peng George Wang, Wei Zhao, Tiehai Li*. Design and Synthesis of Neutralizable Fondaparinux. JACS Au, 2022, 2, 2791-2799.

11. Chaoyu Hu, Shengjie Wu, Fei He, Deqin Cai, Zhuojia Xu, Wenjing Ma, Yating Liu, Bangguo Wei*, Tiehai Li*, Kan Ding*. Convergent Synthesis and Anti-Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth Activity of a Highly Branched Heptadecasaccharide from Carthamus tinctorius. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202202554.

12. Wenjing Ma, Yaqi Deng, Zhuojia Xu, Xingbang Liu, Digantkumar G. Chapla, Kelley W. Moremen, Liuqing Wen, Tiehai Li*. Integrated Chemoenzymatic Approach to Streamline the Assembly of Complex Glycopeptides in the Liquid Phase. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 9057-9065.

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