Meet the Editors: Zongwei Cai

Abstract

We are developing and applying a mass spectrometry-based platform of metabolomics and proteomics to study biomarkers associated with human health and diseases caused by environmental organic pollutants. I learnt about MS in an undergraduate course on “Instrument Analysis” when I studied in the Department of Chemistry, Xiamen University, in 1981. I am particularly interested in chemical analysis. I used mass spectrometry to analyze impurities in chemical products. The first mass spectrometer I used for my research was a magnetic sector high-resolution instrument (VG-7070E) coupled with a gas chromatograph. I was involved in a project for the analysis of impurities in synthesized chemical products. GC/HRMS provided excellent capability for the separation and identification of these impurities. Environmental and food safety, because this directly relates to human health. My PhD studies (1987–1990) in Marburg, Germany, focused on the trace analysis of byproducts and degradation products of trinitrotoluene (TNT) in groundwater by GC/MS. We synthesized more than 20 isotopically labelled internal standards and used them for quantification. My post-doc research (1991–1994) in Nebraska, USA, involved the trace analyses of dioxins in crab tissue, and atrazine (a major herbicide) and its degradation products in groundwater. We used GC/HRMS, FAB-MS and later LC/MS. A reasonable size research group with inspiration and interest in research topics. For their PhD studies, students not only need to work hard, but also smartly. I would advise students to spend a significant amount of time in the laboratory because of the nature of chemistry or biochemistry research. On the other hand, I also suggest they spend a lot of time in searching, reading and summarizing the literature. Therefore, I would not limit my PhD study time to 9am to 5pm and 5 days/week. In particular for MS analysis, I expect my students to give great effort to sample preparation including extraction and cleanup, and to ‘play’ with the instrument for method optimization. I often tell students that sensitivity increase from this instrument to that instrument is not the most important. Currently, I would highlight the clinical applications. But in addition to this area, other ‘exciting topics’ to me continue to be environmental and food safety. I have always dreamed of seeing MS analysis going to our living community or society for environmental and food safety. Given the minimization in the size of instruments and possible reduction in price (could also be due to mass production), I believe this would not be impossible. I enjoy playing and watching most sports. I like swimming, playing ping pong, badminton, volleyball and basketball (not now though) and many others including Chinese chess and card games. I enjoy watching sport games when I have time, and cheering for my favourite teams. I watched football (soccer) games often with beer drinking when I was in Germany, the American college football games when in Nebraska (Go Huskers!), and of course Ping Pong and Badminton for Chinese teams. I would spend more time with my family and would travel. My daughter and son currently work in San Francisco, while my wife and I live in Hong Kong. We like traveling worldwide for good sightseeing and beautiful natural landscapes. I would say movie directors simply because I loved watching movies when I was a kid. Movie direction inspires me because of the creativities involved.