Jenny Zhang (chemist) explained

Jenny Zhang
Birth Name:Jenny Zhenqi Zhang[1]
Thesis Title:Enhancing the Tumour Penetration of Anti-Cancer Platinum Complexes
Thesis Url:https://sydney.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61USYD_INST/1c0ug48/alma991014840599705106
Thesis Year:2011
Awards:RSC Felix Franks Biotechnology Medal, 2020
Workplaces:University of Sydney
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
University of Cambridge
Doctoral Advisor:Trevor Hambley[2]

Jenny Zhenqi Zhang is a Chinese-Australian chemist and BBSRC David Phillips Research Fellow of the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, where she is also a Fellow of Corpus Christi College (2019-present). She was awarded the 2020 RSC Felix Franks Biotechnology Medal for her research into re-wiring photosynthesis to provide sustainable fuel sources.[3]

Early life and education

Zhang was born in China, and moved to Gosford on the Central Coast (New South Wales), Australia at age eight.[4] [5] She credits her mother's stories explaining the scientific basis of various phenomena with stimulating her interest in science.[6] She moved to Sydney to attend the University of Sydney, where she completed a Bachelor of Science (Advanced) in 2007 and a PhD in Chemistry under the supervision of Professor Trevor Hambley in 2011.[7] [8] During her PhD, Zhang also briefly worked at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.[9]

Career and research

Zhang's doctoral research was in the area of bioinorganic chemistry,[10] and she worked on the development of a platinum-based library of chemotherapeutic candidates featuring anthraquinone ligands and redox activity. This involved using a variety of imaging techniques (including those based on synchrotron radiation) to study the biological distributions and metabolism of the chemotherapeutics in 3D solid tumour models,[11] [12] [13] and synthetic strategies to generate new examples of such complexes.[14]

Zhang sought a change in research field following her PhD,[15] and in 2013 she joined the group of Professor Erwin Reisner at the University of Cambridge as a postdoctoral fellow after receiving a Marie Skłodowska-Curie International Fellowship,[16] also becoming a Research Associate of St John's College.[17] This brought her into sustainability research, in particular artificial photosynthesis.[18] [19] Her postdoctoral research involved developing ways to wire oxidoreductases to electrodes and use photosynthesis to generate a sustainable biofuel, especially photosystem II.[20] [21] [22]

In 2018, Zhang was awarded a BBSRC David Phillips Fellowship to start her own, independent research group in the Department of Chemistry at Cambridge.[23] [24] In her independent career, she has continued to work on the re-wiring of photosynthesis but now focuses on doing so in live cells.[25] [26] She also became a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, where she is now Director of Studies in Natural Sciences Chemistry.[27] Zhang was recognised for her contributions to semi-artificial photosynthesis with the award of the Felix Franks Biotechnology Medal from the RSC in 2020.[28]

Notes and References

  1. Mersch . Dirk . Lee . Chong-Yong . Zhang . Jenny Zhenqi . Brinkert . Katharina . Fontecilla-Camps . Juan C. . Rutherford . A. William . Reisner . Erwin . Wiring of Photosystem II to Hydrogenase for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting . . 8 July 2015 . 137 . 26 . 8541–8549 . 10.1021/jacs.5b03737 . 26046591 . 0002-7863. free .
  2. News: Dr Jenny Zhang Fellow in Chemistry . 10 November 2021 . . 31 . 2019 . 13.
  3. Web site: Biotechnology Group Awards Felix Franks Biotechnology Medal . . 11 November 2021.
  4. Web site: University of Cambridge Department of Chemistry . Dr Jenny Zhang - Replicating photosynthesis through electro-chemistry . . 10 November 2021 . en . June 15, 2020. Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry .
  5. News: Dr Jenny Zhang Fellow in Chemistry . 10 November 2021 . . 31 . 2019 . 13.
  6. Web site: Jenny Zhang Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry . www.ch.cam.ac.uk . . 10 November 2021 . May 2018.
  7. Web site: ORCID: Jenny Zhang . orcid.org . . 10 November 2021.
  8. News: Dr Jenny Zhang Fellow in Chemistry . 10 November 2021 . . 31 . 2019 . 13.
  9. Web site: Dr Jenny Zhang The Zhang Group . www.ch.cam.ac.uk . . 10 November 2021 . en.
  10. Web site: Dr Jenny Zhang The Zhang Group . www.ch.cam.ac.uk . . 10 November 2021 . en.
  11. Web site: Jenny Zhang Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry . www.ch.cam.ac.uk . . 10 November 2021 . May 2018.
  12. Zhang . Jenny Z. . Bryce . Nicole S. . Siegele . Rainer . Carter . Elizabeth A. . Paterson . David . de Jonge . Martin D. . Howard . Daryl L. . Ryan . Chris G. . Hambley . Trevor W. . The use of spectroscopic imaging and mapping techniques in the characterisation and study of DLD-1 cell spheroid tumour models . . 21 August 2012 . 4 . 9 . 1072–1080 . 10.1039/c2ib20121f . 22858723 . 10 November 2021.
  13. Zhang . Jenny Z. . Bryce . Nicole S. . Lanzirotti . Antonio . Chen . Catherine K. J. . Paterson . David . de Jonge . Martin D. . Howard . Daryl L. . Hambley . Trevor W. . Getting to the core of platinum drug bio-distributions: the penetration of anti-cancer platinum complexes into spheroid tumour models . . 2012 . 4 . 11 . 1209–1217 . 10.1039/c2mt20168b . 23086354 . free .
  14. Zhang . Jenny Z. . Bonnitcha . Paul . Wexselblatt . Ezequiel . Klein . Alice V. . Najajreh . Yousef . Gibson . Dan . Hambley . Trevor W. . Facile Preparation of Mono-, Di- and Mixed-Carboxylato Platinum(IV) Complexes for Versatile Anticancer Prodrug Design . . 28 January 2013 . 19 . 5 . 1672–1676 . 10.1002/chem.201203159 . 23255183 . 10 November 2021.
  15. Richards . Victoria . The chemical ladies . . 1 May 2020 . 3 . 1 . 54 . 10.1038/s42004-020-0296-z . 36703420 . 9814599 . 217168663 . en . 2399-3669. free .
  16. News: Dr Jenny Zhang Fellow in Chemistry . 10 November 2021 . . 31 . 2019 . 13.
  17. Web site: Dr Jenny Zhang to set up independent research group investigating renewable energy generation by biofilms StJohns . www.joh.cam.ac.uk . . 10 November 2021 . January 18, 2018.
  18. Web site: Dr Jenny Zhang The Zhang Group . www.ch.cam.ac.uk . . 10 November 2021 . en.
  19. Web site: Jenny Zhang Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry . www.ch.cam.ac.uk . . 10 November 2021 . May 2018.
  20. Zhang . Jenny Z. . Reisner . Erwin . Author Correction: Advancing photosystem II photoelectrochemistry for semi-artificial photosynthesis . . July 2020 . 4 . 7 . 381 . 10.1038/s41570-020-0193-0 . 218605705 . en . 2397-3358. free .
  21. Kornienko . Nikolay . Zhang . Jenny Z. . Sokol . Katarzyna P. . Lamaison . Sarah . Fantuzzi . Andrea . van Grondelle . Rienk . Rutherford . A. William . Reisner . Erwin . Oxygenic Photoreactivity in Photosystem II Studied by Rotating Ring Disk Electrochemistry . . 26 December 2018 . 140 . 51 . 17923–17931 . 10.1021/jacs.8b08784 . 30188698 . 6311681 . 52171045 .
  22. Zhang . Jenny Z. . Bombelli . Paolo . Sokol . Katarzyna P. . Fantuzzi . Andrea . Rutherford . A. William . Howe . Christopher J. . Reisner . Erwin . Photoelectrochemistry of Photosystem II in Vitro vs in Vivo . . 10 January 2018 . 140 . 1 . 6–9 . 10.1021/jacs.7b08563 . 28915035 . 5765535 . 34100212 . 0002-7863.
  23. Web site: David Phillips fellows . bbsrc.ukri.org . 10 November 2021 . en.
  24. Web site: Dr Jenny Zhang . GapSummit 2020 . 10 November 2021.
  25. Wey . Laura T. . Lawrence . Joshua M. . Chen . Xiaolong . Clark . Robert . Lea-Smith . David J. . Zhang . Jenny Z. . Howe . Christopher J. . A biophotoelectrochemical approach to unravelling the role of cyanobacterial cell structures in exoelectrogenesis . . 1 November 2021 . 395 . 139214 . 10.1016/j.electacta.2021.139214 . 10 November 2021 . en . 0013-4686.
  26. Clifford . Eleanor R. . Bradley . Robert W. . Wey . Laura T. . Lawrence . Joshua M. . Chen . Xiaolong . Howe . Christopher J. . Zhang . Jenny Z. . Phenazines as model low-midpoint potential electron shuttles for photosynthetic bioelectrochemical systems . . 11 March 2021 . 12 . 9 . 3328–3338 . 10.1039/D0SC05655C. 34164103 . 8179378 . en . 2041-6539.
  27. Web site: Dr Jenny Zhang . Corpus Christi College University of Cambridge . . 10 November 2021 . en . 10 December 2018.
  28. Web site: Zhang recognised for re-wiring photosynthesis research Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry . www.ch.cam.ac.uk . . 10 November 2021 . en.

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