The Ministry of Science and Technology has recently announced the results of the 2025 research project evaluations. Taizhou University has secured three national-level projects, led respectively by Professor Zhao Kai, Dr. Xu Shan’gen, and Dr. Yang Kaidian. These approvals demonstrate the university’s enhanced capacity to serve national strategic needs and drive original innovation, particularly establishing distinctive strengths in vaccine development and drug delivery systems.
The three projects converge on an “AI + Materials + Immunology” research paradigm:
· Professor Zhao Kai’s project: “Preparation of Copper-Natural Product Self-Assembled Nanomedicines and Their Anti-Tumor Therapeutic Activity”—introduces AI-assisted screening and utilizes copper ion properties to construct novel nanomedicine systems, aiming to overcome tumor metabolic challenges and open new paths for low-toxicity, high-efficacy anticancer drugs.
· Dr. Xu Shangen’s project: “Construction of Novel Functionalized Nanocarriers for Targeted Delivery of Multivalent Avian Influenza mRNA Vaccines and Their Immunostimulatory Mechanisms”—builds on China-Malaysia collaboration, focusing on avian influenza prevention and control, and aims to overcome mRNA vaccine delivery bottlenecks through nanocarrier engineering, providing key technical support for broad-spectrum avian influenza vaccines.
· Dr. Yang Kaidian’s project: “AI-Assisted Screening of Natural Product Extracts as Vaccine Adjuvants and Their Immunostimulatory Mechanisms”—integrates China-Thailand resources and prior collaboration, using AI to unlock the potential of natural products and develop novel adjuvants and delivery systems suited for tropical environments, offering new strategies for green, safe, and efficient vaccine adjuvants.
The university has long prioritized scientific innovation, optimizing resource allocation, supporting high-level talent, and fostering interdisciplinary research ecosystems. The “Nanobiomaterials and Immunology Innovation Team,” led by Professor Zhao Kai and including Dr. Xu Shan’gen and Dr. Yang Kaidian, exemplifies this effort. Over the past five years, the team has undertaken 15 national and provincial research projects, including National Key R&D Programs and Zhejiang Provincial “Leading Goose” projects, and published nearly 100 papers, laying a solid foundation for these national-level grants.
These three approvals are significant outcomes of the university’s sustained innovation-driven strategy and disciplinary development. Going forward, the university will continue to strengthen organized research, unlock the potential of high-level innovation platforms, accelerate the production of original and leading research results, and better serve national strategies and regional economic development.
