Updated on 2025/01/24

写真a

 
ZOU YAJUAN
 
Organization
Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science Special-Appointment Assistant Professor
Position
Special-Appointment Assistant Professor
External link

Degree

  • 博士（人間・環境学） （ 2021 京都大学 ）

Research Interests

  • nanoparticle; surface functionalization; nano-bio interaction; drug delivery; quantum sensing; nanothermometer; photonics

Research Areas

  • Nanotechnology/Materials / Nanobioscience

  • Nanotechnology/Materials / Nanometer-scale chemistry

Education

  • 京都大学 大学院人間・環境学研究科 相関環境学専攻    

    2018 - 2021

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  • 上海交通大学 生命科学研究科 生物化学・分子生物学専攻    

    2004 - 2007

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  • 天津大学 化学工学院 化学工学科    

    2000 - 2004

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Research History

  • Okayama University

    2021

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  • 上海交通大学   エンジニア

    2010 - 2017

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  • 上海交通大学   アシスタントエンジニア

    2007 - 2010

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Professional Memberships

 

Papers

  • Graphene Oxide as a Self‐Carbocatalyst to Facilitate the Ring‐Opening Polymerization of Glycidol for Efficient Polyglycerol Grafting Reviewed

    Yajuan Zou, Kentaro Ohkura, Israel Ortiz‐Anaya, Ryota Kimura, Alberto Bianco, Yuta Nishina

    Chemistry – A European Journal   2025.1

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    Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Wiley  

    Abstract

    Grafting carbon‐based nanomaterials (CNMs) with polyglycerol (PG) improves their application potentials in biomedicine and electronics. Although “grafting from” method offers advantages over “grafting to” one in terms of operability and versatility, little is known about the reaction process of glycidol with the surface groups onto CNMs. By using graphene oxide (GO) as a multi‐functional model material, we examined the reactivity of the surface groups on GO toward glycidol molecules via a set of model reactions. We reveal that carboxyl groups spontaneously react with the epoxide ring with no need of catalyst, while GO catalyzes the reactions of hydroxyl groups with the epoxide of glycidol. In addition, the hydroxyl group of glycidol can open the epoxide in the basal plane of GO. The subsequent polymerization of PG is supposed to propagate at the primary and/or the secondary hydroxyl groups, generating a ramified PG macromolecule with random branch‐on‐branch topology. In addition, ketones, benzyl esters and aromatic ethers are found not to react with glycidol even in the presence of GO, while the aldehydes are easily oxidized into carboxyl groups under ambient condition, behaving then as the carboxyl groups. Our findings pose the foundation for understanding the polymerization mechanism of PG on CNMs.

    DOI： 10.1002/chem.202404400

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  • Size, polyglycerol grafting, and net surface charge of iron oxide nanoparticles determine their interaction and toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans. International journal

    Yajuan Zou, Yutaka Shikano, Yuta Nishina, Naoki Komatsu, Eriko Kage-Nakadai, Masazumi Fujiwara

    Chemosphere   142060 - 142060   2024.4

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    Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

    The widespread application of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) in environmental remediation has raised public concerns about their toxicity to aquatic organisms. Although appropriate surface modification can mitigate the ecotoxicity of NPs, the lack of polymer coating to inhibit toxicity completely and the insufficient knowledge about charge effect hinder the development of safe nanomaterials. Herein, we explored the potential of polyglycerol (PG) functionalization in alleviating the environmental risks of NPs. Iron oxide NPs (ION) of 20, 100, and 200 nm sizes (IONS, IONM and IONL, respectively) were grafted with PG to afford ION-PG. We examined the interaction of ION and ION-PG with Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) and found that PG suppressed non-specific interaction of ION with C. elegans to reduce their accumulation and to inhibit their translocation. Particularly, IONS-PG was completely excluded from worms of all developmental stages. By covalently introducing sulfate, carboxyl and amino groups onto IONS-PG, we further demonstrated that positively charged IONS-PG-NH3+ induced high intestinal accumulation, cuticle adhesion and distal translocation, whereas the negatively charged IONS-PG-OSO3- and IONS-PG-COO- were excreted out. Consequently, no apparent deleterious effects on brood size and life span were observed in worms treated by IONS-PG and IONS-PG bearing negatively charged groups. This study presents new surface functionalization approaches for developing ecofriendly nanomaterials.

    DOI： 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142060

    PubMed

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  • The use of covalent reactions to improve the biomedical applications of carbon nanomaterials Invited Reviewed

    Yajuan Zou, Yuta Nishina, Alberto Bianco

    Carbon Reports   2 ( 4 )   185 - 198   2023.12

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    Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：The Carbon Society of Japan  

    DOI： 10.7209/carbon.020405

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  • Polyglycerol Functionalized B-10 Enriched Boron Carbide Nanoparticle as an Effective Bimodal Anticancer Nanosensitizer for Boron Neutron Capture and Photothermal Therapies International journal

    Yuquan Wang, Giacomo Reina, Heon Gyu Kang, Xiaoxiao Chen, Yajuan Zou, Yoshie Ishikawa, Minoru Suzuki, Naoki Komatsu

    Small   18 ( 37 )   2204044 - 2204044   2022.8

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    Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Wiley  

    Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a non-invasive cancer treatment with little adverse effect utilizing nuclear fission of 10 B upon neutron irradiation. While neutron source has been developed from a nuclear reactor to a compact accelerator, only two kinds of drugs, boronophenylalanine and sodium borocaptate, have been clinically used for decades despite their low tumor specificity and/or retentivity. To overcome these challenges, various boron-containing nanomaterials, or "nanosensitizers", have been designed based on micelles, (bio)polymers and inorganic nanoparticles. Among them, inorganic nanoparticles such as boron carbide can include a much higher 10 B content, but successful in vivo applications are very limited. Additionally, recent reports on the photothermal effect of boron carbide are motivating for the addition of another modality of photothermal therapy. In this study, 10 B enriched boron carbide (10 B4 C) nanoparticle is functionalized with polyglycerol (PG), giving 10 B4 C-PG with enough dispersibility in a physiological environment. Pharmacokinetic experiments show that 10 B4 C-PG fulfills the following three requirements for BNCT; 1) low intrinsic toxicity, 2) 10 B in tumor/tumor tissue (wt/wt) ≥ 20 ppm, and 3) 10 B concentrations in tumor/blood ≥ 3. In vivo study reveals that neutron irradiation after intravenous administration of 10 B4 C-PG suppresses cancer growth significantly and eradicates cancer with the help of near-infrared light irradiation.

    DOI： 10.1002/smll.202204044

    PubMed

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    Other Link： https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/smll.202204044

  • Organic chemistry for nanodiamond: Controlled functionalization, quantitative characterization and structure-property relationships Invited Reviewed

    Yajuan Zou, Masahiro Nishikawa, Naoki Komatsu

    Carbon Reports   1 ( 2 )   70 - 78   2022.6

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    Authorship：Lead author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：The Carbon Society of Japan  

    DOI： 10.7209/carbon.010204

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Presentations

  • Polyglycerol Grafting Shields Nanoparticle from Protein Corona Formation to Avoid Macrophage Uptake Invited

    ZOU Yajuan

    ACSNano-Nanomedicine Journal Club  2022.3.12 

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  • Polyglycerol Grafting Shields Nanoparticle from Protein Corona Formation to Avoid Macrophage Uptake

    Yajuan Zou, Naoki Komatsu

    2020.10.20 

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  • The affinity of the charged functional groups on polyglycerol-grafted nanoparticles to proteins dedicates their cellular uptake

    Yajuan Zou, Naoki Komatsu

    2020.9.15 

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  • Evaluation of polymer content and net charge effects of nanodiamond toward protein affinity

    Yajuan Zou, Naoki Komatsu

    International Workshop on Quantum Sensing and Biophotonics  2019.9.30 

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  • Quantitative evaluation of polymer density and net charge effects on nanodiamond surface toward protein affinity

    Yajuan Zou, Naoki Komatsu

    European Material Research Society Meeting 2019 Spring Meeting, Symposium M (SGP4A)  2019.5.30 

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Industrial property rights

  • A new preparation method for modification of active carbon under normal pressure

    Yajuan Zou, Yijian Lai, Shi Xu

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    Applicant：Yajuan Zou;Yijian Lai;Shi Xu

    Application no：特願ZL 2013 1 0227595.X  Date applied：2015.8

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  • A new method for detecting uracil DNA glycosidase activity by using molecular beacon as a substrate

    Yajuan Zou

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    Application no：特願CN101008030  Date applied：2007.8

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Awards

  • Graduate Student Award, European Material Research Society 2019 Spring Meeting

    2019  

    Yajuan ZOU

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Research Projects

  • Development of polyglycerol-based polymeric nanomotor bearing a stimuli-responsive surface for precise theranostics at deep tumor tissue

    Grant number：23K17213  2023.04 - 2026.03

    日本学術振興会  科学研究費助成事業 若手研究  若手研究

    鄒 亜娟

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    Grant amount：\4680000 （ Direct expense: \3600000 、 Indirect expense：\1080000 ）

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  • Diversity Female Support Funding

    2021.12

    岡山大学 

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