Professor Cai's main research interest is mass spectrometry and its applications. His group currently has several advanced mass spectrometers including HPLC/Q-TOF, MALDI-TOF, HPLC/ion trap MS, UPLC/triple quadrupole MS and GC/high resolution MS. Dr. Cai has severed as editorial board member for several journals including RCM, Talanta and JPBA. He has published over 120 peer-refereed journal articles.
As one of the most versatile analytical methods, mass spectrometry (including LC-MS, GC-MS, MALDI-TOF, etc) has already been playing a significant role in the research of systems biology. The techniques can be used in four "omics" for the framework experiment system biology. (1) Genomics: to identify oligonucleotides, interactions among ligands, nucleic acids, and proteins; (2) Transcriptomics: to apply high-throughput mass spectrometry methods for proteome analysis combing with other technologies for screening a large number of mRNAs. (3) Proteomics: to combine Protein Identification and Quantitative Analysis and Post-Translational Modifications (4) metabolomics: to provide qualitative and quantitative analysis in metabolic profiling and metabolomics. Our current researches mainly focus on part (3) and (4).
To combine with the theory simulation, for example, quantitative modeling in metabolic network, pathways and flux starting from unicellular organisms E. coli and S. cerevisiae will be performed A suitable complement to the current holistic theory studies is comparably comprehensive study of cellular intracellular and extracellular metabolites with developing robust method of measuring the concentrations and fluxes of intracellular and extracellular metabolites. The protocols can be developed in the following focuses: Quantitative understanding of complex metabolic networks using computer simulations and experiments data; Exploration of the linkages between metabolic network response and perturbation of external environment such as nutrient scarcity; and Discovery of improved metabolic biomarkers.