Dr. Wenqi “Vince” Liu, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, has earned the National Science Foundation’s Early Career Development award. This
award represents a significant milestone in his academic career and his first federal
grant since joining USF three years ago.
Wenqi “Vince” Liu, PhD. (Photo courtesy of Wenqi “Vince” Liu)
“[This award] signifies my successful transition from a student and postdoctoral fellow
to an independent principal investigator capable of securing funding to support my
research group,” Liu explained. “Beyond the funding, this award also serves as a national
acknowledgment of my research and my capability to lead a team that addresses key
challenges in our field.”
The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is an NSF-wide activity that
offers the most prestigious awards in support of “early-career faculty who have the
potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances
in the mission of their department or organization.”
The award provides crucial financial stability for Liu’s research group. It will alleviate financial pressure by ensuring stable funding for the next five
years, allowing him to focus on tackling key challenges in supramolecular chemistry.
It will also support the training and development of postdoctoral researchers, graduate
students, and undergraduates, fostering the next generation of scientists in this
field.
“It allows me, as a principal investigator, to concentrate more fully on advancing
our research without being burdened by funding concerns,” he added. “Additionally,
the award will enhance our outreach efforts in the Tampa Bay area. We aim to inspire
students to explore science through hands-on experiments, expand STEM education opportunities
for students from underserved communities, and integrate modern technologies and cutting-edge
workshops into the learning and research experience.”
Liu’s research project, “Taming Hydrogen Bonding in Water,” aims to study how molecules
recognize and bind to each other in water, specifically through hydrogen bonds, “an
essential interaction in many biological processes,” he said.
“Our goal is to develop molecular design strategies that enable synthetic receptors
to selectively bind specific molecules in water. This challenge is like finding a
needle in a haystack: the hydrogen bonds between water molecules form the ‘haystack,’
making it harder for our receptors to find and bind to the ‘needle,’ our target molecules.
By overcoming this challenge, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of how to design
synthetic receptors that function efficiently in water, much like natural biological
systems. This research could have significant implications for medicine, agriculture,
and environmental protection by improving the design of new drugs, sensors, and other
critical materials,” he explained.
Liu’s research endeavors, which began in the summer of 2022, will be significantly
advanced with the support of this new grant. This funding will enable continued investigative
work over the next five years, with the research expected to conclude in August 2029.
He also published a paper (Chem. Eur. J, 2023, e202300524) on preliminary results
in March 2023, which explained the discovery of a dynamic method to synthesize a hydrogen-bonding
receptor that selectively binds glucose in water, with binding affinities even stronger
than lectins—the natural proteins evolved to bind sugars in biological systems.
“This finding offers a promising new approach to designing synthetic receptors for
sugars in water, which could have significant implications for diabetes diagnostics
and management,” he added. “These results provide crucial proof-of-concept data for
our proposed research.”
Liu says that he’s been captivated by supramolecular organic chemistry for more than
14 years. Supramolecular chemistry focuses on understanding the weak yet crucial interactions
between molecules—a process that underpins many essential biological functions and
determines the properties of materials.
“What fascinates me most is how mastering these weak interactions allows us to design
functional molecules with wide-ranging applications. In medicine, these molecules
can be used for developing diagnostics, anti-infective agents, synthetic antibodies,
and biomolecular sensors. In agriculture, they offer solutions for precise fertilization,
while in environmental science, they play a critical role in pollution control, acting
as sensors and scavengers for pollutants and radioactive contaminants. The potential
of supramolecular chemistry to address complex challenges in medicine, energy, materials
science, and environmental protection is what drives my deep interest in this field.
It offers endless opportunities for innovation and real-world impact, making it an
area that continues to inspire and motivate me,” he added.
While his tenure and accomplishments at USF are just taking off, Liu expressed gratitude
for earning this award and recognized the impact of his department colleagues.
“This grant not only acknowledges my ability to lead a research group but also strengthens
my confidence as an independent PI to address key challenges in supramolecular chemistry.
I am also deeply thankful to my colleagues in the department for their unwavering
support during my transition from postdoc to independent PI. From sharing teaching
materials and lending chemicals and equipment to providing valuable feedback on my
grant applications and helping me navigate administrative hurdles, their generosity
has made all the difference. I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of such a collaborative
and supportive community here at USF,” he said.
Learn more about his research and the Department of Chemistry.