A Decade of Collaboration Between SinuesLab and Jinan University (JNU)

Achievements and Breakthroughs

Over the past decade, their collaboration has led to:

• Breakthroughs in early disease diagnostics, therapeutic drug monitoring, and method standardization

• Publications in Mass Spectrometry Reviews, Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Communications, and other top-tier journals

• One PCT patent (granted in China) and two additional granted Chinese invention patents

A Model of International Cooperation

Professor Sinues has consistently championed China–Switzerland scientific cooperation:

• 2020: Applied for China’s National Key R&D Program for COVID-19 International Collaboration

• 2021: Awarded the National High-End Foreign Expert Program on rapid MS diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2

• 2024: Key participant in Jinan University’s “111 Program” application

In November 2025, with Professor Sinues’ support, a Jinan University delegation will visit the University of Basel to sign a strategic cooperation agreement covering both research and teaching.

Future Directions

Our collaboration is poised to continue innovating by:

  • Enhancing SESI/EESI technologies for increased analytical sensitivity and precision.

  • Developing novel real-time biomarkers for clinical and metabolic applications.

  • Expanding non-invasive isotopic tracing methodologies for detailed metabolic research.

We look forward to further breakthroughs that bridge fundamental analytical research with impactful real-world applications in healthcare and environmental sciences.

History of Collaboration

Beginnings at ETH Zurich (2011–2013)

The collaboration between Professor Amy Li and Professor Pablo Sinues began in the group of Professor Renato Zenobi at ETH Zurich. Together, they advanced the development of secondary electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (SESI-MS) and applied it to:

  • Breast cancer diagnostics

  • Circadian rhythm monitoring

  • Pharmacokinetic monitoring

Their pioneering work was published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition and other leading journals.

Establishing the Link to China (2014)

When Professor Li returned to China in 2014, no commercial SESI source was yet available. Professor Sinues provided her with a laboratory-built SESI source, enabling her research to continue without technical limitations.
That same year, Professor Li joined Jinan University as an Associate Professor, and Professor Sinues was appointed Guest Professor. This marked the beginning of a flourishing scientific partnership and friendship.

Translating Research into Clinical Impact (2020–present)

Since 2020, Professors Li and Sinues have focused on bringing SESI-MS from research to real-world applications:

  • Development of a commercial SESI source for mass spectrometers

  • Multi-center clinical validation studies on breath-based diagnostics for epilepsy, chronic kidney disease, and Parkinson’s disease, in collaboration with:

    • University Children’s Hospital Basel

    • University Hospital Zurich

    • The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University

    • The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University

Professor Sinues is also a core member of the Guangdong Provincial International Collaboration Project, benchmarking a SESI source developed there against international counterparts and promoting its adoption in Europe.

Selected Publications

Practical Applications of SESI/EESI for Real-Time Chemical Analysis (2025)

A comprehensive review authored by our collaborative team outlines the versatile applications of SESI and EESI mass spectrometry techniques in real-time chemical analyses, highlighting critical advancements in ionization mechanisms and source configurations. This work emphasizes the broader implications of these methodologies in fields like disease diagnostics, food safety, and environmental monitoring.

Non-invasive In Vivo Isotope Tracing in Mice (2021)

Our recent project explored the use of SESI-high resolution mass spectrometry for non-invasive real-time monitoring of deuterium/hydrogen (2H/1H) isotopic exchange in mice exposed to heavy water (2H2O). This work identified specific metabolites such as pyruvic acid, lactic acid, lysine, and various short-chain fatty acids, opening new possibilities for non-invasive metabolic pathway analysis.

Circadian Metabolomics via Real-Time Breathprinting (2014)

In a pioneering proof-of-principle study, our collaboration applied real-time SESI-MS breath analysis to investigate circadian metabolic rhythms in human subjects. Breath samples collected hourly over 24 hours revealed that a substantial proportion of detectable metabolites displayed circadian variation independent of dietary or sleep patterns, underscoring the potential of breathprinting in chronobiological studies.