The 12th International Conference on Agricultural and Biological Sciences (ABS 2026)

Abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive neurological disorder characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in specific areas of the brain. The clinical presentation is characterized mainly by tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, postural instability, and non-motor symptoms, with the etiology remaining unknown to date. Numerous studies indicate that the primary cause of PD is the misfolding and aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn). Marine polysaccharides exhibit various biological activities such as anti-tumor, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, wound healing promotion, and regulation of blood glucose and lipid levels, indicating extensive potential for medical applications. Therefore, developing efficient functional factors from marine polysaccharides to prevent and treat PD is of significant research importance. Firstly, a simple and efficient method was developed for the heterologous expression and purification of Aβ and α-syn using an E. coli expression system. Subsequently, an uncomplicated, widely applicable, and high-throughput screening system for inhibiting α-syn aggregation was established in both in vivo and in vitro settings. Polysaccharides and oligosaccharides from Ulva were identified using the above system as the effective inhibitors against α-syn fibrogenesis. Moreover, an efficient enzymatic preparation method was also established. Finally, the in vitro experiments demonstrated the effective inhibitory capacity against α-syn fibrogenesis, reduction of cytotoxicity induced by α-syn aggregates, and protection of neurons from α-syn-induced functional impairment. Furthermore, the molecular dynamics simulations were also utilized to thoroughly investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the disassembly of the formed αS fibrils.

Biography: Dr. Fufeng Liu, Tianjin distinguished Professor, Hong Kong scholar. He received his Ph. D. degree of Biochemical Engineering at Tianjin University in 2008 and then started his teaching and research career in Tianjin University and became an associate professor in 2011. He is a postdoctoral fellow under the “Hong Kong Scholars program”at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University from March 2013 to May 5015. From 2016, he has been a full professor of College of Biotechnology at Tianjin University of Science & Technology. In recent years, he integrates molecular simulations, theoretical models, biochemical and biophysical experiments to conduct fundamental research on the structure and function of amyloid proteins associated with Parkinson's Disease. His research interests include molecular dynamics simulations of the conformational transition and aggregation of amyloid protein associated human’s disease, rational design of enzyme molecules and multi-scale modeling of biological and material systems. His work has produced more than 180 research papers published in peer-reviewed international journals. He is now an academic editor of both foods and a member of the editorial board of Aging & Disease.