Educational Background

  • B.Sc., Xiamen University, China
  • Ph.D., Marburg University, Germany
  • Postdoctoral: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA

Current Research Interests

  • The major research interest of Prof. Cai is method development and applications of chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry for trace analysis in complex systems such as environment, food and biological matrices, with focus on metabolomics and proteomics research on human health and diseases associated with environmental pollution.

Selected Publications

  1. Xiaojian Shao, Hailei Zhang, Zhu Yang, Huan Zhong, Yiji Xia and Zongwei Cai, “NAD tagSeq for transcriptome-wide identification and characterization of NAD+-capped RNAs”, Nat. Protoc.,15, 2813-2836 (2020).
  2. Li Xiang, Lin Zhu, Yu Huang, and Zongwei Cai, “Application of Derivatization in Fatty Acids and Fatty Acyls Detection: Mass Spectrometry-Based Targeted Lipidomics”, Small Methods, doi: 10.1002/smtd.202000160 (2020).
  3. Chao Zhao, Peisi Xie, Ting Yong, Wei Huang, Jianjun Liu, Desheng Wu, Fenfen Ji, Min Li, Doudou Zhang, Ruijin Li, Chuan Dong, Juan Ma, Zheng Dong, Sijin Liu, Zongwei Cai, “Airborne fine particulate matter induces cognitive and emotional disorders in offspring mice exposed during pregnancy”, Sci. Bull., doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2020.08.036 (2020).
  4. Peisi Xie, Xiaoping Liang, Yuanyuan Song, and Zongwei Cai, “Mass Spectrometry Imaging Combined with Metabolomics Revealing the Proliferative Effect of Environmental Pollutants on Multicellular Tumor Spheroids”, Anal. Chem., 92, 11341-11348 (2020).
  5. Peisi Xie, Chao Zhao, Xiaoping Liang, Wei Huang, Yanyan Chen, and Zongwei Cai, “Preparation of Frozen Sections of Multicellular Tumor Spheroids Coated with Ice for Mass Spectrometry Imaging”, Anal. Chem., 92, 7413–7418 (2020).
  6. Xiaojian Shao, Hailei Zhang, Zhu Yang, Lin Zhu, Zongwei Cai, “Quantitative profiling of protein-derived electrophilic cofactors in bacterial cells with a hydrazine-derived probe”, Anal. Chem., 92, 4484-4490 (2020).
  7. Jingchun Shi, Caihong Xu, Li Xiang, Jianmin Chen, and Zongwei Cai, “Tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphate: An Unexpected Abundant Toxic Pollutant Found in PM2.5”, Environ. Sci. Technol., 54, 10570-10576 (2020).
  8. Hongzhi Zhao, Yuanyuan Zheng, Lin Zhu, Li Xiang, Yanqiu Zhou, Jiufeng Li, Jing Fang, Shunqing Xu, Wei Xia, and Zongwei Cai, “Paraben Exposure Related To Purine Metabolism and Other Pathways Revealed by Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics”, Environ. Sci. Technol., 54, 3447-3454 (2020).
  9. Chao Zhao, Zhi Tang, Peisi Xie, Kaili Lin, Arthur Chi Kong Chung, Zongwei Cai, “Immunotoxic Potential of Bisphenol F Mediated through Lipid Signaling Pathways on Macrophages”, Environ. Sci. Technol., 53, 11420-11428 (2019).
  10. Hongna Zhang, Xiaojian Shao, Hongzhi Zhao, Xiaona Li, Juntong Wei, Chunxue Yang, Zongwei Cai, “Integration of Metabolomics and Lipidomics Reveals Metabolic Mechanisms of Triclosan-Induced Toxicity in Human Hepatocytes”, Environ. Sci. Technol., 53, 5406–5415 (2019).
  11. Hailei Zhang, Huan Zhong, Shoudong Zhang, Xiaojian Shao, Min Ni, Zongwei Cai, Xuemei Chen, Yiji Xia, “NAD tagSeq reveals that NAD+-capped RNAs are mostly produced from a large number of proteincoding genes in Arabidopsis”, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 116, 12072-12077 (2019).
  12. Chao Zhao, Peisi Xie, Ting Yong, Hailin Wang, Arthur Chi Kong Chung, Zongwei Cai, “MALDI-MS Imaging Reveals Asymmetric Spatial Distribution of Lipid Metabolites from Bisphenol S-Induced Nephrotoxicity”, Anal. Chem., 90, 3196-3204 (2018).