The Life and Health Intelligent Research Institute of Tianjin University of Technology was established in 2020, and it houses Tianjin Key Laboratory of Life and Health Detection, the first provincial and ministerial-level key laboratory in China that focuses on life and health detection.The Institute focuses on new directions in scientific and technological development that prioritize "the health and well-being of the people." In response to the national call for organized scientific research, it promotes in-depth interdisciplinary collaboration around major research initiatives. By establishing a comprehensive innovation system spanning material design, mechanistic research, intelligent algorithms, chip fabrication, instrument development, and clinical testing, the Institute is committed to becoming a leading domestic and world-class center of scientific research.

In terms of faculty, the institute currently has 30 staff members, including 25 full-time faculty members and 3 national high-level talents.By bringing together nationally recognized talents, scholars from well-known universities at home and abroad, clinical experts from top-tier hospitals, and seasoned corporate engineers, we have established a high-level interdisciplinary platform that spans multiple fields, including materials chemistry, micro-nano processing, and biomedical engineering.

In terms of student enrollment, the institute currently has 123 students, including 112 master’s students and 11 doctoral students.The Institute currently comprises three high-level research teams.Theacademic leaderisProfessor Wang Tie—Vice President of Tianjin University of Technology, Dean of the Institute, and Director of the Key Laboratory.He has been awarded many honors,including the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, the National“Ten Thousand Talents Program”Leading Talent in Science and Technology Innovation, and the4thBatch of Tianjin Outstanding Talents. Professor Wang’s primary research focuses on the development of gas sensors based on nano-assembly and their applications in in vitro diagnostic testing for diseases. He is dedicated to pioneering original innovations in gas sensing elements to break through foreign technological barriers.Professor Che Yanke, the academic leader andrecipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, focuses primarily on the development of novel photofunctional organic molecular materials and active self-assembled high-performance fluorescent materials, as well as their application in national security and environmental monitoring.Professor Liu Sha,theacademic leaderand a National-Level High-Level Talent from Overseas, specializes in microneedle drug delivery systems and the design of micro- and nanomaterials, and is driving the translational application of precise, targeted, pain-free, and low-dose drug delivery systems.

The Institute has undertaken more than 30 national and provincial-level projects, including the National Key Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, key projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Young Scientists Program under the National Key Research and Development Program, and key projects of the the Natural Science Foundation of Tianjinandhas published over 300 SCI-indexed papers in prestigious international journals such as Nat. Commun., Sci. Adv., J. Am. Chem. Soc., and Adv. Mater..The Institute maintains close strategic partnerships with several top-tier hospitals, including the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking University Third Hospital, and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, to jointly advance clinical testing and equipment validation.

In terms of technology commercialization and industry-academia-research collaboration, the Institute has achieved a series of breakthroughs by leveraging its core technological strengths. In the field of gas sensing, the Institute has established a comprehensive "materials-algorithms-devices" ecosystem, breaking through foreign patent barriers and developing Alpha Electronic Nose technology. With investment from state-owned enterprises, the Institute established ShanceAlpha (Tianjin) Technology Development Co., Ltd.which focuses on home respiratory monitoring. The Institute has also established a deep partnership with Shanghai Diqin Sensing Technology Co., Ltd. to develop a variety of gas-sensitive elements and mass production technologies. In the field of clinical medical applications, the Institute has collaborated with several Grade A tertiary hospitals to develop a portable lung cancer breath analyzer.In the field of 3D-printed lung organ-on-a-chip and organoid research, relevant achievements have received funding from Beijing’s“Innovate for the Future”project, contributing to coordinated innovation and development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.In the field of explosive and environmental pollutant detection, faculty members have developed personal nuclear and chemical alarms, handheld drug detectors, and handheld explosive detectors, some of which have already been commercialized.In the field of microneedle drug delivery systems, the Institute’s faculty collaborated with Haoxi (Tianjin) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area to pioneer injectable microneedles capable of precise superficial dermal injection. They have obtained two Class III medical device registration certificates, with applications in clinical scenarios such as medical aesthetics, skin testing, and vaccine administration.Related incubation projects have successfully moved into the Tiankai High-Tech Science and Innovation Park (Tiankai Park) and have received specialized support from initiatives such as the Tianjin Tiankai Park High-End Science and Technology Innovation Talent Program and Tianjin’s first batch of the“West Wing Golden Seed”Program.The relevant incubation projects have successfully established operations at the Tiankai High-Tech Science and Innovation Park (Tiankai Park) and have received targeted support from initiatives such as the Tiankai Park High-End Science and Technology Innovation Talent Program and Tianjin’s first batch of the“West Wing Golden Seed”Program.

Looking ahead, the Institute will uphold the core principles of the national “14th Five-Year Plan” for higher education, further refine and innovate the institutional mechanisms governing disciplines, faculty, and talent development, clarify our vision, deepen reforms, and accelerate our exploratory efforts,pursue pragmatism and transformation, and gradually refine an interdisciplinary innovation system characterized by research as its core, interdisciplinarity as its hallmark, and demand as its orientation—a system where multiple disciplines communicate, support, and integrate with one another. We strive to build a high-level research team that is leading domestically and internationally renowned, play a central role as a strategic scientific and technological force for the nation, and continue to contribute to the implementation of the “Healthy China” national strategy.