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Michael Zhang, Ph. D., is the Director of Analytical Development at CATUG. He leads a team of RNA and LNP experts recruited from top laboratories worldwide.
Dr. Zhang and his team from the Analytical Development department at CATUG's facilities in Suzhou, China
Meet Michael Zhang, Director of Analytical Development
Suzhou, China, 2024 — We talked to Dr. Zhang, Director of the Analytical Development department at CATUG. He joined the company in 2021, when CATUG was just getting started. Many things have changed since then.
How did your background (education, work experience, etc.) lead you to CATUG?
My background in chemistry, particularly my Ph. D. at Jack Szostak lab at Harvard, launched my career in nucleic acid therapies. That experience gave me a solid foundation on RNA, modified nucleotides and oligonucleotides. Then, at Massachusetts General Hospital, I specialized in analytical techniques such as HPLC, LC-MS, and NMR, all with a strong focus on macromolecules, particularly nucleic acids. This experience, combined with my passion for advancing nucleic acid-based therapeutics, led me to CATUG, where I apply my expertise to the development of cutting-edge platforms for DNA, mRNA, and mRNA-LNP products.
❛❛Our team has developed over 70 analytical methods. This helps us assess 50+ quality attributes of RNA and LNP ❜❜
Tell us about your role at CATUG
As Director of the Analytical Development department at CATUG, I oversee a broad range of responsibilities. I lead internal research projects aimed at advancing our DNA, RNA and lipid nanoparticles (LNP) analytical platforms, so they’re aligned with our strategic goals. A key part of my work has been the development and optimization of the analytical methods used for RNA and LNP characterization. At CATUG, our team has developed over 70 analytical methods. This helps us assess 50+ quality attributes of RNA and LNP, as well as raw materials, ensuring our products’ quality. Moreover, we are consistently evaluating and exploring new methods to deliver the best products to our customers.
Why did you decided to leave your life in Boston and go back to China?
CATUG offers a combination of scientific excellence and a truly exceptional company culture. We have a strong commitment to quality, advanced technology, and pushing scientific boundaries. Everyone’s contributions are valued. The pulse of scientific advancement is strongly felt here; we have helped numerous clients design and produce advanced RNA-LNP vaccines and mRNA therapeutics, and to perform gene editing for different cell types. It’s an exciting job.
❛❛ Most of our team members have global working experience in both academia and industry, which is invaluable for anticipating market standards and understanding international clients. ❜❜
Among another CRO/CDMO you chose CATUG. Why our clients should too?
We are a very customer-oriented company. We strive to build strong partnerships with our clients. We work closely together and share our expertise and insights to achieve shared goals, driving innovation in RNA therapeutics. Additionally, most of our team members have global working experience in both academia and industry, which is invaluable for anticipating market standards and understanding international clients. This experience, combined with our focus on innovation and flexibility, makes us an ideal partner for long-term scientific and commercial success.
Michael Zhang at his laboratory.
Let's jump into the science. What do you think the future holds for gene editing, and how can CATUG contribute to its advancement?
The future of gene editing is incredibly promising, particularly with the advancements made in various new editing tools. As these techniques evolve, their precision, efficiency, and safety will continue to improve, opening up new possibilities for treating genetic disorders, cancers, and other diseases. At CATUG, we’re dedicated to advancing our RNA and delivery platforms, which are critical to the success of gene editing. With our deep expertise in sgRNA and mRNA manufacturing and delivery systems, we are well-positioned to support gene editing therapies by developing safe, efficient, and targeted delivery solutions.
Which RNA format (mRNA, circRNA, saRNA, siRNA) presents the most challenges for analytical quality control (QC)?
Each RNA format presents unique challenges for analytical quality control. Messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesis is particularly challenging due to its size, structure, and modifications, requiring highly sensitive methods to assess integrity, sequence fidelity, and impurities. Circular RNA (circRNA) is difficult to analyze because its closed-loop structure complicates traditional detection techniques. Self amplifying RNA (saRNA) shares many of mRNA’s challenges but adds complexity due to its self-amplifying nature within host cells. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) requires precise analysis of its chemical modifications, which are critical for stability and efficacy.
What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned since starting at CATUG?
The future of gene editing is incredibly promising, particularly with the advancements made in various new editing tools. As these techniques evolve, their precision, efficiency, and safety will continue to improve, opening up new possibilities for treating genetic disorders, cancers, and other diseases. At CATUG, we’re dedicated to advancing our RNA and delivery platforms, which are critical to the success of gene editing. With our deep expertise in sgRNA and mRNA manufacturing and delivery systems, we are well-positioned to support gene editing therapies by developing safe, efficient, and targeted delivery solutions.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
As an RNA manufacturing company we thrive for perfection on mRNA and LNP synthesis from discovery stage to clinical materials. Hence, I’m particularly proud of establishing a comprehensive analytical development platform here at CATUG, which serves as a 360 degree scanner to check every quality aspects of our products. Developing these powerful tools to ensure good quality of our products, in turn brought us great feedback and continuous trust from our clients. Of course, this was a real team effort, involving strong collaboration across multiple teams, rigorous validation, and a shared commitment to scientific excellence. It’s been fulfilling to watch my team grow together, supporting thousands of sample analyses every month from both our internal and external projects.
What are you most looking forward to the near future?
I’m looking forward for the continued progress we’re making in advancing our DNA, RNA and LNP analytical platform. It’s really exciting to see our team’s work translate into real-world impact.
About CATUG
CATUG is a CRDMO for RNA therapeutics. We help academia and biotech companies to develop their projects efficiently, offering research support, CMC services, and GMP manufacturing. We work with labs of all sizes and stages, from research & discovery and clinical trials to product manufacturing for commercial use.