Zhiyi Sun, PhD
Principal Investigator
Ph.D., Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA, 2010
M.Sc., Statistics, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA, 2010
B.Sc., Biological Sciences, Nanjing University, China, 2005
Born and raised in the bustling urban landscape of China, I embarked on a transformative journey driven by a desire for enriching experiences and a fervent hunger for new knowledge that led me across continents to the beautiful countryside of West Mass in the U.S.A. After earning a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology and M.S. in Statistics at UMass Amherst, during which I elucidated the evolutionary trajectory and genomic mechanisms behind the shrinking genomes of Cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus-- the most abundant yet smallest free-living organism on earth, I embarked on a new chapter of my career journey by joining NEB, where I have since thrived both scientifically and professionally. At NEB, I have had the privilege and enjoyment of leveraging my multidisciplinary knowledge in enzymes, next-generation sequencing (NGS), bioinformatics, statistics, and evolutionary biology to spearhead the development of innovative methods and tools for enhancing the detection and analysis of genomic and epigenomic information, and to advance our understanding of complex biological systems.
Vladimir Potapov
Bioinformatics Scientist
Ph.D., Structural Bioinformatics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, 2006,
M.Sc., Medical Cybernetics, Russian State Medical University, Russia, 2001
Originally from Russia, Vladimir completed his M.Sc. studying mathematical modeling in medicine. He then switched from the organismal level to the atomic level to develop computational tools and algorithms to analyze protein structures and protein interactions with other biomolecules as part of his Ph.D. studies. Vladimir subsequently became increasingly interested in computational methods for protein design. During his postdoctoral work, he developed a high-resolution protein structure prediction method using statistical modeling and a predictive model of protein-protein interaction specificity using machine-learning on large-scale experimental protein binding data. In 2013, Vladimir joined NEB as a research scientist, where his focus is on developing computational methods for discovering, engineering, and characterizing enzymes. He is utilizing sequence- and structure-based approaches in combination with machine learning for protein engineering. He is also developing computational methods based on single-molecule sequencing to profile enzymes, study biology, and enable synthetic biology research.
Bo Yang
Bioinformatics Scientist
Ph.D., Genetics, Dartmouth College, USA, 2013
B.Sc., Biological Sciences, Zhejiang University, China, 2007
Bo began her journey at NEB as a Postdoctoral Fellow, focusing on the development of a full-length RNA sequencing method to uncover the prokaryotic transcriptome. With time, she transitioned into the role of Research Scientist, where she developed several innovative next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques for detecting genetic variants and determining methylation status. Within the Research Bioinformatics group, Bo has persisted in her efforts to create pioneering sequencing methods for profiling the transcriptome, genome, and methylome. She has also engaged in many collaborations both within and outside the company, offering assistance in bioinformatics analysis.
Sean Johnson
Bioinformatics Scientist
M.Sc., Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, 2020
Ph.D., Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University, USA, 2016
B.Sc., Biochemistry, Washington State University, USA, 2011
Originally from the dry side of Washington state, Sean studied plant biochemistry at WSU, where he had the world's best smelling Ph.D. project, investigating essential oil biosynthesis in peppermint. After short stints as a postdoc at Michigan State University, elucidating natural product biosynthetic pathways in more unusual members of the mint family, and as a Bioinformatics Scientist at a synthetic biology startup, Sean finally found a home at NEB in 2021. With a Ph.D. in molecular biosciences and an M.S. in computer science, Sean is passionate about using machine learning, artificial intelligence, and software engineering methods to solve practical problems in enzyme discovery and engineering. Outside of work, Sean enjoys exploring trails around the North Shore, playing guitar, ping pong, and pickleball, and cooking delicious vegan food.
