On May 24, 2025, the 3rd Conference on Innovative Technology Applications in Laboratory Medicine, themed "Exploring the Source of Mass Spectrometry, Advancing the Path of Innovation" was successfully held at Xiamen University. The event was organized by the the Laboratory Medicine Committee of the Chinese Research Hospital Association, co-hosted by the Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis and Instrumentation (Ministry of Education) at Xiamen University, and co-sponsored by Zybio Inc.

At the Roots of MALDI-TOF MS, Envisioning the Future

As the birthplace of China’s MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry technology, Xiamen University has witnessed the journey of Chinese mass spectrometry from independent research and development to leading technological innovation. The conference, held here, paid tribute to the roots of this technology while envisioning its future. Over 100 experts and scholars attended in person, with nearly 20 industry leaders delivering lectures and participating in panel discussions.

The opening ceremony, moderated by Prof. Chaoyong Yang, Deputy Director of the Key Laboratory of Spectral Analysis and Instrumentation at Xiamen University, featured speeches by:

Academician Lansun Zheng, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Prof. Shengxiang Ge, Vice Dean of the School of Public Health, Xiamen University

Deputy Secretary-General Ruisheng Hao, the Chinese Research Hospital Association

Prof. Maurizio Sanguinetti, former President of ESCMID, Director of Institute of Microbiology and Division of Clinical Microbiology at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy 

Mr. Wenhao Sun, General Manager of the Marketing Division at Zybio Inc.

Opening speech by Academician Lansun Zheng

Welcoming guests from across the country, Academician Lansun Zheng emphasized the transformative role of mass spectrometry in medicine due to its high sensitivity and specificity. He called for deeper integration of industry, academia, and research to accelerate innovation and enhance China’s contribution in the field. Leveraging Xiamen University's (XMU) academic legacy, he expressed aspirations to ignite new momentum for innovation and jointly advance the high-quality development of laboratory medicine.

Opening speech by Prof. Shengxiang Ge

Prof. Shengxiang Ge highlighted mass spectrometry as the "Eye of Precision", driving the breakthrough of medical diagnostics. He advocated for collaborative innovation based on industry-academia-research integration to advance the precision, localization, and globalization of technologies, supporting China’s national health strategy.

Opening speech by Deputy Secretary-General Ruisheng Hao

Deputy Secretary-General Ruisheng Hao highlighted that mass spectrometry serves as a core driver of innovation in laboratory medicine. He stressed the need to deepen the integration of industry, academia, research, and application to advance breakthroughs in clinical practice. Recognizing the pivotal academic role of Xiamen University (XMU), he urged the industry to prioritize technological innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Opening speech by Prof. Maurizio Sanguinetti

Prof. Maurizio Sanguinetti underscored the revolutionary impact of MALDI-TOF MS on clinical microbiology, particularly in rapid, cost-effective fungal identification and strain typing, which is redefining diagnostic practices compared with conventional morphology method.

Opening speech by Mr. Wenhao Sun

Mr. Wenhao Sun shared Zybio’s milestones, including its 2020 acquisition of Xiamen Mass Spectrometry and its leadership in installations in China. He announced upcoming innovations: next-generation genomic database identification (covering 13,000+ species with 98.6% genus-level accuracy) and magnetic bead-based blood culture sample treatment system (10-minute pre-treatment followed by MS analysis), significantly reducing turnaround time for bloodstream infection diagnosis and facilitating technology innovation in microbiological diagnosis.

Opening ceremony moderated by Prof. Chaoyong Yang

Frontier Discussions: Igniting Transformation in Laboratory Medicine

The conference featured cutting-edge presentations on microbial identification, infection diagnostics, and mass spectrometry advancements:

Prof. Yaya Pian, National Center of Clinical Laboratories of China,
presenting "The Development and Current Status of Microbial Mass Spectrometry Identification in China"

Prof. Yaya Pian (National Center of Clinical Laboratories of China) reviewed China’s progress in microbial mass spectrometry and analyzed high- and middle-level microbiological EQA data in last 10 years. He emphasized the role of MALDI-TOF MS in identification of knotty microorganism, fungi and rare pathogen, etc., by reducing diagnosis interval, advancing pathogen tracing and thus to facilitate accurate management of antimicrobial drug and AMR control.

Prof. Bing Gu, Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital,
presenting “Microbial-Clinial Dialogue: Facilitating Infection Diagnosis and Treatment”

Prof. Bing Gu (Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital) addressed global antimicrobial resistance challenges based on WHO Priority Pathogens List and AMR record in China, advocating for standardized antimicrobial use, and outlined key strategies like standardized microbial specimen collection, significance of parasitic pathogens detection, application of mass spectrometry/mNGS technology, routine interaction between clinical department and laboratory and interdisciplinary collaboration to drive R&D of diagnostics and scientific breakthroughs, advancing precision medicine for infectious diseases.

Prof. Lina Guo, Peking Union Medical College Hospital,
Presenting “Magnetic Bead-Based Blood Culture Sample Rapid Identification Solution”

Prof. Lina Guo (Peking Union Medical College Hospital) introduced the high incidence and mortality of blood stream infection (BSI), emphasizing blood culture is the gold standard in diagnosing BSI. She proposed a magnetic bead-based enrichment method for rapid identification, which shortens turnaround time (TAT) by enabling automated, high-throughput workflows, improves detection rates, and reduces antibiotic overuse, demonstrating significant clinical value. However, challenges persist in detecting polymicrobial infections, which require further technological refinement.

Researcher Gianluca Vrenna, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Italy
Presenting “Emerging Application of MALDI-TOF MS in Rapid Microbiological Identification”

Dr. Gianluca Vrenna (Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Italy) concluded the development and reformation of MALDI-TOF MS and its role in identification of polymicrobial and filamentous fungi infection. Moreover, Dr. Gianluca Vrenna highly recognized Zybio EXS Series MALDI-TOF’s convenience and the software design for polymicrobial identification, discussing how MALDI-TOF MS facilitates antimicrobial and AMR management for efficient and intelligent microbiological diagnostics.

Prof. Weijing Yi, Zybio Inc., presenting “Integrated Strategies for RTI Precision Medicine: Challenge, Innovation and Zybio’s Solution”

Prof. Weijing Yi (Zybio Inc.) proposed integrated strategies for antimicrobial resistance in respiratory infection management, combining POCT rapid testing and innovative MxA biomarker for viral infection, automated hematology analysis with EXZ 8000 6-diff hematology analyzer advancing infection classification, and multi-technology solution for facilitating clinical decision and antibiotic management.

Dr. RD1277, Zybio Inc., presenting “Exploring Innovation to Next-Generation Microbiological Mass Spectrometry”

Dr. RD1277 (Zybio Inc.) addressed next-gen innovations in microbiological mass spectrometry, emphasizing breakthroughs in identifying beyond-database microorganism. He proposed a genome analysis-based database for theoretical prediction, which not only expands the scope of microorganism identification but also enables cross-verification of general mass spectrometry results, thereby enhancing reliability. Additionally, the presentation highlighted modular precision identification for ambiguous species, bacterial species knowledge database, magnetic bead-based blood culture database technology and progress in scientific research application.

The presentations were moderated by Professor Han Shen from Nanjing Gulou Hospital, Professor Kunping Guan from the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Professor Chongge You from the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Professor Yongzhi Wang from Beijing Sixth Hospital, and Professor Wenjin Fu from Dongguan Houjie Hospital.

Collaborative Innovation Empowers Precision Medicine

A panel discussion moderated by Prof. Jingrong Cao (Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University) explored pathways for industry-academia-research collaboration by Prof. Jinbo Liu from the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Prof. Zihuan Yang from the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, and Prof. Yi Li from Henan Provincial People’s Hospital.

Centering on high-quality development of laboratory medicine driven by industry-academia-research collaboration, experts emphasized automation, clinical demand alignment, and reformation of critical infection detection workflow. Experts proposed solutions from technical, platform, and talent perspectives:

• Hospital-enterprise-research collaboration facilitate automation transformation for demand-driven innovation ecosystem;

• Prioritizing breakthroughs in clinical pain points such as specimen pre-processing and rapid pathogen identification;

• Enhancing talent incentives and training mechanisms;

• Promoting mutual feedback between laboratory diagnostic results and clinical decision-making, thereby providing end-to-end support for precision medicine.

At the closing ceremony, the chairman of the Laboratory Medicine Committee of the Chinese Research Hospital Association summarized:

• Microbial mass spectrometry (e.g., MALDI-TOF MS) enables rapid and precise pathogen identification, with domestic instruments now performing on par with international counterparts;

• Magnetic bead-based pre-processing significantly improves the efficiency of bloodstream infection diagnostics;

• A call was made to deepen industry-academia-research collaboration, advance technological standardization and global adoption and primary health care, facilitating precision medicine.

Looking Ahead: Innovation Never Stops

The conference, featured with intelligent-driven reformation and collaboration for future diagnostics, has presented a “Chinese Solution” to advance the global development of laboratory medicine. Zybio will continue investing in R&D, facilitating MALDI-TOF MS technology to the wider world. By staying true to our technological mission and pushing the boundaries of application, we aim to redefine possibilities in the field. See you in 2026!