Libin Yuan

Libin Yuan is a biochemical geneticist and lab director in metabolic disease lab in the Hospital for Sick Children. He obtained his PhD degree from McGill University. After he completed postdoctoral research at McGill University and Cornell University, he was trained in ABMGG clinical biochemical genetics fellowship at Emory University. Prior to his current role, he worked in Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings as a clinical biochemical genetics lab director. His research was focused on lysosomal storage disorders and developmental genetics. He has developed research interests in metabolomics, bioinformatics and advancing novel diagnostic techniques/biomarkers for metabolic diseases.

Research Synopsis

Using targeted and untargeted metabolomics methodologies for clinical screening and diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism including lysosomal storage disorders.

Metabolomics methodology is used to measure multiple metabolites in a single test. Targeted metabolomics detects certain known metabolites in a specimen (e.g., amino acids, acylcarnitines, organic acids, very long chain fatty acids, etc.). Untargeted metabolomics, also known as global metabolic profiling, is a technique measuring all the small molecules qualitatively or quantitatively in a biological specimen. As a powerful tool for the diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), metabolomics offers a comprehensive analysis of metabolic disturbances in patients. The objective of my research is to develop novel targeted and untargeted metabolomics testing for clinical screening and diagnosis of IEMs including lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), which can detect a large number of enzyme products or intermediate metabolites in a specimen by a single analysis. These tests will expand the scope of current biochemical genetics testing, improve testing efficiency with lower cost and high throughput, and consequently lead to improvements in health care for the patients with inborn errors of metabolism.

Recent Publications

Lorena Carvelli*, Libin Yuan*, Sherry Esfandnia, Yan Zhang, John F. Presley, Carlos R. Morales, Targeting Exogenous β-Defensin to the Endolysosomal Compartment via a Biotic Guided Missile System. Histol Histopathol. 2017 Oct;32(10):1017-1027. (*: equal contributors)

Libin Yuan, J. Daniel Sharer, Quantitative Analysis of Total Plasma Homocysteine by LCMS/MS. Curr Protoc Hum Genet. 2016 Apr 1;89:17.21.1-17.21.10

Flavia Lorena Carvelli, Libin Yuan and Carlos R. Morales, Prosapsin: a protein with differential sorting and multiple functions. Histology and Histopathology, 2015. 30: 647-660

Libin Yuan, Flavia Lorena Carvelli and Carlos R. Morales, In: Current microscopy contributions to advances in science and technology. Dynamic Microscopy: Reconstructing a Novel Lysosomal Trafficking Pathway. Formatex Research Center, Badajoz, Spain. pp. 445-457, 2012.

Libin Yuan and Carlos R. Morales, Prosaposin sorting is mediated by oligomerization. Experimental Cell Research, 2011. 317(17):2456-67.

Maryssa Canuel*, Libin Yuan*, and Carlos R. Morales, In: Golgi Apparatus, Structure, Functions and Mechanisms. Role of the Trans-Golgi Network (TGN) in the Sorting of Nonenzymic Lysosomal Proteins. Nova Science Publishers Inc., New York, pp.117-149, 2011. (*: Equal contributors)

Libin Yuan and Carlos R. Morales, A stretch of 17 amino acids in the prosaposin C-terminus is critical for its binding to sortilin and targeting to lysosomes. Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry, 2010. 58(3):287-300.

Maryssa Canuel, Libin Yuan, and Carlos R. Morales, The interactomics of sortilin: an ancient lysosomal receptor evolving new functions. Histology and Histopathology, 2009. 24(4):481-92.