Team

Zhongxin Chen joined Chen Group as a Ph.D. student in Fall 2024. 

Zhongxin earned his B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Southwest Petroleum University, where he started his research experience working on thermal desorption treatment process design. He then completed his M.S. at Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in 2024. During his time at SUSTech, he worked in Dr. Lang Rao’s group at Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, focusing on biomaterials and immunomodulation for treatment of lung cancer metastasis. Later, Zhongxin joined Dr. Hong Chen’s group, where he developed a strong interest in water remediation and designed an innovative photovoltaic-driven boat to degrade antibiotics in water using electrochemistry and quasi-solid hydrogel electrolyte technology. 

Building on his background and research experience, Zhongxin is now pursuing his Ph.D. and developing smart hydrogels with natural or synthetic receptors for the selective capture and detection of viruses in water samples. This research aims to provide a point-of-collection virus concentration technique for on-site water sampling, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of virus detection for water reclamation and reuse.