2026 2nd International Conference on Chemical Engineering and Biological Science (CEBS 2026)

Bio: Tieqiao Chen holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Chemistry from Hunan University and is a member of the Chinese Communist Party. He is currently a Category C high-level talent, Professor, and Doctoral Supervisor at Hainan University, where he serves as Director of the Green and Precision Synthesis Research Center. Concurrently, he holds the positions of Chief Technology Officer for APIs at Venture Pharma (Hainan) Co., Ltd. and Director of the Hainan Provincial Small Molecule Drug Manufacturing Innovation Center (in cultivation).

He serves as the Academic Editor for the international SCI journal Heteroatom Chemistry and as an editorial board member for National Journal of Molecular Sciences and Chinese Chemical Letters. His long-term research focuses on functional molecular design and synthesis, specializing in the activation and transformation of carboxylic acids and their derivatives, green synthesis of organophosphorus compounds. He has published over 110 papers as first or corresponding author in prestigious international journals such as J. Am. Chem. Soc. (4 papers, including a 2018 paper that was the first from a Hainan institution as the first unit), Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2 papers), and Nat. Commun. (1 paper). His work has been cited over 4,300 times with an H-index of 36. He has contributed one chapter each to Wiley and Thieme’s book. He has led 3 National Natural Science Foundation projects and 4 provincial/ministerial-level projects.

In industrial translation, he has overseen the development of more than 10 generic drugs including vortioxetine, brexpiprazole, and itraconazole. Among these, vortioxetine and brexpiprazole have completed production verification, with registration materials currently being prepared. He led a cost-reduction and efficiency-improvement project for loratadine API, reducing the cost per kilogram by approximately 500 CNY, achieving annual savings of 4 million CNY and significant economic benefits. He also developed a novel process for loratadine, creating a new synthetic route for the key intermediate methyl-loratadine, thereby breaking a long-standing “bottleneck” dependence on imports from India. This project is set to enter pilot-scale testing.

Dr. Yulong Sun is an interdisciplinary researcher with over 14 years of academic and industrial experience across chemistry, biology and physical science. He holds a PhD in Science from the University of Technology Sydney and has worked at top-tier institutions including UNSW, Macquarie, Durham, Northwestern Universities, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Sun has published 49 peer-reviewed articles with more than 4,000 citations and an FWCI of 3.93. His research spans molecular design, lubrication science, responsive materials, and nanoparticle-based drug delivery, and has led to several high-impact publications. In parallel with research, Dr. Sun is a dedicated and innovative educator with experience in curriculum design and the delivery of engaging undergraduate and postgraduate courses across diverse cultural and institutional contexts. He is the co-founder of a biotechnological startup, and an advisor for various startups in science. His unique ability to translate fundamental science into real-world applications has earned him awards such as the Australia-China Alumni Award and recognition from Falling Walls Lab Australia.

Prof. Ulrike Gayh

SRH University, German

Ulrike Gayh is professor for environmental and process engineering and is the dean of the Master ´s program in Water Technology at the School of Technology and Architecture of the SRH University. She conducts international research activities in the field of water technology solutions for the prevention and reduction of local and regional water conflicts. Together with colleagues from the University of Novi Sad, she established the initiative Democratia-Aqua-Technica which is now a global network dealing with the question of innovative technical concepts for sustainable water resource management. Within the frame of sustainable water resource management the topics are focusing on water pollution and water quality as well as environmental education. Prof. Gayh is also working with researchers in the field of data science/artificial intelligence on the potential applications of AI-supported tools for water monitoring and water management. She works in teaching and research on the topics of micropollutants and processes for the treatment and purification of contaminated water, among other things. With a focus on natural-based treatment processes Prof. Gayh teaches and researches, for example, on constructed wetlands. She has further research interests in the areas of wastewater management, water protection and the use of digital tools in water management.

Furthermore, she is active in educating kids and raising their awareness about the importance of the resource of water.

Title:Humic Substances in Water Systems: From Natural Complexity to Engineered Solutions

Abstract: Humic substances are ubiquitous, heterogeneous organic components of natural waters, playing a critical yet often underestimated role in biogeochemical processes and engineered water systems. This speech explores the dual nature of humic substances as products of natural complexity and asfunctional agents in modern environmental engineering. In aquatic environments, humic substances influence the fate and transport of contaminants through complexation, adsorption, and redox interactions, while simultaneously shaping microbial activity and ecosystem dynamics.
From an engineering perspective, these same properties present both challenges and opportunities. Humic substances are known to contribute to membrane fouling and interfere with conventional treatment processes, yet they also offer potential for innovative solutions, including pollutant immobilization, advanced oxidation enhancement, and nature-based treatment strategies. By bridging fundamental understanding with applied research, this talk highlights recent advances in characterizing humic matter, modeling its behavior in water systems, and integrating it into sustainable treatment technologies.
Ultimately, the presentation aims to reframe humic substances not merely as problematic background organic matter, but as key components in the transition toward more adaptive, efficient, and environmentally aligned water treatment systems.