Draft:Peixuan Guo

Peixuan Guo is a Chinese-American virologist and nanotechnologist. He is the Sylvan G. Frank Endowed Chair in Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery and the director of the Center for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine at The Ohio State University. He is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

Guo is known for proposing the idea that a large number of previously undiscovered small RNA exist in cells called sRNA (Guo P et al. A small viral RNA is required for in vitro packaging of bacteriophage phi29 DNA. Science 1987; 236: 690) ; constructed 1st viral DNA packaging motor (PNAS 1986); discovered phi29 motor pRNA (Science, 1987); proved the concept of RNA nanotechnology (Mol Cell 1998, featured in Cell ,1998; 4 papers in Nat Nanotechnol 2009, 2010, 2011, 2018; Nature Comm, 2019); he invented a novel method for the production of the vaccinia virus mRNA capping enzyme (PNAS, 1990 ,7:4023) that are used currently as an essential component for the production of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine; his team invented a patented method for the production of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, invented a method for the use of TIRF System to count single-fluorophores molecules (EMBOJ, 2007); invented a unique method for single pore sensing by incorporating phi29 motor channel into the membrane (Nat Nanotechnol, 2009); discovered a 3rd class of biomotor using revolving mechanism without rotation; discovered that RNA is like rubber and amoeba with unusually high efficiency for passive tumor targeting and regression with quick kidney clearance, thus undetectable toxicity. He invented the methods to use RNA nanotechnology to make the insoluble and toxic cancer drugs soluble and nontoxic and invented RNA nanotechnology to decorate exosomes with a ligand for cancer targeting using the directionality of antibody-like (i.e., Y-shaped) RNA arrowtail (Nat Nanotechnol, 2017). He also invented method for the delivery of RNAi to the cytosol of cancer cells without endosome trapping; his team invented Exojuice for exosome purification with a simple one step 2  by combination of zonal and density gradient. All these invention has enable his team to achieve the treatment of liver cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer; stomach cancer, and prostate cancer in preclinical trials. ExonanoRNA LLC, whom Guo is the founder of, is actively working toward clinical trials for the treatment of these cancers.

Guo has 70 Patents filed, 16 patents granted, and 54 are in provisional and PCT; most of them are in RNA nanotechnology and therapeutics, and RNA-ligand displayed exosomes for the delivery of RNAi.

Early life and education
Guo was born April 4, 1951 in China. He received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 1987. He was a postdoctoral associate at the New York State Department of Health where he worked with Professor Enzo Paoletti on molecular virology. He was also a postdoctoral scientist for the NIH - Institute of Infectious Diseases where he worked with Professor Bernard Moss, who is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Guo became a professor at Purdue University in 1990.

Awards and honors

 * 1995 - Pfizer Distinguished Faculty Award for Research Excellence
 * 1999 - Purdue Faculty Scholar
 * 2000 - Purdue Faculty Scholar
 * 2001 - Purdue Faculty Scholar
 * 2002 - Purdue Faculty Scholar
 * 2003 - Purdue Faculty Scholar
 * 2004 - Purdue Faculty Scholar
 * 2005 - One of five finalists for Feynman (Nobel Prize Laureate) Nanotechnology Award
 * 2006 - Lions Club Award for Cancer Research Excellence
 * 2009 - Distinguished Alumni of the University of Minnesota
 * 2010 - Distinguished Research Award, University of Cincinnati
 * 2011 - Distinguished Research Award, University of Cincinnati
 * 2014 - Distinguished Chinese Alumni of the 100 years of University of Minnesota
 * 2021 - Named “Innovator of the Year” of the Ohio State University
 * 2022 - Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors