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 a Professor of Environmental and Process Engineering and Dean of the Master’s program Water Technology at SRH University, School of Technology and Architecture. She combines a strong academic profile with extensive industrial experience as a process engineer in the chemical industry. During her time at Solvay, she specialized in process optimization and operational excellence and was certified as a Senior Black Belt, gaining deep expertise in efficiency improvement, process design, and data-driven decision-making.
Her research focuses on the development of innovative and sustainable solutions for water management, with particular emphasis on preventing and mitigating regional and global water conflicts. Her work addresses water quality, wastewater treatment, and the behavior of micropollutants, integrating classical process engineering approaches with nature-based solutions such as constructed wetlands.
Professor Gayh is actively engaged in international and interdisciplinary collaborations, including long-standing partnerships with the University of Novi Sad. Together, they co-founded Democratia-Aqua-Technica, an initiative that has evolved into a global network dedicated to advancing sustainable water resource management through innovative technical concepts and knowledge exchange.
In addition, her research explores the integration of data science and AI-supported tools in water monitoring, process optimization, and resource management. Her broader interests include water protection strategies and the digital transformation of the water sector.
Beyond academia, she is strongly committed to environmental education and public outreach, actively promoting awareness of water as a vital, limited, and shared resource across generations.

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.