Zhao Zhang

More than 99% of biomedical researchers study only around 2% of the human genome, occupied by regular genes. By contrast, the ZZ-Lab is fascinated with the genomic content taking half of our genome–the jumping gene, also known as transposon. Besides their abundance, transposons represent a potentially explosive source of genomic instability that can cause animal sterility and disease (such as cancer), and potentially drive aging. We aim to uncover how transposons are controlled and their influence on reproduction, development, and disease. We also aim to harness transposons to develop personalized cancer vaccines.

Circular DNA, also known as extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA/ecDNA), is emerging as a new research topic in our team. This form of DNA is originated from the genome but also can re-integrate into the genome, bringing another layer of genome dynamics. Notably, increasing evidence suggests that oncogenes are frequently amplified in this circular form, propelling tumorigenesis or driving cancer cell drug resistance. As a new frontier, many fundamental questions from circular DNA biology remain unaddressed. Under this theme, we seek to: #1: Investigate how transposon-derived circular DNA is made during development and tumorigenesis. #2: Develop drugs to target the biogenesis of oncogenic circular DNA for cancer therapy.

Our projects are multidisciplinary in nature and involve genetics, genomics, cell biology, cutting-edge imaging and sequencing technologies, and computational biology.