Research

The Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation, Ministry of Education, was established through the persistent efforts of several generations over more than 30 years. In 1978, Professor Zhai Zhonghe and his colleagues pioneered the establishment of the cell biology discipline within the Department of Biology at Peking University, initiating a Master’s program primarily focused on cell structure and function. This led to notable achievements, including the approval to establish a doctoral program in cell biology in 1985. In 1987, cell biology at Peking University was designated as a national key discipline.

Professor Zhai Zhonghe was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991, in recognition of his contributions to scientific research, education, talent cultivation, and discipline development. Under his leadership and nearly two decades of dedicated efforts, significant advances were made in research, teaching, talent cultivation, and discipline development in cell biology, culminating in the establishment of the Institute of Cell Biology at Peking University in 1998. This institute became a well-equipped, structurally sound, and academically strong research community with outstanding leaders and scholars.

In 1999, Professor Ding Mingxiao initiated the “973 Project” titled Fundamental and Applied Research on Major Life Activities of Cells, marking a shift toward integrated studies in cell biology. Over the years, the research focus evolved toward the systematic investigation of cell proliferation and differentiation, fostering a dynamic and collaborative research environment tailored to solving modern biology's cutting-edge challenges.

In 2005, the research group leaders secured funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China for the Innovative Research Group program on cell proliferation and differentiation. This further consolidated research directions and expanded the academic team. By 2009, the Key Laboratory had officially passed its evaluation and was formally established. The team now includes internationally competitive talents cultivated domestically and leading experts recruited globally. These scholars have extensive international collaboration experience and have achieved notable success in their respective fields, contributing to a vibrant and prolific research environment.

Over the past few years, the addition of young scholars has brought renewed vigor to the laboratory, highlighting its potential for future development. The laboratory successfully passed the five-year evaluations conducted by the Ministry of Education in 2016 and 2021, achieving excellent results on both occasions. Since its establishment in December 2005, research groups in the laboratory have published over 300 articles in internationally renowned journals, including multiple papers in Cell, Nature, and Science.

The Key Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Differentiation was founded on the discipline of cell biology and laboratory infrastructure at Peking University. One of the laboratory's key priorities is textbook development. The textbook Cell Biology, edited by Professors Zhai Zhonghe, Wang Xizhong, Ding Mingxiao, and Zhang Chuanmao, along with contributions from numerous laboratory members, has been published in five editions with over one million copies sold, making it one of the most influential biology textbooks in China. It is currently used by more than 300 universities in mainland China and has also been published in Taiwan.

The laboratory consists of 25 professors and senior researchers, 11 associate researchers, and 2 intermediate-level researchers, including one academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, four Distinguished Professors of the Changjiang Scholars Program, five 973 Chief Scientists, eight recipients of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, five Young Thousand Talents Program scholars, and two recipients of the Excellent Young Scientists Fund from overseas.

The laboratory leverages model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, Xenopus, Arabidopsis, zebrafish, and mice to explore the mechanisms regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. This has enabled the formation of an internationally competitive research team at Peking University, making significant contributions to this field. Pioneering advances have been achieved in fundamental studies on cell cycle regulation and differentiation, as well as in applied research areas such as cancer and cell engineering.

Website Link：http://www.cellbiology.pku.edu.cn/