Education
2006-2012, School for Life Sciences, Peking University, Ph. D.
2002-2006, School for Life Sciences, Peking University, B. D.
Professional Experience
2025-now, Professor, School for Life Sciences at Peking University
2024-2025, Associate Professor, School for Life Sciences at Peking University
2016-2024, Assistant Professor, School for Life Sciences at Peking University
2012-2016, Research Fellow, Program in Cellular & Molecular Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital
Honors and Awards
MAO YISHENG Science and Technology Younth Award， 2025
Shen Tong Teaching Award, 2024
Teaching Award-Outstanding Young Scholar, 2022
Zheng Changxue Teaching Award, 2021
Qiu Shi Outstanding Young Scholar, 2018
Bayer Scholar, 2018
Green Leaf Biomedical Outstanding Young Scholar, 2018
Yi-Fang Scholar, 2017
Harvard Chinese Life Science Research Award, 2016
Cancer Research Institute Irvington Fellowship, 2014
Ray Wu Prize, 2012
Beijing Outstanding Graduate Student, 2012
Excellent Graduate Thesis of Peking University, 2012
Outstanding Graduate of Peking University, 2012
Leica Top Grade Scholarship, 2012
Johnson & Johnson Asia Outstanding Graduate Thesis Award in Bio-tech, 2012
Meeting Organizers and Seesion Chairs
2025, PKUBIO100 Immunity Symposium, Beijing, China (Co-Organizer)
2024, B Cell and Antibody, Chengdu, China (Organizer)
2024, Chromatin Replication and Beyond, Beijing, China (Co-Organizer)
2019, Protein and Nucleic Acids Condensation Meeting, Suzhou, China (Co-Organizer)
2017, The 1st Raywu Youth Forum, Beijing, China (Co-Organizer)
Teaching
Immunology; Immune Experiments
In our laboratory, we primarily study immune cells from mice and humans, focusing on:
1. Investigating the regulation of DNA replication, DNA repair, and DNA recombination in the complex chromatin environment of immune cells.
2. Exploring changes in lymphocyte function and genomic dynamics at temporal and spatial scales during the aging process.
3. Studying the diversification and maturation of antibody and utilizing synthetic biology techniques to promote antibody identification and evolution.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (# co-first authors, *co-corresponding authors)
Zhangding Z#, Liu X#, Liang H#, Fan Y, Peng Y, Rao W, Chen W & Hu J (2026). Deciphering the dual effects of transcription on DNA replication elongation by Replication-associated Micro-C. Molecular Cell. 2026 May 21; 86(10):1870-1880.e5 doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2026.03.034.
Wang Y#, Guo Y#, Lu Q, Liu X, Xu H, Chen J, Pi R, Yuan S, Yang Z, Lu R, Meng F-L, Gan T & Hu J (2026). Restoring the potency of neutralizing antibody via guided hypermutation with hyper-antibody editor. Genome Research. 2026 May 6;36(5):1029-1039. doi: 10.1101/gr.281396.125.
Xin C#, Xiang G#, Cao S#, Wang Y#, Yuan S, Liu X, Hong J, Hu J *, and Wang H* (2026). Comprehensive assessment of activity, specificity, and safety of hypercompact TnpB systems for gene editing. Genome Biology. 2026 Jan 21; 27:39. doi:10.1186/s13059-026-03949-8.
Hu J* (2025). A tale of two forms of cohesin in DNA repair. Science 2025 Dec 4;390(6777):987-988. doi: 10.1126/science.aed1859.
Liu Y#, Zhangding Z#, Liu X, Hu J (2025). Chromatin-centric insights into DNA replication. Trends in Genetics. 2025 May;41(5):412-424. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2024.12.003.
Wu J#, Liu Y#, Ou L#, Gan T#, Zhangding Z, Yuan S, Liu X, Liu M, Li J, Yin J, Xin C, Tian Y & Hu J (2024). Transfer of mitochondrial DNA into the nuclear genome during induced DNA breaks. Nature Communications. 2024 Nov 1;15(1):9438. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53806-0.
Liu Y#, Zhangding Z#, Liu X#, Gan T, Ai C, Wu J, Liang H, Chen M, Guo Y, Lu R, Jiang Y, Ji X, Gao N, Kong DC, Li Q & Hu J (2024). Fork coupling directs DNA replication elongation and termination. Science. 2024.Mar; 383(6688):1215-22. doi:10.1126/science.adj7606.
Wu J#, Liu Y#, Zhangding Z#, Liu X#, Ai C, Gan T, Liang H, Guo Y, Chen M, Liu Y, Yin J, Zhang W & Hu J (2023). Cohesin maintains replication timing to suppress DNA damage on cancer genes. Nature Genetics. 2023.Aug; 55(8):1347-1358. doi:10.1038/s41588-023-01458-z.
Yin J#, Fang K#, Gao Y#, Ou L, Yuan S, Xin C, Wu W, Wu W-W, Hong J, Yang H*, & Hu J * (2022) Safeguarding genome integrity during gene-editing therapy of age-related macular degeneration. Nature Communications 13(1):7867. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-35640-4.
Wu J#, Zou Ziye#, Liu Y#,*, Liu X, Zhangding Z, Xu M* & Hu J * (2022). CRISPR/Cas9-induced structural variations expand in T lymphocytes in vivo. Nucleic Acids Research 50(19):11128-11137. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkac887.
Xin C#, Yin J#, Yuan S, Ou L, Liu M, Zhang W & Hu J (2022). Comprehensive assessment of miniature CRISPR-Cas12f nucleases for gene disruption. Nature Communications 13(1):5623. doi: 10.1038/ s41467-022-33346-1.
Yin J & Hu J (2022). The origin of unwanted editing byproducts in gene editing. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin 54(6):1-15. doi: 10.3724/abbs.2022056.
Xie X#, Gan T#, Rao B#, Zhang W, Panchakshari RA, Yang D, Ji X, Cao Y, Alt FW, Meng F-L* & Hu J * (2022). C-terminal deletion-induced condensation sequesters AID from IgH targets in immunodeficiency. EMBO J 41(11):e109324. doi: 10.15252/embj.2021109324.
Yin J#, Lu R#, Xin C#, Wang Y, Ling X, Li D, Zhang W, Liu M, Xie W, Kong L, Si W, Wei P, Xiao B, LEE HY, Liu T & Hu J (2022). Cas9 exo-endonuclease eliminates chromosomal translocations during genome editing. Nature Communications 8;13(1):1204. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28900-w.
Liu Y#,*, Yin J#, Gan T#, Liu M, Xin C, Zhang W & Hu J * (2022). PEM-seq comprehensively quantifies DNA repair outcomes during gene-editing and DSB repair. STAR Protocols 3(1), 101088. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2021.101088
Gan T, Wang Y, Schatz DG & Hu J (2021). RAG2 abolishes RAG1 aggregation to facilitate V(D)J recombination. Cell Reports 37, 209824. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109824
Liu M#, Zhang W#, Xin C#, Yin J, Shang Y, Ai C, Li J, Meng F-L & Hu J (2021). Global detection of DNA repair outcomes induced by CRISPR-Cas9. Nucleic Acids Research 49(15):8732-8742. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkab686.
Zhang W#, Yin J#,*, Zhang-Ding Z, Xin C, Liu M, Wang Y, Ai C & Hu J (2021). In-depth assessment of the PAM compatibility and editing activities of Cas9 variants. Nucleic Acids Research doi: 10.1093/nar/gkab507.
Liu Y#, Ai C#, Gan T#, Wu J, Jiang Y, Liu X, Lu R, Gao N, Li Q, Ji X, Hu J (2021). Transcription shapes DNA replication initiation to preserve genome integrity. Genome Biology 22(1):176. doi: 10.1186/s13059-021-02390-3
Yin J#, Liu M#, Liu Y#, Wu J, Gan T, Zhang W, Li Y, Zhou Y & Hu J (2019). Optimizing genome editing strategy by primer-extension-mediated sequencing. Cell Discovery 5, 819. doi: 10.1038/s41421-019-0088-8.
Zuo E#, Huo X#, Yao X#, Hu X#, Sun Y#, Yin J#, He B, Wang X, Shi L, Ping J, Wei Y, Ying W, Wei W, Liu W, Tang C, Li Y, Hu J* & Yang H*. (2017). CRISPR/Cas9-mediated targeted chromosome elimination. Genome Biology 18(1):224. doi: 10.1186/s13059-017-1354-4.
Lin SG#, Ba Z#, Du Z#, Zhang Y, Hu J* & Alt FW*. (2016). A highly sensitive and unbiased approach for elucidating antibody repertoires. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 113(28):7846-51. doi:10.1073/pnas.1608649113.
Hu J#, Meyers RM#, Dong J, Panchakshari RA, Alt FW* & Frock RL*. (2016). Detecting DNA double-stranded breaks in mammalian genomes by linear amplification-mediated high-throughput genome-wide translocation sequencing. Nature Protocols 11(5): 853-71. doi: 10.1038/nprot.2016.043.
Hu J#, Zhang Y#, Zhao L, Frock RL, Du Z, Meyers RM, Meng F-L, Schatz DG, & Alt FW. (2015). Chromosomal loop domains direct the recombination of antigen receptor genes. Cell 163(4): 947-59. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2015.10.016.
Frock RL#, Hu J#, Meyers RM, Ho Y-J, Kii E, & Alt FW. (2015). Genome-wide detection of DNA double-stranded breaks induced by engineered nucleases. Nature Biotechnology 33(2):179-86. doi: 10.1038/ nbt.3101.
Hu J#, Tepsuporn S#, Meyers RM, Gostissa M*, & Alt FW*. (2014). Developmental propagation of V(D)J recombination-associated DNA breaks and translocations in mature B cells via dicentric chromosomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111(28): 10269-74. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1410112111.
Tepsuporn S#, Hu J#, Gostissa M*, & Alt FW*. (2014). Mechanisms that can promote peripheral B-cell lymphoma in ATM-deficient mice. Cancer Immunol. Res. 2(9): 857-66. doi: 10.1158/2326-6066. CIR-14-0090.
Hu J, Sun L, Shen F, Chen Y, Hua Y, Liu Y, Zhang M, Hu Y, Wang Q, Xu W, Sun F, Ji J, Murray JM, Carr AM, & Kong D. (2012). The intra-S phase checkpoint pathway targets Dna2 to prevent stalled replication forks from reversing. Cell 149(6): 1221-32. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.04.030.
Cells are the fundamental units of life, but they are far more complex than the simplified diagrams shown in textbooks. A cell is more like a well-organized and continuously operating city. Inside the cell are many specialized “departments,” among which the nucleus serves as the repository of genetic information. DNA is not randomly packed within the nucleus; instead, it is precisely folded and organized into chromatin, where numerous chromatin-associated processes, such as DNA replication and transcription, take place in a highly coordinated manner. These chromatin activities influence and regulate one another, collectively determining when genes are activated, silenced, or replicated. As the first step of the central dogma, how DNA replication is precisely regulated within the complex chromatin environment remains one of the most important and challenging questions in basic biological research.
Meanwhile, cells constantly communicate with one another. For example, immune cells interact through intricate signaling networks to maintain proper immune system function. Although many mechanisms of cellular communication have been identified, our current understanding still represents only the tip of the iceberg. Importantly, antibodies on B cells and T cell receptors (TCRs) on T cells possess extraordinarily high specificity, enabling them to precisely recognize foreign pathogens. Therefore, understanding the specificity and diversity of immune cells has great biological and translational significance.
With the rapid advancement of research technologies, life science research is increasingly shifting its focus directly toward human biology and moving from studies of “single genes” to investigations of “complex biological systems.” Our laboratory primarily uses mouse and human immune cells as model systems and focuses on the following research areas:
- How DNA replication, repair, and recombination occur and are regulated within the dynamic and complex chromatin environment in immune cells;
- How immune cell function and genome organization change over time during aging and across different tissue environments;
- How antibodies are generated and evolved, and how synthetic biology approaches can be used to engineer cells for antibody design and optimization.
