This paper introduces a method to enhance fluorescent dye imaging in living cells by using FRET pairs to reduce background noise and improve signal-to-noise ratio.

Advanced Science · Jun 20, 2025Peer-reviewedBiochemistry

Ether Rhodamines with Enhanced Hydrophilicity, Fluorogenicity, and Brightness for Super-Resolution Imaging

Xiangning Fang, Qinglong Qiao, Zhifeng Li, Hao-Kai Li, Yalin Huang, Dongjie Hou, Jie Chen, Ning Xu, Kai An, Wenchao Jiang, Yi Tao, Pengjun Bao, Yinchan Zhang, Zhimin Wu, Xiaogang Liu, Zhaochao Xu

This paper introduces ether-decorated rhodamine dyes with enhanced hydrophilicity and brightness for super-resolution imaging, showing improved fluorogenicity and performance in aqueous environments.

Journal of the American Chemical Society · Jun 13, 2025Peer-reviewedBiochemistry

CRISPRa screen on a genetic risk locus shared by multiple autoimmune diseases identifies a dysfunctional enhancer that affects IRF8 expression through cooperative lncRNA and DNA methylation machinery

Tian Zhou, Xinyi Zhu, Zhizhong Ye, Yongfei Wang, Chao Yao, Ning Xu, Mi Zhou, Jianyang Ma, Yuting Qin, Yiwei Shen, Yuanjia Tang, Zhihua Yin, Hong Xu, Yutong Zhang, Xiaoli Zang, , Nan Shen

The paper identifies a dysfunctional enhancer linked to IRF8 expression through CRISPRa screening and shows its regulation by a lncRNA and DNA methylation.

bioRxiv · Jun 11, 2021 · PreprintGenetics

SLE non-coding Genetic Risk Variant Determines the Epigenetic Dysfunction of an Immune Cell Specific Enhancer that Controls Disease-critical microRNA Expression

Guojun Hou, Isaac T. W. Harley, Xiaoming Lu, Tian Zhou, Ning Xu, Chao Yao, Yuting Qin, Ye Ouyang, Jianyang Ma, Xinyi Zhu, Xiang Yu, Hong Xu, Dai Dai, Huihua Ding, Zhihua Yin, , Nan Shen

The paper identifies a non-coding genetic variant associated with SLE that regulates miR-146a expression through a cell-type specific enhancer.

Nature Communications · Jan 8, 2021Peer-reviewedGenetics