News

2026

September

  • On September 10, the ZhangYF Lab celebrated Teachers’ Day with Yunfang. The team gathered for a group photo and presented a framed keepsake to thank her for her guidance and support.

August

  • On August 20, Zheng Cao defended his doctoral dissertation. Lab members joined him to mark this important milestone and took photos together after the defense. Congratulations, Zheng!

June

April

  • On April 30, “Deciphering tRNA repertoires and translation coordination during mouse early embryogenesis by ORACLE-tRNAseq” was published in Nature Communications. Yun Li, Xin Wang, and Ruofan Huang are co-first authors. The study introduces ORACLE-tRNAseq for low-input tRNA profiling and maps changes in tRNA repertoires and their coordination with translation during mouse early embryogenesis. Congratulations to the authors!
  • On April 28, Yiting Yang and Xin Wang defended their doctoral dissertations. The lab celebrated their years of research and dedication with flowers and group photos. Congratulations to Yiting and Xin on reaching this milestone!
  • On April 10, members of the ZhangYF Lab traveled to Hefei for a biology conference, where Yunfang Zhang, Zheng Cao, and Ze Shu gave talks. The visit offered an opportunity to share the team’s research with the wider scientific community.
  • On April 3, the ZhangYF Lab welcomed Dr. Weirui Ma for an invited seminar. Lab members attended the talk and gathered with the speaker for a group photo.
  • On April 2, the ZhangYF Lab gathered along the campus cherry blossom avenue for new team photos. The spring outing brought members together to capture another year of lab life at Tongji University.

March

  • On March 27, the ZhangYF Lab celebrated the birthdays of Zongyu Yu and Yan Lou. Members gathered in the lab to share a birthday cake and mark the occasion together. Happy birthday, Zongyu and Yan!

February

  • On February 9, the ZhangYF Lab gathered ahead of the Lunar New Year. With festive decorations and a group photo, the team welcomed the approaching holiday and wished everyone a happy year ahead.
  • On February 7, the ZhangYF Lab held its annual team-building outing and visited Zhujiajiao. Members explored the historic water town and took a group photo together during the trip.

January

  • On January 22, students from the ZhangYF Lab took part in a dumpling-making activity. The group gathered around the table to make dumplings together and enjoy the festive atmosphere ahead of the Lunar New Year.
  • On January 19, the ZhangYF Lab celebrated Yan Zou’s birthday. Lab members marked the occasion with a birthday cake and photos together. Happy birthday, Yan!

2025

December

  • On December 12, members of the ZhangYF Lab traveled to Chengdu for a biology conference. The team also took photos together in the city, recording memories from the trip beyond the conference venue.

November

  • On November 17, the ZhangYF Lab celebrated the birthdays of Bangguo Wu, Yibo Li, Hanlin Li, and Yafei Yuan. Members came together for a shared birthday celebration with cake and photos. Happy birthday to all four!

October

  • In October, Hanlin Li and Yan Lou joined the ZhangYF Lab as master’s students, and Jia Zhao joined as a PhD student. Welcome to the lab, Hanlin, Yan, and Jia! We look forward to sharing the next stage of your research journey.
  • On October 12, the ZhangYF Lab officially opened its laboratory in the new building on the East Campus. Members gathered in the new space and took photos together to mark the beginning of this new chapter for the lab.

September

  • On September 10, the ZhangYF Lab celebrated Teachers’ Day with Yunfang. Students gathered for a group photo and expressed their appreciation for her mentorship. Happy Teachers’ Day, Yunfang!

August

  • On August 18, “PANDORA-seq reveals human sperm sncRNA signature endowed with sperm quality assessment” was published online in Genes & Diseases, with Ruofan Huang and Yiting Yang as co-first authors. The study uses PANDORA-seq to characterize human sperm small noncoding RNAs and their associations with sperm quality, identifying candidate RNA signatures for further evaluation. Congratulations to Yiting and the collaborating authors!
  • On August 16, the ZhangYF Lab celebrated Yun Li’s birthday. The team gathered around a birthday cake and took photos together to mark the occasion. Happy birthday, Yun!

July

  • On July 22, the ZhangYF Lab held a team-building activity followed by a group dinner. Members came together outside the lab to enjoy a meal and spend time with one another.
  • On July 19, the ZhangYF Lab celebrated the birthdays of Xin Wang, Dongqi Jiang, and Haoquan Yu. Members gathered around a birthday cake for a joint celebration. Happy birthday, Xin, Dongqi, and Haoquan!
  • On July 8, Zheng Cao introduced the laboratory to visiting summer camp students. During the lab tour, he gave the visitors a closer look at the team’s working environment and laboratory facilities.

June

  • On June 16, the ZhangYF Lab celebrated Yunfang’s birthday. The team marked the occasion with a birthday gathering, a shared meal, and group photos. Happy birthday, Yunfang!

May

  • On May 30, the ZhangYF Lab celebrated the birthdays of Yiting Yang, Ze Shu, and Wenlin Jiang. Members gathered around the table to share a birthday cake and celebrate together. Happy birthday, Yiting, Ze, and Wenlin!

March

  • On March 26, the ZhangYF Lab gathered beneath the campus cherry blossoms for team photos and celebrated the birthdays of Haoyu Wang and Zongyu Yu. Spring scenery and a birthday gathering made it a memorable day together. Happy birthday, Haoyu and Zongyu!

February

  • On February 15, the ZhangYF Lab celebrated the birthdays of Zheng Cao and Yan Zou. The team gathered to enjoy cake, share warm wishes, and create a joyful atmosphere. Laughter and conversations made the celebration a special moment for everyone. Birthday gatherings are a cherished tradition in ZhangYF Lab, strengthening team bonds and fostering a positive environment. Happy birthday, Zheng Cao and Yan Zou! 🎉🎂

January

  • On January 17, the ZhangYF Lab held its annual summary meeting, where members reviewed research progress, shared achievements, and discussed future plans. The session provided valuable insights and motivation for the coming year. At noon, the team enjoyed a festive lunch, fostering a warm and friendly atmosphere. In the afternoon, they headed to a KTV session for a fun-filled team-building activity, singing and sharing laughter.

2024

October

  • On October 21, “tRNA and tsRNA: From Heterogeneity to Multifaceted Regulators” was published in Biomolecules, with Yun Li and Zongyu Yu as co-first authors. This review brings together advances in tRNA heterogeneity, the regulation of tsRNA biogenesis, and the roles of tRNAs and tsRNAs in development and epigenetic regulation. Congratulations to Yun, Zongyu, and all the authors!
  • Haoquan Yu joined ZhangYF Lab as a PhD student. Welcome!
  • Dongqi Jiang joined ZhangYF Lab as a master student. Welcome!

September

  • Yunfang had an unforgettable Teacher’s Day at Tongji. Congratulations!
  • On September 2, members of Professor ZhangYF lab attended the RNA Biology conference at Cold Spring Harbor, Suzhou. PhD student Li Yun presented a poster, showcasing his research, contributing to the scientific exchange and discussions during the conference.
  • Yan Zou joined ZhangYF lab as a PhD student. Welcome!

August

  • On August 14, 2024, ZhangYF lab hosted Dr. Li Sirui from the CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science. Dr. Li presented a lecture titled “Targeting STING Pathway in Anti-Tumor Immunotherapy,” sparking insightful discussions among attendees.

July

  • On July 28, all members of Professor ZhangYF lab participated in a team-building trip to Anji County, Zhejiang Province. The trip fostered collaboration and strengthened relationships among the team, while providing an opportunity to explore nature together.

June

  • From June 27th to June 29th, Zhang Yunfang’s research group went to Nantong City to attend the fourth joint academic annual meeting of Reproductive Biology Branch of Chinese Zoological Society. Teacher Zhang participated in the report as a guest.
  • On June 15th, Yunfang’s students organized a special birthday celebration for her, creating a warm and touching moment filled with joy.
  • Congratulations to Dr. Wang Xin, Cao Zheng passed the mid-term defense.

May

  • Yunfang attended the 29th International RNA Conference in Edinburgh, UK, where she engaged in academic exchanges with experts and students through a poster presentation.
  • Master’s student Li Yun successfully transitioned to a doctoral student. Congratulations!

April

  • Members of ZhangYF Lab and Gao Yawei Lab went to Disney for a team-building event and enjoyed a wonderful time together!
  • Yunfang attended a meeting organized by the National Natural Science Foundation of China in Beijing.
  • ZhangYF Lab website was officially online! Congrats!

March

  • ZhangYF Lab spent a happy hour under the cherry blossom trees in Tongji University! Many thanks to our photographer Yun Li! Great photos with great memories!

February

  • YiTing and Yun Li finished the lab introducing review paper on the topic of biogenesis and function of tsRNA. The paper was officially published in Chinese Journal of Cell Biology. Congrats!

January

  • ZhangYF Lab united with Xue Lab to hold a Spring Festival Party for celebrating the arrival of 2024!
  • Yunfang’s collaboration on METTL1 mediated tRNA m7G modification promoting leukaemogenesis of AML via tRNA regulated translational control was published in Experimental Hematology & Oncology.
  • Xiaorui Sun and Yumin Ao were successfully enrolled in the 2024 Science Talent Program and officially joined ZhangYF lab for their one-year scientific training! Congrats and Welcomes!

2023

December

  • ZhangYF Lab attended the 12th National Conference on Ribonuclear (RNA) in Shanghai and enjoyed a delicious dinner with friends from Ying Zhang’s lab and Junchao Shi’s Lab.
  • Yunfang and her collaborators received a new grant from Shenzhen Medical Research Special Fund. Congrats!
  • Xinyi Lv was certified as Outstanding Student in the 2023 Science Talent Program! The honor also went to Yun Li! Congrats!

November

  • Yunfang attended the 19th National Conference on Experimental Hematology as a section chair in Guangzhou.
  • Yunfang received a new grant from Shanghai basic research project of “Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan”. Congratulations!
  • Yibo Li officially joined ZhangYF lab as a Ph.D. student. Welcome!

October

  • Zongyu Yu joined ZhangYF lab as a master student. Welcome!
  • Xin Wang and Zheng Cao finished the invited review paper on RNA mediated transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, which was accepted by Science China – Life Sciences. Congrats!

September

  • Ze Shu officially joined ZhangYF lab as a Ph.D. student, and Wenlin Jiang joined us as a master student. Welcomes!
  • Xin Wang, Zheng Cao, and Yiting Yang gave a poster presentation separately at the Fifth World Congress of Reproductive Biology (WCRB 2023) in Beijing. Congratulations!

August

  • Yunfang received a new grant from National Natural Science Foundation of China. Congrats!
  • ZhangYF Lab members took a summer break to enjoy life.
  • ZhangYF Lab attended Epigenetic & Chromatin Biology Congress 2023 in Wuhan.
  • Yunfang gave a talk at the 6th Conference on the Preservation and Conservation of Human Fertility in Guangzhou.

July

  • Yunfang gave a talk at the Symposium on Frontier Advances in Reproductive Biology and Stem Cells in Nanjing.

May

  • Yunfang attended the 12th Ray Wu Symposium & Ray Wu Prize Award Ceremony in Hangzhou.
  • ZhangYF Lab went on a day trip to Shanghai Wild Animal Park.

April

  • Yunfang attended the 337th Shuangqing Forum: “Frontiers and Challenges of RNA Research” in Beijing.

February

  • Yunfang gave birth to a little girl. Congrats!
  • Yunfang’s collaboration on Human circulating small non-coding RNA signature as a non-invasive biomarker in clinical diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia was published in Theranostics.
  • Our paper entitled “Hypoxia induces alterations in tRNA modifications involved in translational control” was published in BMC Biology.

2022

December

  • Xinyi Lv, Ailian Guo, and Zhiqi Zhang were successfully enrolled in the 2023 Science Talent Program and officially joined ZhangYF lab for their one-year scientific training! Congrats and Welcomes!

November

  • Yun Li joined ZhangYF lab as a master student. Welcome!

September

  • Zheng Cao and Xin Wang officially joined ZhangYF lab as Ph.D. students. Welcome!
  • Yiting Yang officially joined ZhangYF lab as a Ph.D. student. Welcome!
  • Welcome Yafei Yuan and other 4 students to join ZhangYF lab as junior students.

August

  • Our research on the correlation of RNA modification levels with human sperm quality was published in Molecular Human Reproduction.

June

  • Yunfang’s collaboration on hypoxia induced RNA modification abundance alteration in germ cells was published in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences.

April

  • Yunfang’s collaboration on investigating the function of sperm 5’tsRNA-Gly-GCC during intergenerational epigenetic inheritance was published in Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences.

2021

December

  • Yunfang gave a talk at the 2nd Cross Forum of Young Scholars on Reproductive Health in Wuhan.

November

  • Yunfang’s collaboration on sperm and testes RNA modifications abundance alteration under hypoxia exposure was published in Biology of Reproduction.
  • Yunfang Zhang started her lab at Tongji University. Welcome to join us!