Xiaoli Sky Wu
xiaoliwu.bsky.social
Xiaoli Sky Wu
@xiaoliwu.bsky.social
Post doc with Mike E Greenberg at HMS, working on molecular neuroscience. Ph.D.at CSHL on identifying a novel family of cell type-specific cofactors. Co-organizer of Gene expression and RNA series, and Fragile nucleosome seminar.
Congrats Alexander! Cannot imagine you made a dTAG mice!
Very pleased to share this work from my time as a graduate student with the Greenberg lab. We investigate the molecular function of ZMYND11, a tumor suppressor and chromatin reader which is also a cause of syndromic intellectual disability. Preprint available now: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
ZMYND11 Restrains KMT2A to Enable a Neuronal Developmental Program
Mutations in the chromatin reader and tumor suppressor ZMYND11 are the cause of ZMYND11-related syndromic intellectual disability (ZRSID), a disorder characterized by symptoms such as language and mot...
www.biorxiv.org
November 5, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
After one patient's synovial sarcoma returned, a clinical trial led MSK helped shrink his tumors by 85%. That same #Tcell therapy is now approved by the @fda.gov. Learn more ⬇️
How Afami-Cel Immunotherapy Helped a Young Man With Stage 4 Synovial Sarcoma
Learn how a clinical trial for a new type of immunotherapy called TCR therapy benefited a patient with synovial sarcoma.
www.mskcc.org
July 23, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
Designed protein domains can selectively target intrinsically disordered regions, potentially generating binders for key proteins in biological function and disease. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #NBThighlight
Design of intrinsically disordered region binding proteins
Intrinsically disordered proteins and peptides play key roles in biology, but a lack of defined structures and high variability in sequence and conformational preferences have made targeting such syst...
www.science.org
July 18, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
A new #ScienceReview takes a look at the contribution of neuroinflammation during the course of a range of neurologic disorders, including multiple sclerosis, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. scim.ag/44wDXIH
Neuroinflammation across neurological diseases
The brain’s response to injury includes the activation of intrinsic microglia and the influx of leukocytes, collectively constituting neuroinflammation, the “flame” of the brain. Although details diff...
scim.ag
June 24, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
FN is taking a summer vacation 🏖️, but we'll be back in September with more exciting talks on chromatin and transcription!

If you've got a new story you'd like to share with the FN audience this fall, fill out the form here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Application to speak in the Fragile Nucleosome series
Thank you for your interest in our seminar series! We use a variety of different session formats but, in general, trainees can plan for a ~15 min talk + 5min Q/A and PIs can plan for a ~25min talk +...
docs.google.com
June 18, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
Do you or someone you know have an exciting new chromatin/transcription story that you'll be ready to talk about in the Fall?

Then fill out or share this form to speak in the @fnucleosome.bsky.social seminar series! All models, organisms, and complexes welcome 🧬🧪🔬
FN is taking a summer vacation 🏖️, but we'll be back in September with more exciting talks on chromatin and transcription!

If you've got a new story you'd like to share with the FN audience this fall, fill out the form here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Application to speak in the Fragile Nucleosome series
Thank you for your interest in our seminar series! We use a variety of different session formats but, in general, trainees can plan for a ~15 min talk + 5min Q/A and PIs can plan for a ~25min talk +...
docs.google.com
June 19, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
NYT story about Judge Young’s ruling
A federal judge on Monday declared the Trump administration’s move to cut hundreds of grants issued by the National Institutes of Health illegal, accusing the government of discrimination against minorities and L.G.B.T.Q. individuals. nyti.ms/4jSIjOG
Trump’s Cuts to N.I.H. Grants Are Illegal, Federal Judge Rules
The judge accused the Trump administration of discriminating against minorities and L.G.B.T.Q. people and ordered the government to restore much of the funding.
nyti.ms
June 16, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Excited for these three talks on Wednesday!! Pls join us!
Join us next Wed, for three amazing ECR researchers_ @fueyoraquel.bsky.social, @kaiamattioli.bsky.social and Laura talk about their work in #FragileNucleosome seminar series!
In case you haven't joined any of the previous 2025 sessions, here is registration link:
us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
June 14, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
Are you an established PI that studies the human immune system and looking for a change of location? If the answer is yes, #McGill has an amazing opportunity to provide long-term funding at a world class institution. Apply now!!!! Please repost!!! mcgill.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/McGill...
Canadian Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Human Immunology
Please refer to the How to Apply for a Job (for External Candidates) job aid for instructions on how to apply. If you are an active McGill employee (ie: currently in an active contract or position at ...
mcgill.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com
June 10, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
If you're an international PhD student at Harvard working on something that my lab is familiar with and you're at risk of deportation, shoot me an email. We may be able to host you or find someone else who can.
May 23, 2025 at 2:34 AM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
Join us on Wednesday next week for two exciting talks on transcription regulation from @kasitc.bsky.social and @davidsuter.bsky.social!

You can register at: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
May 15, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
Tomorrow!!! Register and join us for exciting research talks from @baluapuri.bsky.social and @juliecocquet.bsky.social!
⚡Next Wednesday! In our next #FragileNucleosome seminar session, we are delighted to host, @baluapuri.bsky.social and @juliecocquet.bsky.social!
If you've registered to one of our previous 2025 sessions, you can use the same link to join our next session. If not:
us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
May 6, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
Outstanding work from Allison James who will graduate next month! If you like our work, consider applying to the Farnung Lab. More info: farnunglab.com
Farnung Lab
farnunglab.com
May 6, 2025 at 3:09 PM
We have reached 100 registrations for our 2nd seminar!
Excited to see everyone tonight at Whitehead Institute for the 2nd GEARS seminar, featuring three talks from Harleen Saini, Vikram Agarwal, and Ava Carter!
May 1, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
A tool to dissect regulatory DNA in its endogenous context enables the identification of designed small edits (<10 bp) that fine-tune gene expression, with potential therapeutic implications #NBThighlight www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...
Rewriting regulatory DNA to dissect and reprogram gene expression
Martyn and Montgomery et al. present Variant-EFFECTS, a high-throughput technology developed to precisely measure the effects of CRISPR-mediated edits on gene expression. Variant-EFFECTS is reproducib...
www.cell.com
April 17, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
A VLP system for the delivery of various editors is optimized for the fraction of fully assembled editor ribonucleoproteins. This increases the per-VLP efficacy of editing in primary T lymphocytes and mouse models of inherited retinal disease. www.cell.com/cell/fulltex... #NBTHighlight
Engineered nucleocytosolic vehicles for loading of programmable editors
Engineered nucleocytosolic vehicles for loading of programmable editors (ENVLPE) with enhanced CRISPR ribonucleoprotein (RNP) loading and stabilization enable the efficient delivery of gene-editing ef...
www.cell.com
April 9, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
A large-scale cross-species association study identifies new microbial gut colonization factors, whose modulation enhances the ability of poorly colonizing bacterial strains to establish in the mouse intestine #NBThighlight cell.com/cell/fulltex...
Conserved genetic basis for microbial colonization of the gut
Tree-of-life scale genotype-habitat association reveals conserved gene modules across thousands of gut microbial species and identifies previously undescribed factors that modulate microbial colonizat...
cell.com
April 7, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
April 3, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
We just posted two preprints on uncovering the genetic bases of species-specific differences in neural progenitors, excitatory neurons, and upon neuronal stimulation using the human-chimpanzee tetraploid system. Please check them out!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Human-chimpanzee tetraploid system defines mechanisms of species-specific neural gene regulation
A major challenge in human evolutionary biology is to pinpoint genetic differences that underlie human-specific traits, such as increased neuron number and differences in cognitive behaviors. We used human-chimpanzee tetraploid cells to distinguish gene expression changes due to cis -acting sequence variants that change local gene regulation, from trans expression changes due to species differences in the cellular environment. In neural progenitor cells, examination of both cis and trans changes – combined with CRISPR inhibition and transcription factor motif analyses – identified cis -acting, species-specific gene regulatory changes, including to TNIK , FOSL2 , and MAZ , with widespread trans effects on neurogenesis-related gene programs. In excitatory neurons, we identified POU3F2 as a key cis -regulated gene with trans effects on synaptic gene expression and neuronal firing. This study identifies cis -acting genomic changes that cause cascading trans gene regulatory effects to contribute to human neural specializations, and provides a general framework for discovering genetic differences underlying human traits. ### Competing Interest Statement C.A.W. is on the SAB of Bioskyrb Genomics (cash, equity) and Mosaica Therapeutics (cash, equity), and is an advisor to Maze Therapeutics (equity), but these have no relevance to this work. The remaining authors declare no competing interests.
www.biorxiv.org
April 2, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
Compelling evidence that the activity-dependent gene expression program has changed between human and chimpanzee neurons (new preprint by @janetsong.bsky.social and collaborators) 🧪🧬🧠
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
FOS binding sites are a hub for the evolution of activity-dependent gene regulatory programs in human neurons
After birth, sensory inputs to neurons trigger the induction of activity-dependent genes (ADGs) that mediate many aspects of neuronal maturation and plasticity. To identify human-specific ADGs, we cha...
www.biorxiv.org
April 2, 2025 at 6:59 AM
What contributes to human specific neural specification? Check out these two wonderful preprints from a wonderful scientist Ava carter! 1. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...; 2. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Stay tuned! third preprint is on its way!
Human-chimpanzee tetraploid system defines mechanisms of species-specific neural gene regulation
A major challenge in human evolutionary biology is to pinpoint genetic differences that underlie human-specific traits, such as increased neuron number and differences in cognitive behaviors. We used ...
www.biorxiv.org
April 2, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
The importance of moving away from bulk! Occupancy of Pol II at promoters is dramatically different between fly and mouse cells! When looking single molecule! Proud of the team! @kasitc.bsky.social @molinalab.bsky.social doi.org/10.1038/s443...
April 2, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
Cell biologist and former @FredHutch.bsky.social division leader Dr. Jonathan Cooper retires. Learn about his many years of scientific discovery and time directing the Basic Sciences Division:
Cell biologist and former Fred Hutch division leader Dr. Jonathan Cooper retires
After 40 years of asking good questions of his own science and the science of his colleagues at Fred Hutch, cell biologist Dr. Jonathan Cooper has retired from the Basic Sciences Division.
www.fredhutch.org
March 28, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Reposted by Xiaoli Sky Wu
🌱Join us for the first #FragileNucleosome seminar of this spring! We are excited to host @juliamaristany.bsky.social & @chribue.bsky.social this week!
If you have registered before you can join from the same link, if not, don't forget to register!
us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
March 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM