Dr. Zehua Bao is currently a principal investigator in the College of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Zhejiang University. He is also affiliated with ZJU-Hangzhou Innovation Center. Before joining ZJU, Dr. Bao conducted undergraduate research with Zihe Rao at Tsinghua University, doctoral research with Huimin Zhao at UIUC, and postdoctoral research with Mo Khalil at BU. Dr. Bao’s primary research interest centers around developing high-throughput, multiplex genome editing and regulation tools for cellular and protein engineering, with first/corresponding author publications in Nat Biotechnol, Sci Adv, Biotechnol Bioeng, ACS Synth Biol, Mol Ther, Trends Microbiol, etc. His major contributions include the development of CHASE, CHAnGE, HI-CRISPR, and CRISPRa tools, which have won him the prestigious National Young Talents award.

Our lab is interested in developing multiplex and high-throughput technologies for editing and regulating genomes. We emphasize two aspects of potential technologies that we believe enable true genome engineering: first, precise modification of DNA bases at will, as opposed to random insertions/deletions; second, genome-wide programmability, i.e. rational target selections. Based on such technologies, we employ directed evolution as a powerful means to engineer optimal cells for industiral and therapeutic applications.

Original Research                  

14. M. Fang, Z. Xu, F. Yu, Z. Bao, M. Shen, P. Shen, D. Huang, Q. Shu, Z. Xu, X. Fang (2025) Highly efficient loop cleavage for human papillomavirus detection with a novel thermophilic Argonaute from Thermus brockianus. Biosensors and Bioelectronics 275, 117215.

13. Y. Gou, D. Li, M. Zhao, M. Li, J. Zhang, Y. Zhou, F. Xiao, G. Liu, H. Ding, C. Sun, C. Ye, C. Dong, J. Gao, D. Gao, Z. Bao, L. Huang, Z. Xu, J. Lian (2024) Intein-mediated temperature control for complete biosynthesis of sanguinarine and its halogenated derivatives in yeast. Nature Communications 15 (1), 5238.

12.  L. Deng, Y. Zhou, Z. Cai, J. Zhu, Z. Li, Z. Bao# (2024) Massively parallel CRISPR-assisted homologous recombination enables saturation editing of full-length endogenous genes in yeast. Science Advances 10 (20), eadj9382.

11. J. You, N. Singh, A. Reyes-Ordonez, N. Khanna, Z. Bao, H. Zhao, J. Chen (2020) ARHGEF3 regulates skeletal muscle regeneration and strength through autophagy. Cell Reports 34 (1), 108594.

10.   Z. Bao, M. HamediRad, P. Xue, H. Xiao, I. Tasan, R. Chao, J. Liang, H. Zhao (2018) Genome-scale engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with single nucleotide precision. Nature Biotechnology 36 (6), 505-508.

·   Highlighted by U.S. Department of Energy, AAAS, Illinois News Bureau, etc.

9.   J. Lian, Z. Bao, S. Hu, H. Zhao (2018) Engineered CRISPR/Cas9 system for multiplex genome engineering of polyploid industrial yeast strains. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 115 (6), 1630-1635.

8.   Z. Bao, S. Jain, V. Jaroenpuntaruk, H. Zhao (2017) Orthogonal genetic regulation in human cells using chemically induced CRISPR/Cas9 activators. ACS Synthetic Biology 6 (4), 686-693.

·   Recommended by F1000Prime

7.   Z. Jin, T. Schwend, J. Fu, Z. Bao, J. Liang, H. Zhao, W. Mei, J. Yang (2016) Members of the Rusc protein family interact with Sufu and inhibit vertebrate hedgehog signaling. Development 143 (21), 3944-3955. 

·   Highlighted article: Regulating Hh signaling with Rusc. Development 2016 143: e2014

6.   Z. Bao*, H. Xiao*, J. Liang, L. Zhang, X. Xiong, N. Sun, T. Si, H. Zhao (2014) Homology-Integrated CRISPR-Cas (HI-CRISPR) system for one-step multigene disruption in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. ACS Synthetic Biology 4 (5), 585-594.

·   ESI highly cited paper

5.   T. Si, Y. Luo, Z. Bao, H. Zhao (2014) RNAi-assisted genome evolution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for complex phenotype engineering. ACS Synthetic Biology 4 (3), 283-291.

4.   N. Sun, Z. Bao, X. Xiong, H. Zhao (2014) SunnyTALEN: a second-generation TALEN system for human genome editing. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 111 (4), 683-691.

·   Selected as a spotlight article in Biotechnol Bioeng, Vol. 111, No. 4, April, 2014

3.   J. Liang, R. Chao, Z. Abil, Z. Bao, H. Zhao (2014) FairyTALE: a high-throughput TAL effector synthesis platform. ACS Synthetic Biology 3 (2), 67-73.

·   Recommended by F1000Prime

·   Highlighted in ACS Synth. Biol. 2014, 3, 52-53

2.  K. Yu, Z. Ming, Y. Li, C. Chen, Z. Bao, Z. Ren, B. Liu, W. Tao, Z. Rao, Z. Lou (2012) Purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of nonstructural protein 2 (nsp2) from avian infectious bronchitis virus. Acta Crystallographica. Section F, Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications 68 (6), 716-719.

1.  Y. Li, Z. Ren, Z. Bao, Z. Ming, X. Li (2011) Expression, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic study of the C-terminal half of nsp2 from SARS coronavirus. Acta Crystallographica. Section F, Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications 67 (7), 790-793.

Review                                                                                                                                  

4. Y. Sang, L. Xu, Z. Bao# (2024) Development of artificial transcription factors and their applications in cell reprograming, genetic screen, and disease treatment. Molecular Therapy 32(12), 4208-4234.

3.  Z. Cai*, W. Xie*, Z. Bao# (2024) Broadening the targetable space: engineering and discovery of PAM-flexible Cas proteins. Trends in Microbiology 32 (8), 728-731.

2.   Z. Bao*, R. E. Cobb*, H. Zhao (2016) Accelerated genome engineering through multiplexing. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews Systems Biology and Medicine 8 (1), 5-21.

·   Top ten accessed WSBM articles in 2016

1.   H. Xiao*, Z. Bao*, H. Zhao (2014) High throughput screening and selection methods for directed enzyme evolution. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 54 (16), 4011-4020.

Cell Engineering, Undergraduate

Practical Training, Undergraduate

Protein Engineering, Graduate

We are always interested in exceptional postdoc candidates, graduate and undergrad students, postgraduate research assistants/technicians. Just shoot an email to zbao@zju.edu.cn to get started!