Physiological sensing by nuclear condensates
We study how pH and related environmental cues alter the physical state of transcriptional and chromatin-regulatory assemblies.
Research
From tissue chemistry to gene regulation
Tissues are dynamic physicochemical environments. We seek general principles that explain how physiological variables reshape gene-regulatory machinery and guide immune-cell adaptation.
Inflammatory gene regulation and memory
We investigate how environmental states are encoded in chromatin organization, transcriptional dynamics, and lasting inflammatory programs.
Myeloid-cell identity and adaptation
We explore how tissue physiology influences macrophage and monocyte state, differentiation, function, and disease-associated behavior.
People
Meet the lab
Zhongyang Wu, Ph.D.
wuzhongyang@ustc.edu.cnProfessor and Principal Investigator
Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China
State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy
Zhongyang Wu is a professor and principal investigator in the Division of Life Sciences and Medicine and the State Key Laboratory of Immune Response and Immunotherapy at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). He grew up in Jiangxi, China, and earned his B.S. from Nanchang University. He received his Ph.D. from Tsinghua University under the mentorship of Dr. Xiaohua Shen, where he studied epigenetic regulation in stem cells. He then completed his postdoctoral training with Dr. Xu Zhou at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, investigating how immune cells—particularly macrophages—sense environmental pH.
Since 2026, the Wu Lab has sought to understand how the physicochemical properties of tissue microenvironments reshape tissue niches and regulate myeloid-cell development, function, and adaptation through the physical organization of gene-control machinery.
Outside the lab, Zhongyang enjoys calligraphy, cooking, and playing badminton.
Lab Administration
Fang Li
Lab Manager
Fang was born and raised in Anhui, China. She received her B.Ec. from Anhui University of Finance and Economics in 2015 and her master’s degree in finance from Huaqiao University in 2018. Before joining the Wu Lab as Lab Manager in 2026, she worked at the Agricultural Bank of China from 2018 to 2025. Outside the lab, Fang enjoys spending time with her family and playing the erhu.
Students
Weifeng Sun
Master’s Student
sunweifeng@mail.ustc.edu.cnWeifeng was born and raised in Shandong, China. She earned her B.S. in Biopharmaceutical Sciences from Shandong First Medical University in 2025 and joined the Wu Lab in 2026. Her research focuses on how immune cells develop memory of and adapt to environmental stresses in tissues. Outside the lab, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her cat, and daydreaming.
Ziqin Hua
Master’s Student
huaziq@mail.ustc.edu.cnZiqin was born and raised in Jiangsu, China. He earned his B.S. from Changzhou University in 2025 and joined the Wu Lab in 2026. His research focuses on how tissue acidosis reshapes chromatin states and epigenetic regulation in macrophages. Outside the lab, he enjoys bodybuilding, cycling, and first-person shooter games.
Ziqi Dong
Master’s Student
stern@mail.ustc.edu.cnZiqi grew up in Henan, China. She earned her B.S. from Northeast Agricultural University in 2026 and joined the Wu Lab the same year. Her research focuses on how physicochemical cues in tissue microenvironments shape monocyte differentiation and myeloid-cell fate decisions. Outside the lab, she enjoys working out, cooking, and reading.
Xueyu Feng
Undergraduate Student · Incoming Master’s Student (2027)
fengxueyu@mail.ustc.edu.cnXueyu was born and raised in Heilongjiang, China. He is pursuing his B.S. at USTC and expects to graduate in 2027. He joined the Wu Lab as an undergraduate researcher in 2026 and will continue as a master’s student in 2027. Previously, he worked on an undergraduate research project involving bispecific antibodies for colorectal cancer treatment.
Selected publication
Featured work
Regulation of inflammatory responses by pH-dependent transcriptional condensates
Wu Z., Pope S.D., et al. This study identifies transcriptional condensates as intracellular pH sensors that translate tissue acidity into gene-specific inflammatory responses.
News
News & updates
November 2026
We are ready for discovery
Our new laboratory at USTC is now fully established and operational. We are excited to begin experiments and explore fun things.
Recruitment
We are building our team
The Wu Laboratory welcomes applications from postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D. students, and master’s students interested in tissue immunology, biomolecular condensates, and immune-cell adaptation.
Join us
Build new biology with us
We welcome inquiries from motivated postdoctoral fellows, Ph.D. students, and master’s students interested in immunology, gene regulation, chromatin biology, and the physical organization of cells. Please email a CV and a brief description of your research interests.
Contact
Find us at USTC
Address
Yisuan Building, West Campus
University of Science and Technology of China
Hefei, Anhui, China