News

We recently published two papers in PNAS. The paper, titled “Harnessing non-Watson-Crick’s base pairing to enhance CRISPR effectors cleavage 1 activities and enable gene editing in mammalian cells,” is among the first studies to demonstrate gene editing and gene expression experiments with ZTGC RNA or DNA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In its second PNAS paper published in December 2023, we worked with colleagues from the University of Texas, Boston University, State University of New York, and MIT to develop mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.

We developed a lipid-based nanoscale molecular machine that achieves efficient cytosolic transport of biologics by destabilizing endo-lysosomal compartments through nanomechanical action upon light irradiation.
Zhao et al. Nanomechanical action opens endo-lysosomal compartments. Nature Comm. 2023, 14, Article number: 6645.(Editors’ Highlights).

Congratulations to Dr. Yamin Li, Dr. Jinjin Chen and Dr. Min Qiu to start their own individual research lab!

Zhongfeng Ye et al. “The mRNA Vaccine Revolution: COVID-19 Has Launched the Future of Vaccinology” was published in ACS Nano. ACS Nano 2023, 17, 16, 15231–15253

Dr. Qiaobing Xu was promoted to full professor, effective on Sept. 1st, 2021.  Congratulations!

Min Qiu and Zachary Glass et al.  “Lipid nanoparticle-mediated co-delivery of Cas9 mRNA and single guide RNA achieves liver-specific in vivo genome editing of Angptl3” was accepted for publication in journal PNAS 2021.

Zachary Glass has successfully obtained PhD, and is now working at Verve Therapeutics. Congratulations!

Xuewei Zhao has successfully obtained PhD, and is now working at LegendBio. Congratulations!

Liu Yang has successfully obtained PhD, and is now working at Precision Nanosystems. Congratulations!

Feihe Ma et al. “Neurotransmitter-derived lipidoids (NT-lipidoids) for enhanced brain delivery through intravenous injection” was accepted for publishing in journal Science Advances 2020.

Xuewei Zhao et al. “Imidazole-based synthetic lipidoids for in vivo mRNA delivery into primary T lymphocytes” was accepted for publishing in journal Angew Chem Int. Ed. 2020.

Dr. Qiaobing Xu was appointed as a standing panel member for NIH Review Study Section, Gene and Drug Delivery (GDD), 09/2020-08/2023.

Yamin Li et al. “Combinatorial Library of Cyclic Benzylidene Acetal-Containing pH-Responsive Lipidoid Nanoparticles for Intracellular mRNA Delivery.” was accepted for publishing in journal Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2020.

Paul Gao (MSc) and Tian Jiang (M.Eng) who just graduated this May 2020.  Congratulations to you all and thanks for your contribution to Xu Group!!!

Raissa Li was selected as Laidlaw Scholars at Tufts University in 2020. Congratulations!

Anirban Chakraborty won Class of 1947 Victor Prather Prize, Tufts University in 2020. Congratulations!

Yamin Li et al. “Protein and mRNA Delivery Enabled by Cholesteryl-Based Biodegradable Lipidoid Nanoparticles” was accepted for publishing in journal Angew Chem Int. Ed. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202004994

Under Dr. Qiaobing Xu’s leadership, the Biomedical engineering department successfully launched the first Co-op program in Tufts in January 2019. Han Nguyen and Aiden Lewis becomes first two students in this program.
https://now.tufts.edu/articles/biomedical-engineering-students-full-time-stint-9-5-world

Dr. Qiaobing Xu was elected as Fellow of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), class 2020. https://aimbe.org/press/xu-COF-5140.pdf

Dr. Qiaobing Xu from Tufts University and Dr. Daniel Anderson from MIT successfully organized the 17th International Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery Symposium in Sept. 22-24, 2019, Boston, MA.  https://www.nanodds2019.org

Thomas Nyalile successfully defended his senior thesis with high honor on May 1st, 2019.  He will start his PhD study in UMass Medical School this fall.  Congratulations, Tom!

Zhen Tian successfully defended his Mastery thesis on April 23rd, 2019.  He will return to China after graduation. Congratulations, Zhen!

Dr. Qiaobing Xu serves as a Member of the Nanoagents & Synthetic Formulations Committee, American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT).

Dr. Qiaobing Xu won the Mid-career award from Chinese Association for Biomaterials, 2019.

Welcome to our new postdocs, Dr. Jinjin Chen, Dr. Feihe Ma and Dr. Min Qiu.

Our paper on protein delivery was accepted for publication in journal Accounts of Chemical Research. Title: “Integrating Combinatorial Lipid Nanoparticle and Chemically Modified Protein for Intracellular Delivery and Genome Editing” Chang, Jin; Chen, Xianghan; Glass, Zachary; Gao, Feng; Mao, Lanqun; Wang, Ming*; Xu, Qiaobing*. 2018

Our research in exploring ROS-responsive Chemical Modification of Protein and Its Delivery for cancer treatment received a new R01 support from NIH/NIBIB. Congratulations!

Congratulations to the EGET (Ear gene edting) team (Zhengyi Chen (PI, MEEI), Qiaobing Xu (Co-PI,Tufts University and David Liu (Co-PI, Broad Institute) to receive the NIH Common Fund’s Somatic Cell Genome Editing program, for In Vivo RNP-Based Gene Editing in the Sensory Organ Inner Ear Using Bioreducible Lipid Nanoparticles.  https://commonfund.nih.gov/editing

Dr. Xu was invited to attend the CRISPR workshop at Sandia National Lab, Livermore, CA during 7/9-10, 2018. https://share-ng.sandia.gov/crispr/

Dr. Xu gave an invited talk at Beijing Symposium-Polymeric Biomaterials co-organized by Prof. Hong Chen and Prof. Zhuang Liu, Prof. Huaping Xu in Soochow University, Suzhou, China on Oct. 29-31, 2017.

Dr. Xu gave an invited talk at Applied Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, on Oct. 4th, 2017.

Dr. Xu wins BMES/Cellular And Molecular Bioengineering Program, Rising Star Award 2017.

Dr. Xu gave an invited talk at The 14th International Nanomedicine & Drug Delivery Symposium (nanoDDS’16), 9/16-9/18/2016  The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.

The Xu’s group website is now available after six years!!! (2016.9)