Areas of Focus
- Mechanisms of piRNA generation
- Function of non-coding RNA in germ cell development
- Regulation of transposons in germ cell development
- Formation and function of membrane-less organelles in germ cells
- Pathogenesis of human infertility due to genetic mutations
Work Experience
- 2014-2019 - Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, USA
- 2019-2022 - Distinguished Research Fellow, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University
- 2020-present - Researcher, Tongji University Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital
- 2022-present - Professor, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University
Academic Background & Achievements
- 2009 - Bachelor in Biotechnology: Qingdao University
- 2014 - PhD in Cell Biology: Beijing Normal University
- Research on telomerase function in cancer development during PhD
- Selected for Shanghai Overseas High-Level Talent Introduction Plan in 2019
- Received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Excellent Young Scientists (Overseas) in 2021
Publications
- piRNA loading triggers MIWI translocation from the intermitochondrial cement to chromatoid body during mouse spermatogenesis, Wei, H.*, Gao, J.*, Lin, D.*, Geng, R.*, Liao, J., Huang, T., Shang, G., Jing, J., Fan, Z., Pan, D., Yin, Z., Li, T., Liu, X., Chen, C., Li, J., Wang, X.#, Ding, D.#, and Liu, M.F.#, 2024
- MIWI N-terminal RG motif promotes efficient pachytene piRNA production and spermatogenesis independent of LINE1 transposon silencing, Wei, C.*, Jing, J.*, Yan, X., Mann, J.M., Geng, R., Xie, H., Demireva, E.Y., Hess, R.A., Ding, D.#, and Chen, C.#, 2023
- SYPL1 defines a vesicular pathway essential for sperm cytoplasmic droplet formation and male fertility, Liu, J.*, Hermo, L.*, Ding, D.*, Wei, C., Mann, J.M., Yan, X., Melnick, A.F., Wu, Y., Withrow, A., Cibelli, J., Hess, R.A., and Chen, C.#, 2023
- LOTUS domain is a novel class of G-rich and G-quadruplex RNA binding domain, Ding, D.*, Wei, C., Dong, K., Liu, J., Stanton, A., Xu, C., Min, J., Hu, J., and Chen, C.#, 2020
- Mitochondrial membrane-based initial separation of MIWI and MILI functions during pachytene piRNA biogenesis, Ding, D.*, Liu, J.*, Dong, K.*, Melnick, A.F., Latham, K.E., and Chen, C.#, 2019
- TDRD5 binds piRNA precursors and selectively enhances pachytene piRNA processing in mice, Ding, D.*, Liu, J.*, Dong, K.*, Midic, U., Hess, R.A., Xie, H., Demireva, E.Y., and Chen, C.#, 2018
- PNLDC1 is essential for piRNA 3' end trimming and transposon silencing during spermatogenesis in mice, Ding, D.*, Liu, J.*, Dong, K.*, Midic, U., Hess, R.A., Xie, H., Demireva, E.Y., and Chen, C.#, 2017
- hTERT promotes tumor angiogenesis by activating VEGF via interactions with the Sp1 transcription factor, Liu, N.*, Ding, D.*, Hao, W., Yang, F., Wu, X., Wang, M., Xu, X., Ju, Z., Liu, J.P., Song, Z., Shay, J. W., Guo, Y., Cong, Y. S.#, 2016
- Human telomerase reverse transcriptase regulates MMP expression independently of telomerase activity via NF-kappaB-dependent transcription, Ding, D.*, Xi, P.*, Zhou, J., Wang, M., and Cong, Y.S.#, 2013
Awards
- 2019: Selected for Shanghai Overseas High-Level Talent Introduction Plan
- 2021: Received funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Excellent Young Scientists (Overseas)
