Areas of Interest
CRISPR-Cas is a RNA-guided, genetic interference pathway in prokaryotes that enables acquired immunity against invasive nucleic acids. Nowadays, CRISPRs also provide formidable tools for facile, programmable genome engineering in eukaryotes. Cas9 proteins are the “effector” endonucleases for CRISPR interference; and have recently begun to be also recognized as important players in other aspects of bacterial physiology (e.g., acquisition of new spacers into CRISPRs, endogenous gene regulation, microbial pathogenesis). My laboratory is broadly interested in CRISPR biology and mechanism. We use Neisseria species as our model system, and E. coli and human cells as additional platforms. We employ complementary biochemical, microbiological, genetic and genomic approaches. We are also interested in working with the broader scientific community to develop and apply novel CRISPR-based tools to tackle diverse biological questions.
Published Articles or Reviews
Recent Publications
Snapshots of a tiny ancestral nuclease of Cas9.
Hou Z, Tan R, Zhang Y.
Trends Biochem Sci. 2023; 48: 9–10.
Cas11 enables genome engineering in human cells with compact CRISPR-Cas3 systems.
Tan R, Krueger RK, Gramelspacher MJ, Xufei Z, Xiao Y, Ke A, Hou Z, Zhang Y.
Mol Cell. 2022; 82: 852–67.
Introducing Large Genomic Deletions in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Using CRISPR-Cas3.
Hou Z, Hu C, Ke A, Zhang Y.
Curr Protoc. 2022; 2: e361.
Biochemical characterization of RNA-guided ribonuclease activities for CRISPR-Cas9 systems.
Gramelspacher MJ, Hou Z, Zhang Y.
Methods. 2020; 172: 32–41.
Inserting DNA with CRISPR.
Hou Z, Zhang Y.
Science. 2019; 365: 25–6.
Introducing a Spectrum of Long-Range Genomic Deletions in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Using Type I CRISPR-Cas.
Dolan AE, Hou Z, Xiao Y, Gramelspacher MJ, Heo J, Howden SE, Freddolino PL, Ke A, Zhang Y.
Mol Cell. 2019; 74: 936–50.
Insights into a Mysterious CRISPR Adaptation Factor, Cas4.
Hou Z, Zhang Y.
Mol Cell. 2018; 70: 757–8.
Programmable RNA Cleavage and Recognition by a Natural CRISPR-Cas9 System from Neisseria meningitidis.
Rousseau BA, Hou Z, Gramelspacher MJ, Zhang Y.
Mol Cell. 2018; 69: 906–14.
For a list of publications from Pubmed, click HERE
