Peng DU

Peng Du is a Professor at Peking University's School of Life Sciences, affiliated with the Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences and the Beijing Advanced Center of RNA Biology (BEACON). His research focuses on RNA regulatory pathways in mammalian early embryonic development, Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs), and human disease. Dr. Du's work explores the reconstitution of plant and microbial RNA regulatory mechanisms in mammalian cells for potential medical applications. He received his Ph.D. from Peking University in 2012 and completed postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital. His laboratory investigates RNA regulatory elements, totipotency in stem cells, and the biological relevance of RNA regulation in development and disease.

Peng Du's research focuses on RNA regulation, Stem Cell biology, and Cancer. Their work explores the role of RNA modifications in cancer progression, such as the m6A methyltransferase METTL3, which enhances translation and promotes oncogenesis. They also investigate how viral infections impact host gene expression through endogenous siRNAs and microRNA dynamics. Additionally, Peng Du studies totipotent and pluripotent stem cell states, emphasizing the role of microRNAs in stem cell transitions and lineage reprogramming. Their research highlights the importance of RNA quality control mechanisms, such as Dis3l2-mediated decay, in noncoding RNA regulation. These studies contribute to understanding the molecular basis of development, disease, and cellular reprogramming.