https://zhou-lab.org/home daily 1.0 2026-03-12 https://zhou-lab.org/research daily 0.75 2025-12-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/07692b2b-d887-4660-b08a-3845ca4c3cf9/Rita+Allen+%2829%29.jpg Research - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/e281fd6d-8119-4284-8ac1-673a45e3c46a/Screen+Shot+2022-04-13+at+10.22.48+AM+%282%29.jpg Research - Programmable protein systems Precise molecular sensing is the key to the development of highly specific diagnostics and treatments. To this end, one central goal of our lab is to design and build novel functional proteins capable of sensing and responding to environmental cues and exogenous signals. These signals include protein post-translational modifications, conformations, interactions, disease-specific mutations, and soluble ligands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/8678c7dc-1ff0-4004-803b-d793e04505a2/Screen+Shot+2022-04-13+at+9.39.18+AM+%282%29.jpg Research - Deciphering and engineering cellular communication In addition to applying the engineered proteins directly to manipulating cell activities, our interests also lie in the incorporation of these proteins into cellular pathways as novel signaling components. The new signaling proteins would allow the cells to harness desired functionalities, such as converting an inhibitory PD-1 signal to a stimulatory response to enhance T cell activity, recognizing the excess amount of VEGF in the tumor microenvironment to initiate cancer-killing, binding a target of interest only in the low-pH environment for cancer-specific targeting, or responding to a pulse of light for spatiotemporally restricted activation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/44c9d178-7211-4230-8405-7135f23e98ba/Screen+Shot+2022-04-13+at+9.16.21+AM+%282%29.jpg Research - Novel biotherapeutic modalities Key challenges remain for therapeutic targeting of disease-driven signaling mechanisms. Systemic inhibition, such as kinase inhibitors, immune checkpoint blockers, or receptor traps, has been successfully applied in various malignancies. However, the specificity of these treatments remains low, leading to toxicity issues, resistance, and low response rate. In addition, direct blockade of protein activities can be challenging. More than 85% of the human proteome has been deemed “undruggable” with traditional pharmacological approaches. https://zhou-lab.org/publication daily 0.75 2026-02-26 https://zhou-lab.org/contact-me daily 0.75 2026-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/51df7be5-46a5-43af-98aa-a4c5059c36e7/Longwood_5.jpg Contact Us Dana-Farber Cancer Institute LC-3116 (office), LC-3101 (Lab) 360 Longwood Avenue Boston, MA 02215 phone: 617-582-9749 https://zhou-lab.org/news-fun daily 0.75 2025-12-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/206d3834-c1be-4e66-82d7-842c9ef6a079/IMG_3754.jpg News & Fun - Lab Spring Celebration! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/78247c78-be72-48d7-9d8b-0cd25f921146/Screen+Shot+2024-01-30+at+3.12.26+PM.png News & Fun - Celebrating the 2024 Holidays! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/822e5e5d-29d5-4ec3-b93b-494f49a948b2/IMG_6672.jpg News & Fun - End of Summer 2023 BBQ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/c744a991-806b-43bd-af93-d65b00ad6af3/IMG_6305.jpg News & Fun - Celebrating Frances’ last in person day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/c2c09dc8-f4cb-46f4-b2f2-592de007c36f/Screen+Shot+2023-05-04+at+9.32.58+AM.png News & Fun - Having fun at the DFCI Chemical Biology Retreat! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/a822d7e3-3d1a-4d03-baab-124c82c84810/Slide1.jpeg News & Fun - Lab Rock Climbing! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/c61b7bec-003b-4a15-b41b-35d94871db6a/IMG_5517.jpg News & Fun - Celebrating our first year as a lab! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/acb27b13-aab7-4fde-8f55-539148d31ec5/FkJtqmGXkAA8U0p.jpeg News & Fun - Merry Christmas from the Zhou Lab! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/555cf80a-12bc-41dc-bc8e-724d4a9e51e6/Image+from+iOS+%282%29.jpg News & Fun - Summer hiking at Middlesex Reservation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/693a91e6-d7e5-453e-ac34-72230a0c9e2a/2022.03.09-Lab-set-up.jpg News & Fun - Day 1 vs.Day 7 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/31cd3f77-84a7-452a-818e-e50d6e2857b6/longwood-center.jpeg News & Fun - We opened in 2022! https://zhou-lab.org/team daily 0.75 2025-12-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/1650658814962-XII7AJOUN3PL2J1LLGEG/Itay+black+background.jpeg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/f6b6d99b-096d-4bed-9417-efaebf791ed8/MSK+pic+1.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/fa1fda34-7dd2-420c-aaf5-4054aef74007/Portrait+%282%29.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/51dbf0d3-4e8b-4f23-8bfb-d5d4bdae78a3/Aoxing+Cheng.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/1ddb0bce-b0d4-4dc6-9ba1-59a0ffd9900e/IMG_2105.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/28f7c1b8-5961-4d5a-a60e-2823d1e41d72/Larry+Shue.JPG Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/6fe6d671-24d3-4bf0-88dd-573b32eab478/DJ+touch+ear+fei+chang+hao+kan+hopkins+sign+side+one.jpeg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/5bc9c07d-d989-4de3-9f69-820588097670/jhoelyheadshot2022.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/3f4dd92f-bb95-4b3a-8409-b6eca3beee5c/IMG_0165.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/6fe3229b-c7b4-490f-a345-6af515bad33d/Sherry.jpeg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/7b685099-4ade-4b6e-aa98-fa733ea54038/Picture1.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/6fa4ae91-3817-4988-9ff1-5c63fce4daba/Picture2.png Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/d5c434f6-8b05-4c8b-b2e5-2e6eb3163ea0/Screenshot+2024-12-03+at+11.13.11%E2%80%AFPM.png Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/e54ab08d-38e7-44bc-8bfd-eb6c56abe7fb/Screenshot+2024-12-05+103921.png Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/989b5a32-c442-43d7-82a5-ba0406ccf574/Ziyan+Cheng.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/81a7994c-9cb6-4110-ba42-0f77d39a4eca/56857e5c-0bbf-4ed6-90a8-2e2372f27785.JPG Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/a33f2456-2f15-4461-bcd3-705e56313811/KasiaPustelny-DFCI+2025.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/501af349-56b8-4369-94f2-7a5fdb510e44/Screenshot%2B2024-12-02%2B170856%281%29.png Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/8de800f8-fd93-4b52-8e3c-238e117be658/IMG_9859.jpeg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/49036c41-fb6a-4159-8334-b00b914f4ae0/Xin+Zhou.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/c0c8a90b-e165-4da2-9a81-5e3058714f84/Zhou-Lab-2025Dec.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/e6e20836-a3c4-434e-be94-2e011ac39e55/Zhou-lab-v3.jpg https://zhou-lab.org/video daily 0.75 2025-12-06 https://zhou-lab.org/research-2 daily 0.75 2024-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/e281fd6d-8119-4284-8ac1-673a45e3c46a/Screen+Shot+2022-04-13+at+10.22.48+AM+%282%29.jpg Research (Copy) - Designing and Evolving Novel Protein Sensors and Switch es Precise molecular sensing is the key to the development of highly specific diagnostics and treatments. To this end, one central goal of our lab is to design and build novel functional proteins capable of sensing and responding to environmental cues and exogenous signals. These signals include protein post-translational modifications, conformations, interactions, disease-specific mutations, and soluble ligands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/8678c7dc-1ff0-4004-803b-d793e04505a2/Screen+Shot+2022-04-13+at+9.39.18+AM+%282%29.jpg Research (Copy) - Engineering Cell Signaling Pathways to Build Molecular Sensors and Recorders and Enhance Cell Therapy In addition to applying the engineered proteins directly to manipulating cell activities, our interests also lie in the incorporation of these proteins into cellular pathways as novel signaling components. The new signaling proteins would allow the cells to harness desired functionalities, such as converting an inhibitory PD-1 signal to a stimulatory response to enhance T cell activity, recognizing the excess amount of VEGF in the tumor microenvironment to initiate cancer-killing, binding a target of interest only in the low-pH environment for cancer-specific targeting, or responding to a pulse of light for spatiotemporally restricted activation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/612c3348fe980f6e6caa6788/44c9d178-7211-4230-8405-7135f23e98ba/Screen+Shot+2022-04-13+at+9.16.21+AM+%282%29.jpg Research (Copy) - Development of New Biotherapeutic Modalities Key challenges remain for therapeutic targeting of disease-driven signaling mechanisms. Systemic inhibition, such as kinase inhibitors, immune checkpoint blockers, or receptor traps, has been successfully applied in various malignancies. However, the specificity of these treatments remains low, leading to toxicity issues, resistance, and low response rate. In addition, direct blockade of protein activities can be challenging. More than 85% of the human proteome has been deemed “undruggable” with traditional pharmacological approaches.