Faculty
Introduction
Dr. xingkong星空集团官网 received his medical degree at the First Military Medical University in 1986 and PhD from the Rockefeller University in 1997. After a short postdoctoral training with Professor Irving Weissman at Stanford University, he was appointed as a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Molecular Agrobiolgy and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore, until 2007. He then moved to Hong Kong and joined the Hong Kong University Science and Technology as an Associate Professor and was subsequently promoted to Professor. In 2022, Dr. xingkong星空集团官网 joined the Southern University of Science and Technology and is currently a Chair Professor of School of Life Science.
Research Interests：
Hematopoiesis or blood cell formation is a sophisticated biological process which gives rise to dozens of functionally divergent blood cells. Dysregulation of this process is repeatedly seen in many kinds of human diseases including cancers. Our laboratory is thus keen to understand the mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of the cellular components of the blood system and how their dysregulations incur diseases. Toward this end, we are utilizing xingkong星空集团官网, a tiny tropical fish whose blood system shares many similarities to humans. A combination of photo-inducible lineage tracing, time-lapse imaging, and devising genetic strategies will be employed to investigate: (1) the formation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and HSC-niche interaction; (2) the fate determination and function of tissue-resident macrophages and dendritic cells; (3) the roles of immune cells in aging and tissue regeneration; and (4) the roles of immune cells in the formation and metastasis of melanoma. The ultimately goal is to uncover cellular and molecular principles that organize the formation, maintenance, and function of these cells under physiological and pathological states.
Professional Experience：
2022-present Southern xingkong星空集团官网 of Science and Technology, China
Chair Professor, School of Life Science
2012-2022 Hong Kong xingkong星空集团官网 of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Professor, Division of Life Science
2007-2012 Hong Kong xingkong星空集团官网 of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry,
2002-2007 Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore
Principal Investigator
1999-2002 Institute of Molecular Agrobiology, Singapore
Principal Investigator
1997-1999 Stanford xingkong星空集团官网, California, USA
Postdoctoral Fellow with Irving L. Weissman
Educational Background：
1992-1997: Ph.D. in Molecular Cell Biology
Rockefeller xingkong星空集团官网, New York, USA; Mentor: James Darnell
1981-1986: Bachelor of Medicine
First Military Medical xingkong星空集团官网 (Southern Medical xingkong星空集团官网), Guangzhou, China
Honors & Awards：
2019: Croucher Senior Research Fellowships, Hong Kong
2011: School of Science Research Award, Hong Kong xingkong星空集团官网 of Science &
Technology, Hong Kong
1998: Helen Hay Whitney Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, USA
1997: American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, USA
Selected Publication:
1. Zhou QX#, Zhao CL#, Yang ZY, Qu R, Li YB, Fan YN, Tang JL, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2023) Cross-tissue single-cell transcriptome profiling reveals macrophage and dendritic cell heterogeneity in zebrafish Cell Reports (revision).
2. Zhao CL, Li YB, Tang JL, Zhou QX, Lin X, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2023) Metaphocytes are IL-22BP producing cells regulated by ETS transcription factor Spic and essential for zebrafish barrier immunity. Cell Reports (revision).
3. Yu T#, Kuang HY#, Huang Y, Wu XH, Wang JZ, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2023) Cell competition for neuron-derived trophic factor controls the turnover and lifespan of microglia. Science Advances (revision).
4. Lou L, Yu T, Dai YM, Zhao SZ, Feng SC, Xu J, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2022) Mafba and Mafbb regulate microglial colonization of zebrafish brain via controlling chemotaxis receptor expression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 119: e2203273119.
5. Zhao SZ, Feng SC, Tian Y, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2022) Hemogenic and aortic endothelium arise from a common hemogenic angioblast precursor and are specified by the Etv2 dosage. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 119: e2119051119.
6. Wu ST, Nguyen TML, Pan HR, Hassan S, Dai YM, Xu J, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2020) Two phenotypically and functionally distinct microglial populations in adult zebrafish. Science Advances 6:eabd1160.
7. Lin X, Zhou QX, Lin GZ, Zhao CL, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2020) Endoderm-derived myeloid-like metaphocytes in zebrafish gill mediate soluble antigen-induced immunity. Cell Reports 33:108227.
8. Lin X, Zhou QX, Zhao CL, Lin GZ, Xu J, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2019) An ectoderm-derived myeloid-like cell population functions as antigen transporters for Langerhans cells in zebrafish epidermis. Developmental Cell 49:605-617.
9. Wu ST, Xue RT, Hassan SL, Nguyen TML, Wang TN, Pan HR, Liu QF, Xu J, Zhang WQ, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2018) Il34-Csf1r pathway regulates the migration and colonization of microglial precursors. Developmental Cell 46:552-563.
10. Yu T, Guo WL, Tian Y, Xu J, Chen JH, Li L, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2017) Distinct regulatory networks control the development of macrophages of different origins in zebrafish. Blood 129:509-519.
11. Tian Y, Xu J, Feng SC, He SC, Zhao SZ, Zhu L, Jin W, Dai YM, Luo LF, Qu JY, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2017) The first wave of T lymphopoiesis in zebrafish arises from aorta endothelium independent of hematopoietic stem cells. Journal of Experimental Medicine 214:3347-3360.
12. Xu J, Wang TN, Wu Y, Jin W, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2016) Microglia colonization of developing zebrafish midbrain is promoted by apoptotic neuron and lysophosphatidylcholine. Developmental Cell 38:214-222.
Xu J, Zhu L, He SC, Wu Y, Jin W, Yu T, Qu JY, xingkong星空集团官网 ZL (2015) Temporal-spatial resolution fate mapping reveals distinct origins for embryonic and adult microglia in zebrafish. Developmental Cell 34:632-641.