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Lijun Zhou, PhD
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Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics
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Department: Biochemistry and Biophysics
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Graduate Group Affiliations
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Contact information
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Clinical Research Building, Room 345
36 415 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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36 415 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Publications
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Education:
21 9 B.S. 58 (Biology ) c
3c Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 2008.
21 a Ph.D. 5a (Biochemistry and Structural Biology ) c
3c Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 2013.
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21 9 B.S. 58 (Biology ) c
3c Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 2008.
21 a Ph.D. 5a (Biochemistry and Structural Biology ) c
3c Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 2013.
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Links
b4 Search PubMed for articles
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Permanent linkb4 Search PubMed for articles
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27 Non-natural Nucleic Acid (XNA);
1b In vitro Selection;
20 RNA-protein interaction;
1b Structural Biology;
18 Artificial Cells.
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Description of Research Expertise
28 Nucleic Acid Chemistry;27 Non-natural Nucleic Acid (XNA);
1b In vitro Selection;
20 RNA-protein interaction;
1b Structural Biology;
18 Artificial Cells.
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150 Xiwen Jia, Stephanie J Zhang, Lijun Zhou, Jack W Szostak: Constraints on the emergence of RNA through non-templated primer extension with mixtures of potentially prebiotic nucleotides. Nucleic Acids Research. Oxford University Press, 52(10): 5451-5464, June 2024.
134 Xiwen Jia, Ziyuan Fang, Seohyun Chris Kim, Dian Ding, Lijun Zhou, Jack W Szostak: Diaminopurine in Nonenzymatic RNA Template Copying. Journal of the American Chemical Society. American Chemical Society, 146(23): 15897-15907, June 2024.
19b Zachary R Cohen, Dian Ding, Lijun Zhou, Saurja DasGupta, Sebastian Haas, Kimberly P Sinclair, Zoe R Todd, Roy A Black, Jack W Szostak, David C Catling: Natural soda lakes provide compatible conditions for RNA and membrane function that could have enabled the origin of life. PNAS nexus. Oxford University Press, 3(3): pgae084, March 2024.
189 Dian Ding, Ziyuan Fang, Seohyun Chris Kim, Derek K O’Flaherty, Xiwen Jia, Talbot B Stone, Lijun Zhou*, Jack W Szostak*: Unusual Base Pair between Two 2-Thiouridines and Its Implication for Nonenzymatic RNA Copying. Journal of the American Chemical Society. American Chemical Society, 146(6): 3861–3871, January 2024.
142 Dian Ding, Lijun Zhou, Shriyaa Mittal, and Jack W. Szostak*: Experimental Tests of the Virtual Circular Genome Model for Nonenzymatic RNA Replication. Journal of the American Chemical Society American Chemical Society, 145(13): 7504-7515, Mar 2023.
103 Ding D, Zhou L, Giurgiu C, Szostak JW.: Kinetic explanations for the sequence biases observed in the nonenzymatic copying of RNA templates. Nucleic Acids Research 50(1): 35-45, Jan 2022.
139 Kim SC, O'Flaherty DK, Giurgiu C, Zhou L, Szostak JW.: The Emergence of RNA from the Heterogeneous Products of Prebiotic Nucleotide Synthesis. Journal of the American Chemical Society. American Chemical Society, 143(9): 3267-3279, Mar 2021.
c2 Zhou L, Ding D, Szostak JW.: The virtual circular genome model for primordial RNA replication. RNA 27(1): 1-11, Jan 2021.
de O'Flaherty DK, Zhou L, Szostak JW: Nonenzymatic RNA-templated Synthesis of N3'→P5' Phosphoramidate DNA. Bio-protocol 10(17): e3734-e3734, Sep 2020.
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Selected Publications
dd Lisa Nakayama and Lijun Zhou: In Vitro transcriptase: Methods for studying XNA synthesis. Methods in Enzymology. ELSEVIER, 725: 33-49, October 2025.150 Xiwen Jia, Stephanie J Zhang, Lijun Zhou, Jack W Szostak: Constraints on the emergence of RNA through non-templated primer extension with mixtures of potentially prebiotic nucleotides. Nucleic Acids Research. Oxford University Press, 52(10): 5451-5464, June 2024.
134 Xiwen Jia, Ziyuan Fang, Seohyun Chris Kim, Dian Ding, Lijun Zhou, Jack W Szostak: Diaminopurine in Nonenzymatic RNA Template Copying. Journal of the American Chemical Society. American Chemical Society, 146(23): 15897-15907, June 2024.
19b Zachary R Cohen, Dian Ding, Lijun Zhou, Saurja DasGupta, Sebastian Haas, Kimberly P Sinclair, Zoe R Todd, Roy A Black, Jack W Szostak, David C Catling: Natural soda lakes provide compatible conditions for RNA and membrane function that could have enabled the origin of life. PNAS nexus. Oxford University Press, 3(3): pgae084, March 2024.
189 Dian Ding, Ziyuan Fang, Seohyun Chris Kim, Derek K O’Flaherty, Xiwen Jia, Talbot B Stone, Lijun Zhou*, Jack W Szostak*: Unusual Base Pair between Two 2-Thiouridines and Its Implication for Nonenzymatic RNA Copying. Journal of the American Chemical Society. American Chemical Society, 146(6): 3861–3871, January 2024.
142 Dian Ding, Lijun Zhou, Shriyaa Mittal, and Jack W. Szostak*: Experimental Tests of the Virtual Circular Genome Model for Nonenzymatic RNA Replication. Journal of the American Chemical Society American Chemical Society, 145(13): 7504-7515, Mar 2023.
103 Ding D, Zhou L, Giurgiu C, Szostak JW.: Kinetic explanations for the sequence biases observed in the nonenzymatic copying of RNA templates. Nucleic Acids Research 50(1): 35-45, Jan 2022.
139 Kim SC, O'Flaherty DK, Giurgiu C, Zhou L, Szostak JW.: The Emergence of RNA from the Heterogeneous Products of Prebiotic Nucleotide Synthesis. Journal of the American Chemical Society. American Chemical Society, 143(9): 3267-3279, Mar 2021.
c2 Zhou L, Ding D, Szostak JW.: The virtual circular genome model for primordial RNA replication. RNA 27(1): 1-11, Jan 2021.
de O'Flaherty DK, Zhou L, Szostak JW: Nonenzymatic RNA-templated Synthesis of N3'→P5' Phosphoramidate DNA. Bio-protocol 10(17): e3734-e3734, Sep 2020.
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