Zha Lab

Are you ready for the Summer? Social DNAing is! Check out the 2026 Summer line-up! Please note one schedule change on June 4th, 2026. Please RT! Sign up at cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

Why do mammalian cells need PAR, PARP1/2, but yeast does NOT? While studying the impact of PARG inhibition, Isaac in the lab found that extra-PAR sequesters nuclear PAR-binding proteins (XRCC1 and its partners, etc.) into nuclear condensates. biorxiv.org/content/10.6...

Drs. Zhu and Jiang in the Zha lab developed FISH probes for murine rDNA (on Addgene:240559), uncovered high somatic and germline heterogeneities in inbred mice, and unique roles of ATM/LIG4/BRCA1 at rDNA, and proposed a model for single-ended DSB at rDNA loci. academic.oup.com/nar/article/...

Thank you, Dr. Zhang, for a great talk. Dr. Yi from UCLA will take us to examine the hidden rearrangements - SCE in cancer genomes and, surprisingly, in normal cells as well. Sign up www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

Our new review on NHEJ just came out on G&D genesdev.cshlp.org/cgi/content/... Highlight the 5 phases, and importantly, the 5 protein bridges that bring the 2 DNA ends together for NHEJ. Thank Dr. Geunil Yi, for generating the illustration for all structural models.

Thank Ylli for a wonderful view on telomere. This week, we have another telomere expert visit - Dr. Lottersberger will discuss the role of DNA-PKcs at telomere. Sign up at www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

This week Dr. Doksani will join Social DNAing to discuss telomere biology! Please note the US is now in summer saving time. Check you local time! www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen reasons, Social DNAing will be canceled today!

Thank Dr. Kunkle, for a really thorough talk on DNA replication polymerases. This week Dr. Olsen will help us understand RAD51. Sign up at www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

Dr. Thomas Kunkel will visit Social DNAing this week. Sign up and tune in! www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

Thank Dr. James Berger from JHU for a wonderful tour in Topo II biology. This week Social DNAing will welcome an old friend - Dr. Greg Ira. Please sign up at www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

Registration deadline extended to January 31, 2026. Join us @nucleosomepolice.bsky.social @leunglab.bsky.social at CSHL for the PARP Meeting—connect with leaders and rising stars from academia and industry. Please kindly repost! .https://meetings.cshl.edu/meetings.aspx?meet=parp

Check out the GRC for DNA damage and Cancer! Join us in Summy California for a week of DNA repair and Cancer! www.grc.org/dna-damage-m...

Happy Holiday! Less than 70 Days to the 2026 GRC in DNA Damage, mutation and Cancer. Less than 50 spots available. Hope to see you all in sunny California! Full program available grc.org/dna-damage-mut…

Are you ready for 2026? Social DNAing is! See who is coming. Sign up at www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

Happy Holiday! Less than 70 Days to the 2026 GRC in DNA Damage, mutation and Cancer. Less than 50 spots available. Hope to see you all in sunny California! Full program available www.grc.org/dna-damage-m...

Happy holiday, everyone! 2026 Social DNAing Schedule is now online. Here is a sneak peek. Check it out and sign up at www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

Due to unforeseen reason, Tomorrow’s Social DNAing ( Oct.9 ) will be cancelled and we will see each other next week on Oct 16th. Thank you for your understanding.

Co-organizing a one day FREE conference on Genome Instability- Discovery to Personalized Medicine 11/1/25. Please join us! Short talks available. https//noncredit.t...

I spoke with Jade Hindmon, host of @kpbssandiego.bsky.social Midday Edition, about the consequences of the current administration’s cuts to science funding. Please share to help spread the word and raise awareness. www.kpbs.org/podcasts/kpb...

Please join us celebrate the 5th year birthday of Social DNAing! Dr. Chapman will take the stage in the coming week. Sign up at cancer.columbia.edu/research/progr…

Here is a super productive PAR lab.

Are you ready for the 2nd half of 2025? Social DNAing is ready. Check out the speaker list and schedule! Sign up at www.cancer.columbia.edu/research/pro...

Excited to share our new paper on Nature - how Ku accommodates Alu expansion in primates by binding to dsRNA, providing a clue for both the high levels of Ku and its essentiality in human cells. Thank @chaolinzhang @hchung03 @LenaSteckelberg More to come www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Exciting results! Using AID-Degron system, Dr. Yimeng Zhu in the lab found that Ku suppresses RNA-mediated innate immunity to accommodate Alu-expansion in primates - solving the misery of Ku essentiality in human cell and uncover 94r^2 for co evolution www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...