Star US gene-editing scientist Zhang Feng pays rare visit to China’s top university

The China-born MIT researcher, hailed as one of the most innovative life scientists in the world, talked about his work to a packed lecture hall
Zhang’s achievements include his role in the development of CRISPR as well as new methods of delivering gene-based therapies for cancer and other illnesses

Science

Ling Xinin Ohio

Published: 3:00pm, 27 May 2024

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Chinese-American star scientist Zhang Feng made a rare public appearance in China last week, speaking to a packed lecture hall and meeting enthusiastic admirers at Peking University.

Zhang, based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), won world renown as a pioneer of CRISPR, the gene-editing technique that lets scientists manipulate the genetic code of organisms and make precise changes to genomes.

MIT-based Chinese-American life scientist Zhang Feng during his lecture, billed as an exploration of biological diversity, at Peking University on May 22. Photo: Peking University

According to the Peking University website, the 42-year-old shared details of his latest research results, as well as personal stories of his own journey into biochemistry – an interest that began in seventh grade when he saw the film Jurassic Park.

Zhang, hailed as one of the most innovative life scientists in the world, talked about the gene-editing tools and delivery systems developed in his lab at MIT, during Wednesday’s lecture which was billed as an exploration of biological diversity.

He said the modular design of gene-based medicines offered new tools for treating genetic diseases, while the techniques to deliver these medications to their target sites in the body lagged behind.

Last year, Zhang’s lab reported a new method of injecting proteins into human cells, which shows “great potential” for cancer treatments and a range of biological therapies, he said.

Zhang and his team have also developed a delivery method for RNA-based gene therapies, which use components from within human cells to self-assemble into virus-like particles and deliver functional mRNAs to mammalian cells.

According to Zhang, this method of delivering mRNAs – the single-stranded molecules involved in synthesising proteins in the body – is safer and causes fewer immune reactions compared with conventional delivery methods.

Zhang – who earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics from Harvard University in 2004, followed by a PhD in chemistry from Stanford University in 2009 – became a tenured professor at MIT’s Broad Institute at the age of 34.

Gene-editing pioneer Zhang Feng signs autographs for an enthusiastic audience in a rare visit to China’s prestigious Peking University on May 22. Photo: Peking University

His lab’s tools have been made widely available and are used in immunology, clinical medicine, and cancer biology, among other fields, according to Zhang’s personal webpage at MIT.

Zhang was born in Hebei province, northern China, and moved to Des Moines, Iowa, at the age of 11, with his computer programmer parents.

As well as his contribution to the development of CRISPR-cas9 – the revolutionary tool that allows scientists to correct a range of genetic disorders – Zhang has been a leader in optogenetics, a neuroscience technique that uses light to precisely monitor and control cells in the brain.

His numerous awards include the Alan T. Waterman Award, the Albany Medical Centre Prize, and the Canada Gairdner International Award.

Zhang is also an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Inventors.