Mingxu You

Mingxu You

Department of Chemistry
867 LGRT
710 North Pleasant Street
Amherst, MA 01003-9292

(413) 545-4711
mingxuyou@chem.umass.edu
www.umass.edu/chemistry/about/directory/mingxu-you

Associate Professor of Chemistry

Our research group is interested in creating synthetic DNA- and RNA-based tools for analytical and biomedical applications. Our research program integrates the disciplines of chemistry, bionanotechnology, cellular biology, and synthetic biology. Our ultimate goal is to understand the fundamentals of life, and to construct artificial genetic devices and pathways.

Current Research
Currently we have four primary research focuses:

  1. Discover novel molecular mechanisms for precise conditional self-assembly of nucleic acid nanostructures.
  2. Systematically evolve functional aptamers and ribozymes based on high-throughput approaches.
  3. Construct RNA circuits and dynamic devices for intracellular imaging of RNAs and metabolites.
  4. Develop photo-switchable tools for gene expression control, cancer diagnosis and targeted therapy.

Learn more at You Research Group

Academic Background

BS Chemistry, Peking University, 2008
PhD Chemistry, University of Florida, 2012
Postdoctoral Scholar, Nano-Optic Joint Program between UF and MSU, 2013
Postdoctoral Scholar, Pharmacology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, 2014-2016

  • Center for Bioactive Delivery 
  • Models to Medicine Center 
  • Nucleic Acid Delivery 
  • Biomaterials for Devices and Regenerative Medicine (BDRM) 
  • Engineered Models and Mechanisms in Cancer (EM2C) 
  • Cellular Dynamics 
  • Genetics, Genomics & Epigenetics 
  • Membranes in Biology & Medicine