个人简介

翟继先，生命科学学院长聘正教授，博士生导师。2005年本科毕业于中国科学技术大学，2008年获中国科学院遗传与发育生物学研究所遗传学硕士学位，2013年于美国特拉华大学获得植物基因组学博士学位，并在博士期间取得统计学、计算生物学两个硕士学位，随后在美国加州大学洛杉矶分校（UCLA）从事博士后研究。2016年加入南方科技大学。长期聚焦于动植物RNA加工与转录后调控机制研究，结合单分子全长RNA测序、单细胞与空间转录组技术，解析转录、剪接、poly(A)尾长度及mRNA稳定性的调控，并推进人工智能与RNA生物学研究的结合。近年来以通讯作者身份（含共同）发表论文30余篇（Nature Plants 2020a, 2020b, 2022, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c; Nature Communications 2025a, 2025b, 2026a, 2026b; Cell Research 2026; Genome Biology 2021a, 2021b, 2026a, 2026b; Nature Protocols 2021; The Plant Cell 2020, 2021; Molecular Plant 2020; Science China Life Sciences 2023, 2025, 2026等）。曾任Plant Physiology和Plant Molecular Biology副主编，担任Cell、Nature Genetics、Nature Plants等期刊审稿人。获得美国生命科学研究基金会博士后奖学金（2014）和中国植物生理与植物分子生物学学会“卫志明青年创新奖”（2021）。2016年入选国家级青年人才计划，2017年入选广东省“珠江人才计划”创新创业团队带头人，2023年获国家杰出青年科学基金资助。

教育背景

· 2008–2013　美国特拉华大学，植物基因组学博士

· 2011–2013　美国特拉华大学，计算生物学硕士

· 2009–2011　美国特拉华大学，统计学硕士

· 2005–2008　中国科学院遗传与发育生物学研究所，遗传学硕士

· 2001–2005　中国科学技术大学，生命科学学士

工作经历

· 2024–至今　南方科技大学生命科学学院，长聘正教授

· 2022–2024　南方科技大学，长聘副教授

· 2016–2022　南方科技大学，副教授

· 2013–2016　加州大学洛杉矶分校，博士后

获奖情况及荣誉

· 2023　国家杰出青年科学基金

· 2021　中国植物生理与植物分子生物学学会“卫志明青年创新奖”

· 2017　广东省“珠江人才计划”创新创业团队带头人

· 2014　美国生命科学研究基金会博士后奖学金（Life Sciences Research Foundation Fellowship）

研究兴趣

· RNA加工与转录耦联：利用单分子新生RNA测序，研究转录延伸、内含子剪接、RNA 3′端加工及转录终止之间的协调机制。

· poly(A)尾与转录后调控：研究动植物poly(A)尾长度的调控规律及其与mRNA稳定性、翻译和细胞状态的关系。

· RNA组学技术与计算方法：开发全长RNA测序及单细胞与空间转录组分析方法，推进人工智能在RNA调控研究中的应用。

学术任职

曾任Plant Physiology和Plant Molecular Biology副主编。

担任Cell、Nature Genetics、Nature Plants等期刊审稿人。

联系方式

电子邮箱：zhaijx@sustech.edu.cn

办公电话：0755-88018403

课题组主页：www.jixianzhai.org

单位：南方科技大学生命科学学院生物系

研究与方法论文

（#共同第一作者；*通讯作者）

2016年独立建组以来的通讯及共同通讯论文，含已接收文章（截至2026年9月）。

1. Chen, X.#; Yuan, X.#; Liu, S.#; Cui, X.; Cao, N.; Chen, Y.; Chen, Y.; Yi, M.; Xu, H.; Yao, N.; Yu, U.; Chen, S.; Liu, C.; Zhang, M.; Song, J.; Jiang, X.; Wang, Y.; Xiao, L.; Zheng, B.; Zhang, H.; Huang, X.; Yang, M.; Zhai, J.*; Liu, Z.*; Wen, F.* (2026). Circulating Immune Cell Membrane–Cloaked Tumor Cells exhibit Metastasis–Initiation Capacity. Cell Research. Accepted.

2. Liu, Z.#; Li, Z.#; Wang, Y.#; Long, Y.#; Zhao, H.; Qin, Y.; Zhu, X.; Guo, H.*; Jiang, K.*; Zhai, J.* (2026b). Cell-type specific early perception of nine phytohormones revealed by single-nucleus transcriptomics in Arabidopsis. Nature Communications, 17, 9288. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-76284-y.

3. Lei, H.#; Long, Y.#; Wu, S.#; Wang, X.#; Peng, Y.#; Liu, Z.; Lu, W.; Shu, Y.; Zhu, H.; Zou, M.; Gao, Y.; Xia, Y.; Li, S.; Ren, L.; Fu, Y.*; Zhang, Z.*; Li, Y.*; Zhai, J.* (2026a). Pan-organ poly(A) atlas reveals a post-transcriptional regulatory layer independent of RNA abundance. Nature Communications, 17, 5323. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-71703-6.

4. Chen, Y.#; Lu, W.#; He, H.#; Zheng, L.; Pan, X.; Sun, T.; Bu, F.; Fang, Y.; Sun, Y.; Long, Y.; Wang, M.; Wu, S.; Liu, L.; Jia, J.; Jiao, Y.; Hu, Z.; Zhang, Y.*; Zhai, J.* (2026b). A kingdom-wide full-length RNA atlas reveals the evolutionary landscapes of plant poly(A) tails. Genome Biology, 27, 146. doi: 10.1186/s13059-026-04040-y.

5. Jin, X.#; Li, J.#; Lu, W.; Deng, X.; Wei, Y.; Shu, Y.; Liu, B.; Liu, Z.; Long, Y.; Zhu, X.; Fei, Q.; Xia, Y.; Li, Q. Q.; Michaels, S. D.; Cao, X.; Lenhard, M.; Zhai, J.* (2025b). Pre-mRNA processing factors differentially impact coordination between co-transcriptional cleavage and transcription termination. Nature Communications, 16, 7086. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-62555-7.

6. Qin, Y.#; Liu, Z.#; Gao, S.#; Martínez-Vasallo, C.#; Long, Y.#; Zhu, X.; Liu, B.; Gao, Y.; Xu, X.; Nohales, M. A.*; Xie, Q.*; Zhai, J.* (2025a). 48-Hour and 24-Hour Time-lapse Single-nucleus Transcriptomics Reveal Cell-type specific Circadian Rhythms in Arabidopsis. Nature Communications, 16, 4171. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-59424-8.

7. Li, Z.; Zheng, L.; Zhai, J.*; Long, Y.* (2024). Analysis of DNA 5-methylcytosine Using Nanopore Sequencing. Bio-protocol, 14, e4943. doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.4943.

8. Liu, Z.#; Yang, J.#; Long, Y.#; Zhang, C.#; Wang, D.; Zhang, X.; Dong, W.; Zhao, L.; Liu, C.; Zhai, J.*; Wang, E.* (2023c). Single-nucleus transcriptomes reveal spatiotemporal symbiotic perception and early response in Medicago. Nature Plants, 9, 1734–1748. doi: 10.1038/s41477-023-01524-8.

9. Mo, W.#; Shu, Y.#; Liu, B.; Long, Y.; Li, T.; Cao, X.; Deng, X.*; Zhai, J.* (2023b). Single-molecule targeted accessibility and methylation sequencing of centromeres, telomeres and rDNAs in Arabidopsis. Nature Plants, 9, 1439–1450. doi: 10.1038/s41477-023-01498-7.

10. Liu, Z.#; Kong, X.#; Long, Y.#; Liu, S.; Zhang, H.; Jia, J.; Cui, W.; Zhang, Z.; Song, X.; Qiu, L.; Zhai, J.*; Yan, Z.* (2023a). Integrated single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomics captures transitional states in soybean nodule maturation. Nature Plants, 9, 515–524. doi: 10.1038/s41477-023-01387-z.

11. Zhang, H.; Jia, J.; Zhai, J.* (2023). Plant Intron-Splicing Efficiency Database (PISE): exploring splicing of ∼1,650,000 introns in Arabidopsis, maize, rice, and soybean from ∼57,000 public RNA-seq libraries. Science China Life Sciences, 66, 602–611. doi: 10.1007/s11427-022-2193-3.

12. Jia, J.#; Lu, W.#; Liu, B.; Fang, H.; Yu, Y.; Mo, W.; Zhang, H.; Jin, X.; Shu, Y.; Long, Y.; Pei, Y.; Zhai, J.* (2022). An atlas of plant full-length RNA reveals tissue-specific and monocots–dicots conserved regulation of poly(A) tail length. Nature Plants, 8, 1118–1126. doi: 10.1038/s41477-022-01224-9.

13. Li, Z.#; Long, Y.#; Yu, Y.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, H.; Liu, Z.; Jia, J.; Mo, W.; Tian, S. Z.; Zheng, M.; Zhai, J.* (2022b). Pore‐C simultaneously captures genome‐wide multi‐way chromatin interaction and associated DNA methylation status in Arabidopsis. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 20, 1009–1011. doi: 10.1111/pbi.13811.

14. Yu, Y.#; Zhang, H.#; Long, Y.; Shu, Y.; Zhai, J.* (2022a). Plant Public RNA‐seq Database: a comprehensive online database for expression analysis of ~45 000 plant public RNA‐Seq libraries. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 20, 806–808. doi: 10.1111/pbi.13798.

15. Mo, W.#; Liu, B.#; Zhang, H.; Jin, X.; Lu, D.; Yu, Y.; Liu, Y.; Jia, J.; Long, Y.; Deng, X.; Cao, X.; Guo, H.; Zhai, J.* (2021b). Landscape of transcription termination in Arabidopsis revealed by single-molecule nascent RNA sequencing. Genome Biology, 22, 322. doi: 10.1186/s13059-021-02543-4.

16. Long, Y.#; Jia, J.#; Mo, W.; Jin, X.; Zhai, J.* (2021). FLEP-seq: simultaneous detection of RNA polymerase II position, splicing status, polyadenylation site and poly(A) tail length at genome-wide scale by single-molecule nascent RNA sequencing. Nature Protocols, 16, 4355–4381. doi: 10.1038/s41596-021-00581-7.

17. Hu, D.#; Yu, Y.#; Wang, C.#; Long, Y.; Liu, Y.; Feng, L.; Lu, D.; Liu, B.; Jia, J.; Xia, R.; Du, J.; Zhong, X.; Gong, L.; Wang, K.*; Zhai, J.* (2021). Multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 editing of DNA methyltransferases in rice uncovers a class of non-CG methylation specific for GC-rich regions. The Plant Cell, 33, 2950–2964. doi: 10.1093/plcell/koab162.

18. Long, Y.#; Liu, Z.#; Jia, J.#; Mo, W.; Fang, L.; Lu, D.; Liu, B.; Zhang, H.; Chen, W.; Zhai, J.* (2021a). FlsnRNA-seq: protoplasting-free full-length single-nucleus RNA profiling in plants. Genome Biology, 22, 66. doi: 10.1186/s13059-021-02288-0.

19. Jia, J.#; Ji, R.#; Li, Z.; Yu, Y.; Nakano, M.; Long, Y.; Feng, L.; Qin, C.; Lu, D.; Zhan, J.; Xia, R.; Meyers, B. C.; Liu, B.*; Zhai, J.* (2020). Soybean DICER-LIKE2 Regulates Seed Coat Color via Production of Primary 22-Nucleotide Small Interfering RNAs from Long Inverted Repeats. The Plant Cell, 32, 3662–3673. doi: 10.1105/tpc.20.00562.

20. Zhang, H.#; Zhang, F.#; Yu, Y.#; Feng, L.; Jia, J.; Liu, B.; Li, B.; Guo, H.; Zhai, J.* (2020). A Comprehensive Online Database for Exploring ∼20,000 Public Arabidopsis RNA-Seq Libraries. Molecular Plant, 13, 1231–1233. doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2020.08.001.

21. Jia, J.#; Long, Y.#; Zhang, H.; Li, Z.; Liu, Z.; Zhao, Y.; Lu, D.; Jin, X.; Deng, X.; Xia, R.; Cao, X.; Zhai, J.* (2020a). Post-transcriptional splicing of nascent RNA contributes to widespread intron retention in plants. Nature Plants, 6, 780–788. doi: 10.1038/s41477-020-0688-1.

22. Feng, L.#; Zhang, F.#; Zhang, H.; Zhao, Y.; Meyers, B. C.; Zhai, J.* (2020). An Online Database for Exploring Over 2,000 Arabidopsis Small RNA Libraries. Plant Physiology, 182, 685–691. doi: 10.1104/pp.19.00959.

23. Zhang, Y.#; Harris, C. J.#; Liu, Q.#; Liu, W.; Ausin, I.; Long, Y.; Xiao, L.; Feng, L.; Chen, X.; Xie, Y.; Chen, X.; Zhan, L.; Feng, S.; Li, J. J.; Wang, H.*; Zhai, J.*; Jacobsen, S. E.* (2018). Large-scale comparative epigenomics reveals hierarchical regulation of non-CG methylation in Arabidopsis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115, E1069–E1074. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1716300115.

24. Fang, H.; Liu, Z.; Long, Y.; Liang, Y.; Jin, Z.; Zhang, L.; Liu, D.; Li, H.; Zhai, J.*; Pei, Y.* (2017). The Ca2+/calmodulin2‐binding transcription factor TGA3 elevates LCD expression and H2S production to bolster Cr6+ tolerance in Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal, 91, 1038–1050. doi: 10.1111/tpj.13627.

综述与评论

25. Qi, Y.*; Chen, Y.*; Guo, H.*; Guo, H.*; Hang, R.*; Jia, G.*; Li, Y.*; Mo, B.*; Wang, Z.*; Wu, L.*; Xia, Y.*; Yang, X.*; Zhai, J.*; Zheng, B.*; Zhu, D.*; Cao, X.* (2026). RNA regulation in plants. Science China Life Sciences. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s11427-026-3331-5.

26. Shi, Y.#; Liu, H.#; Yang, W.*; Zhai, J.*; Wang, H.* (2026a). Advances in single-cell and spatial omics for studying symbiotic nitrogen fixation: comparative cellular and evolutionary perspectives. Genome Biology, 27, 134. doi: 10.1186/s13059-026-04024-y.

27. Xue, Y.*; Cao, X.*; Chen, X.*; Deng, X.*; Deng, X. W.*; Ding, Y.*; Dong, A.*; Duan, C.-G.*; Fang, X.*; Gong, L.*; Gong, Z.*; Gu, X.*; He, C.*; He, H.*; He, S.*; He, X.-J.*; He, Y.*; He, Y.*; Jia, G.*; Jiang, D.*; Jiang, J.*; Lai, J.*; Lang, Z.*; Li, C.*; Li, Q.*; Li, X.*; Liu, B.*; Liu, B.*; Luo, X.*; Qi, Y.*; Qian, W.*; Ren, G.*; Song, Q.*; Song, X.*; Tian, Z.*; Wang, J.-W.*; Wang, Y.*; Wu, L.*; Wu, Z.*; Xia, R.*; Xiao, J.*; Xu, L.*; Xu, Z.-Y.*; Yan, W.*; Yang, H.*; Zhai, J.*; Zhang, Y.*; Zhao, Y.*; Zhong, X.*; Zhou, D.-X.*; Zhou, M.*; Zhou, Y.*; Zhu, B.*; Zhu, J.-K.*; Liu, Q.* (2025). Epigenetics in the modern era of crop improvements. Science China Life Sciences, 68, 1570–1609.
doi: 10.1007/s11427-024-2784-3.

28. Jiang, K.*; Guo, H.; Zhai, J.* (2023). Interplay of phytohormones and epigenetic regulation: A recipe for plant development and plasticity. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 65, 381–398. doi: 10.1111/jipb.13384.

29. Qin, Y.; Long, Y.; Zhai, J.* (2022). Genome-wide characterization of nascent RNA processing in plants. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 69, 102294. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102294.

30. Lu, D.; Zhai, J.*; Xi, M.* (2022). Regulation of DNA Methylation During Plant Endosperm Development. Frontiers in Genetics, 13, 760690. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.760690.

31. Yu, Y.; Zhai, J.* (2020b). The chromatin will never forget. Nature Plants, 6, 1396–1397. doi: 10.1038/s41477-020-00803-y.

32. Kuo, H. Y.#; Jacobsen, E. L.#; Long, Y.; Chen, X.; Zhai, J.* (2017). Characteristics and processing of Pol IV-dependent transcripts in Arabidopsis. Journal of Genetics and Genomics, 44, 3–6. doi: 10.1016/j.jgg.2016.10.009.