News

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PITT MED: Some organelles might need a workout, too

We fully discussed the concept of "Lysohormesis" for the first time in Nature Cell Biology. Lysohormesis, the triggering of beneficial adaptations by mild lysosomal stress leading to increased lysosomal function and cellular stress resilience, could provide a common solution to many age-related issues.  Just as physical exercise stresses the body to build stronger muscles, a controlled mild stress to lysosomes could boost resilience and improve health outcomes across the lifespan. 

Tan, J.X. Harnessing lysohormesis for healthy ageing. Nature Cell Biology, 2025. March 24: 1-4.

Dr. Bo Lyu, our very first postdoctoral fellow, has been promoted to Research Assistant Professor! This well-earned achievement reflects Bo’s dedication, talent, and hard work. Congratulations, Bo! We are excited to see your journey unfold and look forward to the day you establish your own independent lab in the near future!

Bo gave a wonderful talk for Cafe Science at the Carnegie Science Center! Cheers!

Dr. Bo Lv received a postdoctoral award in basic aging research during the annual Aging Research Day at Pitt! Congratulations!

Congratulations to Bo Lv & coauthors for publishing a paper at MolecularCell !

We uncovered a primordial role of the cGAS-STING pathway in lysosomal biogenesis & stress clearance, revealing its ancient function predating type I interferons. 

Lv B, Dion WA, Yang H, Xun J, Kim DH, Zhu B, Tan JX. A TBK1-independent primordial function of STING in lysosomal biogenesis. Molecular Cell. 2024 Sep 19.

          Highlight: TFEB links the cGAS-STING pathway to lysosome biogenesis

          UPMC News: Double-Edged STING: Pitt Study Identifies New Pathway Involved in Aging

          BioArt: STING的原始功能在于溶酶体生成 

Dr. Xiaojie Yu joined us today as a postdoctoral researcher. Dr. Yu received her Ph.D. in life science at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She is an expert in high-resolution imaging, neuroscience, molecular biology, and biochemistry.  Welcome, Dr. Yu! 

After two years of dedicated research training in our lab, Haoxiang Yang, our very first lab member, embarks on an exciting new chapter today as he begins his PhD training at Johns Hopkins University! This is a truly remarkable achievement and a testament to Haoxiang’s hard work, passion, and perseverance. 

Training the next generation of scientists is at the heart of our mission, and seeing Haoxiang take this next step fills us with pride. Congratulations, Haoxiang! Wishing you great success in this new adventure!

Bo and Jeff published a book chapter. Congratulations! 

Bo Lv, Jinrui Xun, Jay Xiaojun Tan. STING-dependent ATG8ylation. 2024. Book Title: Atg8ylation And Its Manifestations, Edited by Vojo Deretic. ISBN:978-1-0364-0892-3. Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Anna S. Apetrei-Pandrea joined our lab as a 2024 Hillman Academy Scholar. Anna will develop a proximity labeling system to explore new pathways in innate immunity. Welcome, Anna!

The whole lab attended the 1st Annual Pittburgh Cell Biology Conference at FRICK FINE ARTS CENTER. Congratulations to Haoxiang for delivering a wonderful talk! 

Dr. Bo Lyu presented his work at the 17th UPPDA Postdoctoral Research Symposium! Well done Bo!

Dr. Fangling Tian joined our lab as a postdoctoral researcher. Dr. Tian received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,  and has extensive research experience in molecular biology, cell biology, and virology. Welcome, Dr. Tian!

Zhenjie Yi joined our lab as an MD student. He is from Xiangya Medical School at Central South University. His interest lies in exploring cellular stress response pathways that may hold promise for benefiting patients undergoing brain surgery. Welcome, Zhenjie! 

Anuj Peri joined our lab as an undergraduate researcher.  Anuj is currently a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh’s Frederick Honors College majoring in molecular biology. He is interested in molecular genetics and cell biology and their wider impacts on human health, specifically with tackling aging. His goal is to actively participate in research on lysosomal quality control and to acquire insights into treating lysosomal-related diseases throughout his undergraduate career. Welcome, Anuj! 

Rae Yang joined our lab as an undergraduate researcher. Rae is currently a first-year college student at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Biological Sciences and minoring in Music on the pre-medical track.  Rae is intrigued by the correlation between organelle stress and human illnesses, alongside her focus on lysosomal quality control in aging. She's keen to delve deeper into understanding how lysosome dysfunction affects cellular balance and exploring strategies for prompt lysosomal repair that could lead to innovative treatments for neurodegenerative disorders. Welcome, Rae! 

Jenny Cheng joined our lab as an undergraduate researcher.  Jenny is currently a junior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in Molecular Biology and minoring in Chemistry and Chinese. Jenny is interested in how organelle stress and damage could be a risk factor in aging and also diseases, and would like to devote into the investigation in extending lifespan by stimulating cellular stress response pathways. With these research experience, Jenny aims to develop an exciting research career. Welcome, Jenny! 

The whole lab attended the annual Cell Biology retreat at Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Congratulations to Haoxiang and Jeff for their poster presentations! 

Jay gave a talk at the Wellcome Connecting Science Conference -  

Trafficking Pathways in Neurodegeneration, 6–8 September 2023, Wellcome Genome Campus, UK

The Tan lab attended Local Traffic 2023 - the 22nd annual Pittsburgh Symposium on Membrane Traffic. 

Haoxiang presented his work at the Aging Institute Research in Progress Seminar. Well done, Haoxiang! 

The Tan lab joined VMI/Aging Institute holiday party at Sienna Mercato. Cheers!

Jinrui (Jeffrey) Xun joined our lab as a visiting scholar. He is an MD candidate from Xiangya Medical School. He is interested in cellular stress responses that could be potentially targeted for patients' health. Welcome, Jeffrey!

Our recent work on lysosomal repair is published online today at Nature.  

In this study, we identified the PITT (phosphoinositide-initiated membrane tethering and lipid transport) pathway as an essential mechanism for rapid lysosomal repair. Congratulations! 

Research highlights:   

A quick fix for lysosomes. Nat Struct Mol Biol 29, 955 (2022). 

Phosphoinositide signal for lysosomal membrane repair. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 23, 697 (2022).

PITTching in for lysosome repair. Dev Cell. 2022

The PITT pathway: Keeping lysosomes young. Clin Transl Med  12(10): e1097 (2022).

UPMC news:  

PITT Pathway: Pitt Scientists Discover How Cells Repair Longevity-Promoting ‘Recycling System’ 

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News:  

Longevity Depends on Prompt Repair of Lysosomal Breaches (genengnews.com) 

学术经纬：今日《自然》：两位科学家首次揭示溶酶体修复的核心机制 

BioArt： Nature | 溶酶体损伤修复的核心机制 

Jay was invited to present at ASBMB Lipid Research Division Seminar Series. Looking forward to the seminar at noon on Aug 31, 2022.

Haoxiang Yang joined our lab as a research assistant. Haoxiang has a strong background in computer science. He is learning aging biology and pursuing a future career applying his CS expertise to aging research. Welcome, Haoxiang!

Our new lab is up and running!

Jay was invited for a talk at the 2022 FASEB phospholipid meeting in Jupiter, FL. Congratulations!

The Tan lab is official today in Aging Institute and Department of Cell Biology at University of Pittsburgh!