Lu Bai
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Professor of Physics
-
206B Huck Life Sciences
University Park, PA - lub15@psu.edu
- 814-863-4824
Research Summary
Single cell / single molecule study of chromatin and gene regulation.
Huck Graduate Students
Huck Affiliations
Most Recent Publications
DNA methylation-based high-resolution mapping of long-distance chromosomal interactions in nucleosome-depleted regions
Yi Li, James Lee, Lu Bai, 2024, Nature Communications
Transcription factor condensates, 3D clustering, and gene expression enhancement of the MET regulon
James Lee, Leman Simpson, Yi Li, Samuel Becker, Fan Zou, Xin Zhang, Lu Bai, 2024, eLife
Systematic dissection of sequence features affecting binding specificity of a pioneer factor reveals binding synergy between FOXA1 and AP-1
Cheng Xu, Holly Kleinschmidt, Jianyu Yang, Erik M. Leith, Jenna Johnson, Song Tan, Shaun Mahony, Lu Bai, 2024, Molecular Cell on p. 2838-2855.e10
Pioneer factors: nature or nurture?
Shane Stoeber, Holly Godin, Cheng Xu, Lu Bai, 2024, Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology on p. 139-153
Using Synthetic DNA Libraries to Investigate Chromatin and Gene Regulation
Holly Kleinschmidt, Cheng Xu, Lu Bai, 2023, Chromosoma on p. 167-189
Investigating pioneer factor activity and its coordination with chromatin remodelers using integrated synthetic oligo assay
Hengye Chen, Chao Yan, Archana Dhasarathy, Michael Kladde, Lu Bai, 2023, STAR Protocols
Basic helix-loop-helix pioneer factors interact with the histone octamer to invade nucleosomes and generate nucleosome-depleted regions
Benjamin T. Donovan, Hengye Chen, Priit Eek, Zhiyuan Meng, Caroline Jipa, Song Tan, Lu Bai, Michael G. Poirier, 2023, Molecular Cell on p. 1251-1263.e6
Predicting nucleosome positioning using statistical equilibrium models in budding yeast
Hungyo Kharerin, Lu Bai, 2023, STAR Protocols
Chemically Induced Chromosomal Interaction (CICI) method to study chromosome dynamics and its biological roles
Manyu Du, Fan Zou, Yi Li, Yujie Yan, Lu Bai, 2022, Nature Communications
Nucleosome-directed replication origin licensing independent of a consensus DNA sequence
Sai Li, Michael R. Wasserman, Olga Yurieva, Lu Bai, Michael E. O’Donnell, Shixin Liu, 2022, Nature Communications
Most-Cited Papers
Modulation of Fluorescent Protein Chromophores to Detect Protein Aggregation with Turn-On Fluorescence
Yu Liu, Charles H. Wolstenholme, Gregory C. Carter, Hongbin Liu, Hang Hu, Leeann S. Grainger, Kun Miao, Matthew Fares, Conner A. Hoelzel, Hemant P. Yennawar, Gang Ning, Manyu Du, Lu Bai, Xiaosong Li, Xin Zhang, 2018, Journal of the American Chemical Society on p. 7381-7384
Systematic Study of Nucleosome-Displacing Factors in Budding Yeast
Chao Yan, Hengye Chen, Lu Bai, 2018, Molecular Cell on p. 294-305.e4
Dissociation rate compensation mechanism for budding yeast pioneer transcription factors
Benjamin T. Donovan, Hengye Chen, Caroline Jipa, Lu Bai, Michael G. Poirier, 2019, eLife
Basic helix-loop-helix pioneer factors interact with the histone octamer to invade nucleosomes and generate nucleosome-depleted regions
Benjamin T. Donovan, Hengye Chen, Priit Eek, Zhiyuan Meng, Caroline Jipa, Song Tan, Lu Bai, Michael G. Poirier, 2023, Molecular Cell on p. 1251-1263.e6
Nucleosome-directed replication origin licensing independent of a consensus DNA sequence
Sai Li, Michael R. Wasserman, Olga Yurieva, Lu Bai, Michael E. O’Donnell, Shixin Liu, 2022, Nature Communications
Regulation of cell-to-cell variability in divergent gene expression
Chao Yan, Shuyang Wu, Christopher Pocetti, Lu Bai, 2016, Nature Communications
Decoupling of divergent gene regulation by sequence-specific DNA binding factors
Chao Yan, Daoyong Zhang, Juan Antonio Raygoza Garay, Michael M. Mwangi, Lu Bai, 2015, Nucleic Acids Research on p. 7292-7305
Enhancement of LacI binding in vivo
Manyu Du, Seth Kodner, Lu Bai, 2019, Nucleic Acids Research on p. 9609-9618
Origin recognition complex harbors an intrinsic nucleosome remodeling activity
Sai Li, Michael R. Wasserman, Olga Yurieva, Lu Bai, Michael E. O’Donnell, Shixin Liu, 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Three distinct mechanisms of long-distance modulation of gene expression in yeast
Manyu Du, Qian Zhang, Lu Bai, 2017, PLoS Genetics on p. e1006736
News Articles Featuring Lu Bai
Jul 15, 2025
Optical tweezers help elevate single-molecule research at Penn State
The instrument, supported by a new NIH infrastructure grant, uses laser light to ‘tweeze’ tiny objects like DNA molecules and proteins.
Full Article
Sep 10, 2024
Genomic pioneers collaborate to access the inaccessible
A new experimental method allows researchers to dissect how certain proteins, called pioneer factors, can bind to selective regions of the genome that are inaccessible to other DNA binding proteins.
Full Article
Jun 12, 2023
Penn State announces tenure-line faculty promotions, effective July 1, 2023
The following is a list of academic promotions for tenured and tenure-line faculty members at Penn State, effective July 1, 2023.
Full Article
Apr 20, 2023
How 'master regulators' of cells make DNA accessible for gene expression
New insight into proteins called “pioneer factors” helps to explain their unusual ability to open up the typically dense genetic material within our cells. This behavior makes the genetic material accessible for proteins involved in important cellular processes, such as DNA replication and repair, gene expression, and the creation of proteins.
Full Article