Publications

See Google Scholar for a complete chronological list of papers and patents.

Tools for engineering and understanding biology

KE Kaseniit, N Katz, NS Kolber, CC Call, DL Wengier, WB Cody, ES Sattely, XJ Gao.
Modular, programmable RNA sensing using ADAR editing in living cells
Research Highlight: D Burgess. Nat Rev Genet. (pdf) | News: JD Grinstein. GEN Edge. (pdf)

AE Vlahos, J Kang, CA Aldrete, R Zhu, LS Chong, MB Elowitz, XJ Gao.
Protease-controlled secretion and display of intercellular signals
Nat Commun. 2022;13:912.

XJ Gao*, LS Chong*, MH Ince, MS Kim, MB Elowitz.
Engineering multiple levels of specificity in an RNA viral vector
BioRxiv. 2020.

XJ Gao*, LS Chong*, MS Kim, MB Elowitz.
Programmable protein circuits in living cells
Science. 2018;361(6408):1252-1258. (pdf) (supp)
Perspective: DS Glass, U Alon. Science. (pdf) | Research: LB Ray. Science. (pdf) | In Brief: N Rusk. Nat Methods. (pdf) | News and Views: Y Wu, Y Wang. Nat Chem Biol. (pdf) | Outreach: XJ Gao, LS Chong, MS Kim, MB Elowitz. Biomed Sci J Teens. (pdf)

B Wu*, L Luo^, XJ Gao*.
Cas9-triggered chain ablation of cas9 as a gene drive brake
Nat Biotechnol. 2016;34(2):137-138. (pdf)

XJ Gao^, O Riabinina, J Li, CJ Potter, TR Clandinin^, L Luo^.
A transcriptional reporter of intracellular Ca2+ in Drosophila
Nat Neurosci. 2015;18(6):917-925. (pdf) (supp)
Recommendation: YN Jan, S Meltzer. F1000.

Other peer-reviewed articles

KT Beier, XJ Gao, S Xie, KE DeLoach, RC Malenka, L Luo.
Topological organization of ventral tegmental area connectivity revealed by viral-genetic dissection of input-output relations
Cell Rep. 2019;26(1),159-167.e6.

KT Beier, EE Steinberg, KE DeLoach, S Xie, K Miyamichi, L Schwarz, XJ Gao, EJ Kremer, RC Malenka, L Luo.
Circuit architecture of VTA dopamine neurons revealed by systematic input-output mapping
Cell. 2015;162(3),622-634.

LA Schwarz*, K Miyamichi*, XJ Gao, KT Beier, B Weissbourd, KE DeLoach, J Ren, S Ibanes, RC Malenka, EJ Kremer, L Luo.
Viral-genetic tracing of the input-output organization of a central noradrenaline circuit
Nature. 2015;524(7563),88-92.

XJ Gao^, TR Clandinin, L Luo.
Extremely sparse olfactory inputs are sufficient to mediate innate aversion in Drosophila
PLOS ONE. 2015;10(4),e0125986. (pdf)

XJ Gao, CJ Potter, DM Gohl, M Silies, AY Katsov, TR Clandinin^, L Luo^.
Specific kinematics and motor-related neurons for aversive chemotaxis in Drosophila
Curr Biol. 2013;23(13),1163-1172. (pdf) (supp)

DM Gohl, MA Silies, XJ Gao, S Bhalerao, FJ Luongo, CCh Lin, CJ Potter, TR Clandinin.
A versatile in vivo system for directed dissection of gene expression patterns
Nat Methods. 2011;8(3),231.

Invited commentaries

XJ Gao, MB Elowitz.
Synthetic biology: Precision timing in a cell
Nature. 2016;538(7626):462-463. (pdf)

XJ Gao.
Drosophila chemotaxis: A first look with neurogenetics
Fly. 2014;8(1):3-6. (pdf)

* denotes equal contribution; ^ denotes corresponding authors; boldface denotes members of Gao Lab.