Youkun Bi is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Synthetic Biology at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology. He received his doctoral and postdoctoral training at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research centers on the memory and reversibility of senescent cell states, RNA regulation and cell-fate programming, and nucleic acid therapeutics for the regeneration of aged tissues. He proposed the concept of Senoreverse, establishing an experimental framework for reversing senescent cell states and demonstrating that selected features of cellular senescence can be therapeutically remodeled. Building on this work, he identified miR-302b as a promising nucleic acid therapeutic candidate and is advancing its development across multiple aging-related indications.Dr. Bi serves as principal investigator on projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China General Program, the Special Funding of the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, and the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF. He has also contributed to research programs supported by the National Key R&D Program of China and the Beijing Natural Science Foundation. His work has appeared in journals including Cell Metabolism and Advanced Science. He holds four granted Chinese invention patents and has filed one international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty.

1. Senescent Cell-State Memory and Reversal Mechanisms

2. RNA Fate Regulation and Cell-State Programming

3. Nucleic Acid Therapeutics and Regeneration of Aged Tissues

Education：

2019.09–2023.06： Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

2015.09–2018.06： M.S. in Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University

2010.09–2015.06： B.S. in Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University

Professional Experience：

2026.09–Present： Assistant Professor, Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology

2023.07–2026.07： Special Research Assistant (Postdoctoral Fellow), Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Editorial Roles and Peer Review

Dr. Bi serves on the Early Career Editorial Boards of The Innovation Life and Chinese Medical Journal and regularly contributes to peer review for journals including Nature Communications,Science Advances,and Advanced Science.

Core Scientific Discovery | Senoreverse: The Reversible Biology of Cellular Senescence

Dr. Bi proposed Senoreverse, a conceptual and experimental framework for investigating and reversing senescent cell states. Using RNA-based interventions, his work demonstrated that selected senescent cells can escape proliferative arrest and restore key functional properties while preserving lineage identity. He is extending this framework to post-mitotic neurons and nonhuman primate models to define principles of senescence reversibility across cell types and species.

Core Technological Innovation | Integrated Platform for Oligonucleotide Therapeutics

Dr. Bi has established an integrated platform for oligonucleotide therapeutic development spanning candidate discovery, sequence design, chemical modification, process development and quality control, delivery optimization, and pharmacological evaluation. The platform supports translational programs in androgenetic alopecia, HIV-associated accelerated aging, sarcopenia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other aging-related conditions.

Research Projects:

1. National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) General Program (32570714), Mechanisms Underlying miR-302b-Mediated Reversal of Neuronal Senescence, 2026.01–2029.12, ongoing; Principal Investigator.

2. Special Funding of the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2025T180706), Effects of miR-302b on Senescence in Post-Mitotic Cells and the Underlying Mechanisms, 2025.07–2026.07, completed; Principal Investigator.

3. Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF (GZB20230809), Effects of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes on Systemic Aging and the Underlying Mechanisms, 2023.09–2025.09, completed; Principal Investigator.

4. Key Program for Cross-Disciplinary Integration of the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (Z260012), AI- and Intelligent-Agent-Driven Investigation of Anti-Aging Mechanisms in Peripheral and Central Stem Cells and Targeted Intervention for Alzheimer’s Disease, 2026.07–2030.06, ongoing; Key Personnel.

5. NSFC General Program (32470611), Functional Mechanisms of Enhancer RNAs in Transcriptional Regulation, 2025.01–2028.12, ongoing; Key Personnel.

6. National Key R&D Program of China (2019YFA0110402), Regulation of Cardiac Lineage Differentiation from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells and Evaluation of Post-Transplantation Efficacy and Safety, completed; Key Personnel.

Selected publications:

1.Youkun Bi^#,Xinlong Qiao^#, Zhaokui Cai, Hailian Zhao, Rong Ye, Qun Liu, Lin Gao, Yingqi Liu, Bo Liang, Yixuan Liu, Yaning Zhang, Zhiguang Yang, Yanyun Wu, Huiwen Wang, Wei Jia, Changqing Zeng, Ce Jia, Hongjin Wu^*, Yuanchao Xue^*, Guangju Ji^*. Exosomal miR-302b rejuvenates aging mice by reversing the proliferative arrest of senescent cells[J].Cell Metabolism, 2025, 37(2): 527-541. e6.

2.Youkun Bi^#, Qun Liu^#, Baohua Zou^#, Wenyuan Wang, Xinlong Qiao, Lin Gao, Chaoxu Miao, Ningning Huang, Shuqing Tang, Rui Guo, Changqing Zeng, Ce Jia, Yuanchao Xue^*, Xuejun Guo5^*, Jianjun Chen^*, Huiwen Wang^*, Guangju Ji^*.Neuron-derived vesicular circMagi1 restrains vascular repair after ischemic stroke by prompting TRIM65-mediated ANXA2 degradation [J].Advanced Science, 2026. (DOI: 10.1002/advs.77808)

3.Youkun Bi^*,Guangju Ji^*,. Cellular senescence as a therapeutic target for aging intervention [J],Biomedical Journal, 2026, 100948. (Invited Review, First & Corresponding Author)

4.Youkun Bi^#, Xinlong Qiao^#, Qun Liu, Shaole Song, Keqi Zhu, Xun Qiu, Xiang Zhang, Ce Jia, Huiwen Wang, Zhiguang Yang, Ying Zhang^*, Guangju Ji^*.Systemic proteomics and miRNA profile analysis of exosomes derived from human pluripotent stem cells[J].Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 2022, 13(1): 449.

5.Youkun Bi, Zhiguang Yang, Meng Jin, Kui Zhai, Jun Wang, Yang Mao, Yang Liu, Mingqin Ding, Huiwen Wang, Fengchao Wang, Hong Cai, Guangju Ji. ERp44 is required for endocardial cushion development by regulating VEGFA secretion in myocardium[J].Cell Proliferation, 2022, 55(3): e13179.

6.Youkun Bi^#, Xuejun Guo^#, Mengqi Zhang^#, Keqi Zhu, Chentao Shi, Baoqi Fan, Yanyun Wu, Zhiguang Yang, Guangju Ji^*. Bone marrow derived-mesenchymal stem cell improves diabetes-associated fatty liver via mitochondria transformation in mice[J].Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 2021, 12: 1-17.

7.Youkun Bi, Lei Gu, Jun Wang, Yan Chang, Meng Jin, Yang Mao, Huiwen Wang, Guangju Ji^*. A Novel system for simple rapid adenoviral vector construction to facilitate CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing[J].The CRISPR Journal, 2021, 4(3): 381-391.

8.Yixuan Liu,Youkun Bi^*,#, Jun Wang, Qi Yuan, Yu Rao, Fengchao Wang, Shiqiang Wang, Guangju Ji^*. Destabilized calcium dynamics visualized using the genetically-coded probe GCaMPJ in intact hearts of Calstabin2-null mice[J].Frontiers in Physiology, 2026, 17: 1787427.(*Co-first author,^*Co-corresponding author)

9. Qun Liu^#,Youkun Bi^#, Shaole Song, Keqi Zhu, Xinlong Qiao, Huiwen Wang, Guangju Ji^*. Exosomal miR-17-5p from human embryonic stem cells prevents pulmonary fibrosis by targeting thrombospondin-2[J].Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 2023, 14(1): 234. (^#Co-first author)

10. Siyu Yan,Youkun Bi, Qun Liu, Shaole Song, Lihong Ma, Guangju Ji^*. hUC-MSCs Prevent Acute High-Altitude Injury through Apoe/Pdgf-b/p-Erk1/2 Axis in Mice[J].Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, 2025: 1-15.

11. Zhen Ma^#, Ming Li^#, Rui Guo^#, Yu Tian, Yongbin Zheng, Bingxin Huang, Yi You, Qing Xu, Ming Cui, Li Shen, Feng Lan, Hang Yang, Rucong Liu, Tao Yang, Feng Wan, Qihua He, Xiao Huo,Youkun Bi, Yingying Zhang, Yunpeng Ling^*. Treating myocardial infarction via a nano-ultrasonic contrast agent-mediated high-efficiency drug delivery system targeting macrophages[J].Science Advances, 2025, 11(1): eadp7126.

12. Yang Liu^#, Huiwen Wang^*,#, Han Zhang, Jun Wang, Qun Liu,Youkun Bi, Shaole Song, Xinlong Qiao, Keqi Zhu, Yanyun Wu, Guangju Ji^*. CUGBP1, a crucial factor for heart regeneration in mice[J].Cell Death & Disease, 2022, 13(2): 120.

13.Yaning Zhang, Qiwen Zheng, Qili Qian, Na Yuan, Tianzi Liu, Xingjian Gao, Xiu Fan,Youkun Bi,Guangju Ji, Peilin Jia, Sijia Wang, Fan Liu, Changqing Zeng. An integrative polygenic and epigenetic risk score for overweight-related hypertension in Chinese population[J].Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics, 2025, 23(5): qzaf048.