Xin Bi

Xin Bi is a Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Rochester, part of the School of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on epigenetic regulation, chromatin structure, and gene expression in eukaryotes, using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system. Key interests include silencer function, chromatin barriers, DNA damage repair, and histone acetylation mechanisms.

Research Overview:

• Investigates how silencers initiate transcriptionally silent chromatin formation, including directionality and genomic context effects.
• Examines barriers that prevent silent chromatin spread into active regions, such as HM loci.
• Explores histone hypoacetylation's role in gene repression versus chromatin compaction.
• Studies long-range histone acetylation by targeted histone acetyltransferases.

Publications: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles, including recent work on Hmo1's role in DNA damage tolerance (2025) and γH2A's checkpoint signaling (2024). Research spans chromatin remodeling factors, heterochromatin stability, and DNA repair mechanisms.

Labs & Teams: Leads a lab focused on chromatin dynamics and epigenetic regulation, mentoring undergraduate researchers. Collaborates with international teams on yeast genetics and chromatin structure.