Guangpu is a PhD student at Tsinghua University, specialising in the transcriptional regulation of SINEs, particularly Alu retrotransposons. Alu elements, the most activated retrotransposons, comprise over one million copies and account for approximately 11% of the human genome. In cells, Alu RNAs exist in two main forms: embedded Alu RNA, transcribed by RNA polymerase II as part of host gene transcripts, and individual Alu RNA, transcribed independently by RNA polymerase III. Notably, retrotransposition events occur exclusively from individual Alu RNA, which can fold into distinct functional structures that regulate gene expression. However, their abnormal accumulation can lead to cellular toxicity and is associated with disorders such as age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease. To identify regulators of Alu elements, Guangpu employs genome-wide screening approaches and validates the regulatory mechanisms of candidates.