Dr. Zhou focuses on organoid-based virus research, including human respiratory viruses (influenza viruses, highly pathogenic coronaviruses) and enteric viruses. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, she and her team developed the first bat intestinal organoid culture system. Bat organoids are fully susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, lending support to the bat origin of SARS-CoV-2. The bat organoids also open up a new avenue for isolating and cultivating numerous bat viruses, and assessing their zoonotic potential to humans. She also established the first two-phase, bipotential respiratory organoid culture system that allows scientists to reconstruct and expand the entire human respiratory epithelium in culture plates with excellent efficiency and stability. These physiologically-active respiratory organoids, including nasal organoids, airway organoids and alveolar organoids, are optimal experimental and preclinical models for diverse biomedical, translational and pharmaceutical applications, including but not limited to disease modeling, drug screening, and personalized medicine.