College of Grassland Science and Technology
Wanjun Zhang, Asoc. Prof., Associate dean
College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193
Phone: +86-10-62733888;
E-mail:wjzhang@cau.edu.cn
Education
2001.9- 2006.11: Ph.D. Genetics, College of Biology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
1997.9 - 2001.6: B.S. College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Research Experience
2011.12- : Assoc. Prof. China Agricultural University
2010.2-2011.12 : Research associate, Crop science department, North Carolina State University, USA.
2009.2-2010.1: Postdoctoral research associate, Crop science department, North Carolina State University, USA.
2006.12-2008.12: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Land and Food Resources, University of Melbourne, Australia.
Grants
NSFC 2020.01.01-2023.12.31，Study on the salt tolerance molecular mechanisms in alfalfa.
Beijing Natural Science Foundation, 2019/01/01-2021/12/31, Study on alfalfa drought tolerance.
Young talent supporting program, level A, 2017/01/01-2018/12/31.
Funding by Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, 2016/01/01-2016/12/31
Da Bei Nong Young Scholars Research Program 2016/01/01-2017/12/31
NSFC 2015/01/01-2018/12/31，Study on miR319 regulated heat tolerance in perennial ryegrass. (participant)
National high-tech research program“863”2012/01/01–2015/12/31 (participant)
Research
My group mainly work on improving abiotic stress resistance and forage quality of grasses by genetic modification with the aim of creating new breeding materials. In recent years, my focuses mainly on the key microRNA and functional genes that regulate grass abiotic stress resistance and forage quality. I am also interesting to alfalfa nodulation and nitrogen fixation.
Teaching
I am teaching the courses “Alfalfa production”, “Specialized English in Grassland Science”, “Herbage and turfgrass breeding” for undergraduated student, and teaching “Comprehensive reading on foreign literatures”, “Molecular experimental technology of grasses”, “forage breeding techniques”.
Social work
I am the Vice director of the Biotechnology Committee of Chinense Grassland society, the director of the Grass breeding Committee and the member of the Teaching Committee of Grassland Science.
Publications (selected)
Liu Y., Yan J., Wang K., Li D., Han Y., Zhang W.* Heteroexpression of Osa-miR319b improved switchgrass biomass yield and feedstock quality by repression of PvPCF5, Biotechnology for Biofuels, 2020, 13:56, DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01693-0
Cen H., Liu Y., Li D., Wang K., Zhang W.* Heterologous expression of a chimeric gene, OsDST-SRDX, enhanced salt tolerance of transgenic switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)，Plant Cell Reports, 2020, DOI: 10.1007/s00299-020-02526-y
Liu Y., Li, D., Yan J., Wang K., Luo H., & Zhang W.* MiR319-mediated ethylene biosynthesis, signaling and salt stress response in switchgrass. Plant biotechnology journal. 2019. Nov. 17 (12): 2370-2383. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.13154
Li P., Liu Y., Tan W., Chen J., Zhu M., Lv Y., Liu Y., Yu S., Zhang W.* & Cai H.*. Brittle Culm 1 Encodes a COBRA-Like Protein Involved in Secondary Cell Wall Cellulose Biosynthesis in Sorghum. Plant and Cell Physiology. 2019, 4: 788–801
Yan J., Liu Y., Wang K., Li D., Hu Q*, Zhang W.* Overexpression of OsPIL1 enhanced biomass yield and saccharification efficiency in switchgrass, Plant Science, 2018, 276:143-151.
Liu Y., Li D., Wang K., Yan J., Zhang W.* Enhanced cold tolerance and tillering in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) by heterologous expression of Osa-miR393a, Plant & Cell Physiology 2017.12.06 58 : 2226~2240(12)
Zhang W.J., Wang T. Cytohistochemical determination of calcium deposition in plant cells，Bio-protocol，2016-Jan.20,Vol.6. https://bio-protocol.org/pdf/Bio-protocol1709.pdf
Liu Y., Cen H., Yan J., Zhang Y., Zhang W.* Inside out: high-efficiency plant regeneration and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of upland and lowland switchgrass cultivars, Plant Cell Reports 2015 6：1099~1108
Wang K.*, Liu Y., Tian J., Huang K., Shi T., Dai X., Zhang W.* Transcriptional profiling and identification of heat-responsive genes in perennial ryegrass by RNA-sequencing. Frontiers in Plant Science 2017.6.21 8
Cen H., Ye W., Liu Y., Li D., Wang K., Zhang W.* Overexpression of a chimeric gene, OsDST-SRDX, improved salt tolerance of perennial ryegrass. Scientific Reports 2016.6.2 6
Ye W., Ren W., Kong L., Wang T.*, Zhang W.* Transcriptomic profiling analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana treated with exogenous Myo-inositol. PLosONE 2016.9.7 11(9)
Patel M., Milla-Lewis S., Templet K., Dewey R.E, Zhang W., Qu R. Overexpression of ubiquitin-like LpHUB1 gene confers drought tolerance in perennial ryegrass. Plant Biotechnology Journal 2015 6 13(5) 689~699
Zhang W., Wang T. Enhanced salt tolerance of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) by rstB gene transformation. Plant Science 2015.5 234 : 110~118.
Zhang W.*, Dewey R.E., Boss W., Phillippy B.Q., Qu R.. Enhanced Agrobacterium-mediated transformation efficiencies in monocot cells is associated with attenuated defense responses. Plant Molecular Biology 2013.2 81(3): 273~286
Zhang W., Yang S., Jin Y., Shen X., Wang T. (2009) The salt-tolerance gene rstB can be used as a selectable marker in plant genetic transformation. Molecular Breeding 23: 269–277. DOI 10.1007/s11032-008-9231-1, 2008.
Sun B., Zhang W., Dong J., Jin Y., Wang T. (2006) Callus Induction and Plant Regeneration from Mature Seeds of Bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). Forestry Studies in China, 8 (4): 25-29.
Zhang W., Dong J., Liang B., Jin Y., Wang T. (2006) Highly-efficient embryogenesis and plant regeneration of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) from mature-seed drived culli, In Vitro Cellular and Development Biology - Plant; 2006, 42, 2, 114-118.
Dong J., Liang B., Jin Y., Zhang W.J., Wang T. (2005) Oral immunization with pBSVP6-transgenic alfalfa protects mice against rotavirus infection, Virology, 339, 153-163.