Xiaomin Liu, co-first author of “Fruit crops combating drought: physiological responses and regulatory pathways”

Current Position: PhD, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, China

Education: 2012.09–2016.06 Shanxi Normal University (B.Sc.); 2016.09–2019.06 Northwest A&F University (M.Sc.; PhD)

Non-scientific interests: Playing Badminton

Brief bio: I graduated from College of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University in 2018. The undergraduate study gave me a preliminary understanding of horticulture. In the same year, I was honored to join the Stress Biology of Fruit Trees NWAFU led by Professor Fengwang Ma and my PhD advisor is Professor Chao Li. Currently I am working on the efficient use of water and nutrients in apple. In the past five years, I have published 4 SCI papers as the first author.

共同第一作者：刘晓敏

目前职位：西北农林科技大学园艺学院，在读博士

教育经历：2014.09–2018.06，山西师范大学，学士；2018.09至今，西北农林科技大学，硕士，博士在读

兴趣爱好：打羽毛球

个人简历：本人于2018年毕业于山西师范大学，本科期间的学习使我对园艺专业有了初步的认知。同年有幸加入西北农林科技大学园艺学院苹果逆境生物学团队，团队负责人是马锋旺教授，导师是李超教授。目前研究方向是苹果自身水分和养分高效利用。近五年来，以第一作者身份发表SCI论文4篇。

 

Hesham M.B. Sayed, first author of “Biosynthesis of polyprenylated xanthones in Hypericum perforatum roots involves 4-prenyltransferase”

Current Position: Assistant lecturer (Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt)

Education:   PhD from Technical University Braunschweig, Germany; MSc and BSc from Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Egypt.

Non-scientific Interests: analyzing football games, playing chess, reading

Brief bio:

As a pharmacist by education, I have been always fascinated by the machinery through which medicinal plants biosynthesize an impressive array of specialized metabolites with interesting therapeutic values. Upon completion of my bachelor’s degree of Pharmaceutical Sciences, I obtained my master’s degree from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University in Egypt.  The master’s research project focused on chemical profiling of pomegranate and the potential use of its extracts for the development of new anti-schistosomal drugs. Subsequently, supported by a DAAD scholarship, I pursued my PhD research at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology of the Technical University Braunschweig in the lab of Prof. Beerhues. I delved into the biosynthesis of plant active constituents, particularly prenylated acyphloroglucinols. These compounds, including the popular antidepressant hyperforin, are known for their beneficial therapeutic properties. My research primarily focused on investigating the enzymes responsible for attaching prenyl groups of different chain lengths to the acylphloroglucinol cores. These enzymes, known as prenyltransferases (PTs), play a crucial role in the biosynthesis of the active constituents of St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum). In the future, the identified enzymes can be used for the biotechnological production of such active compounds and their derivatives.

 

Xiaoyu Weng, first author of “Transcriptome and DNA methylome divergence of inflorescence development between two ecotypes in Panicum hallii”

Current Position:

Research Associate, University of Texas at Austin, USA

Education:

Ph.D., Huazhong Agricultural University, China

Non-scientific Interests: photography, music, badminton

Brief bio:

My Ph.D. studies focused on the cloning of a pleiotropic gene Ghd7, which has major quantitative trait loci (QTL) effects on flowering time and yield potential in rice. This work has led to the understanding of the mechanisms of photoperiodic flowering and adaptation across different latitudes in rice, providing a reference for many later studies on rice and other crops (e.g., maize and sorghum), and improving current rice breeding practices.

Starting in 2014, I joined Dr. Thomas Juenger’s lab at the University of Texas at Austin to study adaptive evolution in native perennial grasses. Using the native species Panicum hallii (P. hallii) as a model, I investigated the genetic variation of flowering time and inflorescence architecture for a better understanding of local adaptation and life history trade-offs. In this study, our multi-omics results revealed the potential role of cytokinin signaling in the heterochronic changes and the evolutionary features of differentially methylated regions underlying the inflorescence divergence. This study laid the foundation for further understanding of the seed size-number trade-off, a key life history trade-off, in P. hallii.

姓名：

翁小煜

目前职位：

美国德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校，副研究员

教育经历：

华中农业大学博士学位

兴趣爱好：

摄影，音乐，羽毛球

个人简介：

我的本科和博士均毕业于华中农业大学。我的博士工作主要是水稻产量相关的一因多效QTL基因 Ghd7 的克隆和功能分校。该工作揭示了水稻光周期开花的分子机制和跨纬度种植的适应性机理，为水稻和其他农作物（如玉米和高粱等）的开花适应性研究提供了参考，并为当前水稻育种实践提供了理论依据。

2014年至今，我在德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校 Thomas Juenger 教授的实验室分别担任博士后和副研究员。过去近十年里，我们将野生禾本科黍属多年生草Panicum hallii (P. hallii) 发展为一种新的模式植物，用以研究多年生草类适应性进化的遗传基础。我的研究主要包括P. hallii开花时间和花序结构的遗传变异，以及它们在本地适应（local adaptation）和生活史权衡（life-history trade-offs）过程中的作用和意义。在本研究中，我们通过多组学的策略，揭示了P. hallii不同生态型之间花序发育的异时性特征（heterochrony）和差异甲基化区域进化特点。 该研究为进一步理解P. hallii 种群进化过程中生活史权衡，特别是种子大小和数量权衡（seed size-number trade-offs）的分子机理奠定了基础。