Recognizing Plant Cell authors: Chunliu Zhuo

Chunliu Zhuo, co-first author of Substrate-Specificity of LACCASE 8 Facilitates Polymerization of Caffeyl Alcohol for C-Lignin Biosynthesis in the Seed Coat of Cleome hassleriana

Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of North Texas

Education: PhD in Practaculture Sciences and BS in Biological Sciences from South China Agricultural University

Non-scientific Interests: herbal teas, gardening, hiking, yoga

Brief bio: Since Chunliu Zhuo joined Dr. Zhenfei Guo’s Lab at South China Agricultural University as a sophomore summer student, she has been in the world of plant research. She characterized cold acclimation-related genes from yellow alfalfa (Medicago falcata) and enhanced the overwinter survival rate of stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis), a forage crop in the subtropics, by genetic engineering. Driven by her interest in plant natural product biosynthesis, she joined Dr. Richard Dixon’s Lab at the University of North Texas after her PhD. She studies C-lignin, a linear homopolymer found in the seed coats of diverse plant species and a natural source of carbon fibers and high-value chemicals. Her current research aims to understand the biochemistry and regulation of C-lignin biosynthesis in the seed coat of spider flower (Cleome hassleriana) and engineering C-lignin in biomass crops.

 

姓名：卓春柳

现在职位：北德克萨斯大学生物系博后

教育经历：华南农业大学草业科学博士和生物科学学士

兴趣爱好：花草茶，种花种草，徒步，瑜伽

个人简介：卓春柳自大二暑假加入华南农业大学郭振飞研究员的实验室起，便走进植物科研的大千世界。她主要研究黄花苜蓿（Medicago falcata）低温驯化相关基因的功能，并将基因用于南方牧草柱花草（Stylosanthes guianensis）的抗寒育种中。由对植物天然产物生物合成的兴趣所致，博士毕业后她加入北德克萨斯大学Dr. Richard Dixon院士的实验室。她主要研究C型木质素，在多种植物种皮发现的线性单聚合体，并且是制造碳纤维和高价值化学物的上好天然材料。现今她的科研目标是阐明醉蝶花（Cleome hassleriana）种皮中C型木质素生物合成的生物化学基础和调控机制，并基因改造能源植物以大量产生C型木质素。