Recognizing Plant Cell authors: Rui Zhang

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Rui Zhang, first author of Identification of the Key Regulatory Genes Involved in Elaborate Petal Development and Specialized Character Formation in Nigella damascena (Ranunculaceae)

Current Position: Assistant Professor, State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China

Education: PhD (2013) from Institute of Botany, CAS, Beijing, China; MS (2007) from China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; BS (2004) from Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China

Non-scientific Interests: plant hunting, running, playing football, cooking

Brief bio: After completing my BS and MS studies, I was lucky to have joined Dr. Hongzhi Kong’s lab at Institute of Botany, CAS to pursue my PhD’s degree. It is my great pleasure to continue working at Dr. Kong’s lab upon graduation, and the opportunity to work with Dr. Kong and other excellent scientists have greatly propelled my passion for plant biology. Dr. Kong’s lab has been focusing on the mechanisms underlying the origin and diversification of flowering plants (angiosperms), especially the floral development and evolution of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), because its members show tremendous diversity in the floral basic structure and petal shape, which represents almost all the types of floral diversity in angiosperms. My research interest is to explore the mechanisms underlying the development and diversification of petals within a pair of closely related tribes Delphinieae and Nigelleae, by using the evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo) strategy. Our paper published in The Plant Cell shows the possible mechanisms underlying elaborate petal development and specialized character formation in Nigella damascena. I hope to make more exciting discoveries in the near future.

 

姓名：张睿

现在职位：中国科学院植物研究所，系统与进化植物学国家重点实验室，助理研究员

教育经历：中国科学院植物研究所博士（2013）；中国农业大学硕士（2007）；西北农林科技大学学士（2004）

兴趣爱好：植物采集、跑步、踢球、做饭

个人简介：在完成学士和硕士学业之后，我有幸加入中国科学院植物研究所孔宏智研究组继续我的博士学业。毕业后，我非常高兴能继续留在孔宏智研究组工作，并且有机会与孔宏智博士和其他优秀的科学家共事也极大地提高了我对植物学的研究热情。孔宏智研究组一直以来聚焦于有花植物（被子植物）的起源和多样化机制研究，特别是毛茛科植物花的发育和进化，因为该科植物花的基本结构和花瓣形态结构呈现出了极大的多样性，几乎代表了被子植物花多样性的所有类型。我的研究兴趣主要利用进化发育生物学的策略，来探索一对近缘类群（翠雀族和黑种草族）中花瓣的发育和多样化的机制。我们在The Plant Cell发表的文章就展示了大马士革黑种草（Nigella damascena）复杂花瓣发育和特化性状形成的可能机制。希望在不久的将来, 我能有更加激动人心的发现。