Biotechnology
Platform name
Biotechnology
Platformleader
ABOUT US
Mission:Building up a laboratory for tissue culture and genetic transformation with an outstanding biotechnology team, (1) to develop transformation SOPs for agronomically important crops such as wheat, maize, soybean, tomato, watermelon, pepper and others; (2) to develop new tool/system for plant gene editing and create new and excellent germplasm for breeding program;(3) to collaborate with other laboratories inside or outside of the institutes, and provide tissue culture and transformation services.
Management Teams: Plant tissue culture and genetic transformation facility; Molecular biology lab; Functional genechip facility.
Careers:Welcome those who are interested in agriculture and plant biotechnology to join us.
Partners:Peking University,Tsinghua University. Shandong Agricultural University. Qingdao Agricultural University, et al..
OUR WORK
Genetic engineering systems are critical for crop improvement either by overexpressing agronomically important external gene or by editing internal gene.But current crop transformation processes have been limited by their high complexity and low efficiency. Our work is to explore and develop novel technologies for plant genetic transformation and genome editing.
Many genetic transformation protocols have been established lately in the lab, such as SOPs for soybean,wheat, rice, maize, Brachypodium, lettuce, tomato, watermelon, and chilli. We are also working on other plant systems recently for our research partners.
Crops are the main source of essential nutrients for human beings. Improving crop quality is a sustainable and vital approach to address global nutrition insecurity. One project we set up is to improve tomato γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), a non-protein amino acid with several health-promotingbenefits. GABA is synthesizedvia decarboxylation of glutamate in a reactioncatalyzed by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), which generallycontains a C-terminal autoinhibitory domain. If we knockout (editing) its C-terminal, the GAD can make more GABA in plants. Our preliminary results are very promising.
Another project is to edit elF4E (eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E) gene in plants to improve tomato resistance to viruses. Viral genome-linked protein, VPg, is able to utilize elF4E for its mRNA making and for spreading in plant cells. If we edit this gene, that could break the chain-reaction and enhance its resistance. It is promising.
Example 1: Soybean transformation
a. Seeds germination. b. Co-cultivation with Agro. c. Recovery. d. Shoots induction. e. Shoot elongation. f and g. The transgenic plants detection (Fluorescence Detection)
Example 2: Cucumber transformation
The transgenic cucumber plant and the organs were detected with fluorescent microscope or LUYOR-3415RG hand-held lamp.
Team members
Group members: 30 research scientists and assistants are working in our lab, 4 with Ph.D degree and 12 with MS degree.
l Zhiguo Han, Ph.D in genetics, Professor. Focus on crops trait improvement with new biotechnology tools.
l Shikui Song, Ph.D in agriculture, Professor. Study on plant tissue culture and genetic transformation.
Dr. Zhiguo Han
Team leader of Plant Molecular Biology
Email:zhiguo.han@pku-iaas.edu.cn
Education Background
2001-2006PhD in Genetics, Nanjing Agricultural University, China
1997-2001BS in Crops, Shanxi Agricultural University, China
Working Experience
2020-now Professor, Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Institute,China
2020-2020 Manager, Huazhi Biotechnology Co., Ltd., China
2016-2020 Vice Manager, Wuhan Life Science and Technology Center, China National SeedGroup Co., Ltd., China
2010-2016 Associated Professor, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
2008-2010 Postdoc research, PGEC, University of California, Berkeley, USA
2006-2008 Postdoc research, the University of Texas at Austin, USA
Research Interests
l Plant biotechnology
l Genetic improvement of vegetable crops
l Safety assessment of bioengineering crops
Selected Publications
Pan, Wenbo#, Zhentao Cheng#, Zhiguo Han, Hong Yang, Wanggen Zhang*, Huawei Zhang*. 2022. Efficient transformation and genome editing of watermelon assisted by genes that encode developmental regulators. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE B (Biomedicine & Biotechnology) 23:339-344.
Li, Ruyu*#, Zhiguo Han#, Qian Yin, Meiru Li, Mingyong Zhang, Zhenzhen Li, Ping Wang, Li Jiang, David W. Ow*. 2022. Target lines for in planta gene stacking in Japonica rice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 23: 9385-9399.
Jiang, Li,Ruyu Li*, Zhiguo Han, Xiaohui Zhao, Dong Cao, David W. Ow*. 2022. Target lines for recombinase mediated gene stacking in soybean. Theoretical Applied Genetics 135: 1163-1175.
Li, Yamei#, Ruyu Li#*, Zhiguo Han,Haitang Wang, Sixian Zhou, Yongqing Li, Yumei Wang, Junsheng Li, David W. Ow*. 2022. Recombinase-mediated gene stacking in cotton. Plant Physiology 188:1852-1865.
Liu, Ting, Meng Yang, Zhiguo Han, David W. Ow*.2016. Rooftop production of leafy vegetables can be profitable and less contaminated than farm-grown vegetables. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 36:41.
Hou, Lili, Yuan-Yeu Yau, Junjie Wei, Zhiguo Han, Zhicheng Dong, David W. Ow*. 2014. An open source system for in planta gene stacking by Bxb1 and Cre recombinases. Molecular Plant 7: 1756-1765.
Patents
Han, Zhiguo, Weiping Wang, Haiwen Zhang, Jiaoming Song, Wenbo Pan, Huawei Zhang, Wanggen Zhang. Method and application of fused genes and genetic transformation in watermelon, ZL202110897621.4, 2023-5-30, CN113528559B, China.
Han, Yu,Zhiguo Han, Qiao Yang, Dan Zuo, Wei Huang, Jicui An, Peixiuzi Tian, Yazhou Yang, Junqing Zhou, Xiaoyi Zhu, Rongjian Ye, Wanggen Zhang. Transgenic event and method of development of maize with herbicide resistance, ZL201911111428.2, 2022-09-06, CN112795571B, China.
Ow, David, Zhiguo Han. Application of a kind of constructs available for gene stacking. ZL201510032720.0, 2017-7-17, CN104673824B, China.
Dr. Shikui Song
Team leader of Plant Tissue Culture and Genetic Transformation.
Email: shikui.song@pku-iaas.edu.cn
Educational Background
2003-2008 PhD in Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, China
2000-2003 Master in Agriculture, Northeast Agricultural University, China
Work Experience
2021-Now Professor of Biotechnology Platform in Peking University Institute of AdvancedAgricultural Sciences, China
2015-2021 Associate professor of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China
2011-2015 Post Doctor fellow in Institute of Crop Sciences, CAAS, China
2008-2015 Research Scientist of Syngenta Biotechnology, China.
Selected Publications
Wang F., Zhang Y., Dai C., Ma J., Jaikishun S., Li W., Yang Z., Xu T., Song S., (2023) The establishment of two efficient transformation systems to manipulate and analyze gene function in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.).J. Adv. Biol. Biotechnol. 26 (6): 20-31.
Song S., Hou W., Godo I., Wu C., Yu Y., Matityahu I., Hacham Y., Sun S., Han T., Amir R. (2013) Soybean seeds expressing feedback-insensitive cystathionine r-synthase exhibit a higher content of methionine.Journal of Experimental Botany. 64 (7): 1917-1926
Jaikishun S., Song S., Yang Z. (2023) Morphophysiological responses of two chenopodium quinoa genotypes to salinity in a hydroponic system. Asia research Journal of agriculture. 16 (2): 8-22
宋时奎, 王影, 于洋, 耿立召, 张春翔,李相敢, 韩天富 (2014) 运用CRISPR/Cas系统对植物基因组进行定点编辑, 分子植物育种, 2014, V12 (6): 1059-1066.
张文静, 张冬敏, 林彩容, 关跃峰, 孙威江, 宋时奎(2021) 黄棪茶树体细胞胚的诱导与分化. 分子植物育种. 20 (12): 4051-4056.
王燕芳, 宋时奎 (2021) 藜麦愈伤组织诱导和分化条件初探, 亚热带农业研究. 17 (2): 115-121.
Xin Wang, Man-Wah Li, Fuk-Ling Wong, Ching-Yee Luk, Claire Yik-Lok Chung, Wai-Shing Yung, Zhili Wang, Min Xie, Shikui Song, Gyuhwa Chung, Ting-Fung Chan, Hon-Ming Lam. (2021) Increased copy number of gibberellin 2-oxidase 8 genes reduced trailing growth and shoot length during soybean domestication. The plant journal, DOI:10.1111/tpj.15414.
Patent
宋时奎,张文静,张冬敏.一种茶树体细胞胚植株诱导的方法:202010184326[P][2023-11-23].