Principal Investigator

Dr. Huawei Zhang

Contact Address: No. 699 Binhu Road, Fangzi District, Weifang, Shandong, China

Email: Huawei.zhang@pku-iaas.edu.cn

Education

Sep. 2005- Jul. 2011, PhD in Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, CAS, China

Sep. 1999 – Aug. 2003, BS in Biotechnology, Harbin Institute of Technology, China

Working Experience

Dec. 2019 – now, Principal Investigator, Peking University Institute of Advanced Agricultural Sciences (PKU-IAAS), China

Jan. 2017 – Dec. 2019, Associate Professor, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, CAS, China

Aug. 2013 – Dec. 2016, Assistant Professor, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, CAS, China

Aug. 2011 - Jul. 2013, Postdoc, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, CAS, China

Research Interests

l Development of novel efficient genome editors

l Development of novel delivery vectors for genome editors

l Improvement of strategies used for efficient transgene-free genome editing

Selected Publications

Sun W#, Zhang H#, Yang S#, Liu L#, Xie P, Li J, Zhu Y, Ouyang Y, Xie Q*, Huawei Zhang*, Yu F*. (2023) Genetic modification of Gγ subunit AT1 enhances salt-alkali tolerance in main graminaceous crops. National Science Review. 23;10(6)

Wenbo Pan#, Weiwei Li#, Lijing Liu*, and Huawei Zhang*. (2022) Antiviral strategies: What can we learn from natural reservoirs? Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. 64(10):1849-1855.

Xiaoyong Gu, Lijing Liu* and Huawei Zhang*. (2021) Transgene-free genome editing in plants. Frontiers in Genome Editing. 3:805317.

Xiangjiu Kong#, Wenbo Pan#, Nengxu Sun, Tingyu Zhang, Lijing Liu* and Huawei Zhang*. (2021) GLABRA2-based selection efficiently enriches Cas9-generated nonchimeric mutants in the T1 generation. Plant Physiology. 187(2):758-768.

Shengxing Wang#, Yuan Zong#, Qiupeng Lin#, Huawei Zhang#, Zhuangzhuang Chai, Dandan Zhang, Kunling Chen, Jin-Long Qiu & Caixia Gao*. (2020). Precise, predictable multi-nucleotide deletions in rice and wheat using APOBEC–Cas9. Nature Biotechnology. 38. 1460~1465.

Rong Fan#, Zhuangzhuang Chai#, Sinian Xing, Kunling Chen, Fengti Qiu, Tuanyao Chai, Jin-Long Qiu, Zhengbin Zhang*, Huawei Zhang*& Caixia Gao*. (2020). Shortening the sgRNA-DNA interface enables SpCas9 and eSpCas9(1.1) to nick the target DNA strand. Science China Life Sciences. 63, 1619–1630.（cover story）

Huawei Zhang#, Xiaomin Si#, Xiang Ji#, Rong Fan, Jinxing Liu, Kunling Chen, Daowen Wang & Caixia Gao*. (2018). Genome editing of upstream open reading frames enables translational control in plants. Nature Biotechnology. 36(9): 894~898 (commented by National Science Review).

Chenxiao Xue#, Huawei Zhang#, Qiupeng Lin, Rong Fan & Caixia Gao*. (2018). Manipulating mRNA splicing by base editing in plants. Science China Life Sciences. 61(11): 1293~1300 (Cover story)

Dingbo Zhang#, Huawei Zhang#, Tingdong Li, Kunling Chen, Jin-Long Qiu & Caixia Gao. (2017). Perfectly matched 20-nucleotide guide RNA sequences enable robust genome editing using high-fidelity SpCas9 nucleases. Genome Biology, 18(1): 191~191

Xiang Ji#, Huawei Zhang#, Yi Zhang, Yanpeng Wang & Caixia Gao. (2015). Establishing a CRISPR-Cas-like immune system conferring DNA virus resistance in plants. Nature Plants, 2015.9.28, 1(10)(Commented by Nature、Nature Review Molecular Cell Biology、Nature Plants、Genome Biology,One of the top 10 most cited articles in Nature Plants)

Huawei Zhang, Feng Cui, Yaorong Wu, Lijuan Lou, Lijing Liu, Miaomiao Tian, Yuese Ning, Kai Shu, Sanyuan Tang, Qi Xie. (2015). The RING finger ubiquitin E3 ligase SDIR1 targets SDIR1-INTERACTING PROTEIN1 for degradation to modulate the salt stress response and ABA signaling in Arabidopsis. The Plant Cell. 27 (1) 214-227

Patents

Huawei Zhang, Wenbo Pan, Hong Yang, Zhentao Cheng. Mutated ALS proteins with herbicide resistance and their application (ALS抗性突变蛋白及其应用). ZL 2022 1 1484789.3. 27^th, June, 2023. CN 115873088 B. China National Intellectual Property Administration.

Honorables and Awards

2020 Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundationfor Distinguished Young Scholars

2020 Taishan Scholars Program

2021 Special Government Allowances of the State Council