Contact information

New contact information:

Department of Molecular Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard.

Email: xzhang at molbio.mgh.harvard.edu

Division of Plant Sciences
National Center for Soybean Biotechnology
201 Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
Telephone: (573) 884-4799
Email: zhangxuec at missouri.edu

Education

Ph. D. in Molecular Plant Pathology: Functional Characterization of the Arabidopsis Disease Resistance Gene RPS4. University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri (2005).

M. S. in Molecular Plant Pathology: Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of monocot crops. China Agricultural University, Beijing, China (2000).

B. S.  in Plant Protection: Laiyang Agricultural College, Laiyang, Shandong, China (1997).

Professional Experience

Postdoctoral Research Associate
Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, Oct. 2005-present
Supervisor: Dr. Gary Stacey

Graduate Research Assistant
Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri, Aug. 2000-Oct. 2005
Advisor: Dr. Walter Gassmann

Current Research Focus

Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics of Plant-Pathogen Interactions
Chitin-triggered immune responses in plants
Comparative genetic dissection of PAMP-triggered immune responses in plants

Plant Evolutionary Genomics
Evolutionary genomics of plant-pathogen interactions
Evolution of protein domains and domain architectures across kingdoms

Population genetics and functional genomics of Asian Soybean Rust
Origins and genetic diversity of Asian Soybean Rust within the US
Molecular basis of Asian Soybean Rust-soybean interactions

Honors and Awards

Monsanto Senior Graduate Fellowship
Awarded by the Monsanto Company, Sept. 2004-Oct. 2005.

Superior Graduate Achievement Award
Awarded jointly by the Graduate School and Graduate Student Association for the 2003-2004 academic year April, 2004.

Excellence in Teaching
Awarded by the College Teaching Institute, University of Missouri, Aug. 2003.

Second prize of poster competition
The 11th research expo by the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources, Columbia Missouri, April, 2002.

Conference Travel Award
Awarded by the Graduate Professional Council, University of Missouri for the 10th International Congress on Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, July 10-14, 2001.

Journal Articles

1. Wan, J., X.-C. Zhang, and G. Stacey (2008) Chitin signaling and plant disease resistance. Plant Signaling & Behavior 3 (10), 831-833.

2. Wan, J., X.-C. Zhang, D. Neece, K. Ramonell, S. Clough, S.-Y. Kim, M. Stacey, and G. Stacey (2008) A LysM receptor-like kinase plays a critical role in chitin signaling and fungal resistance in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell 20, 471-481. Highlighted in “In this issue”.

3. Zhang, X.-C. and W. Gassmann (2007) Alternative splicing and mRNA level of the disease resistance gene RPS4 are induced during defense responses. Plant Physiology 145, 1577-1587.

4. Zhang, X.-C.,* X. Wu, S. Findley, J. Wan, M. Libault, T.H. Nguyen, B.S. Cannon, and G. Stacey (2007) Molecular evolution of Lysin motif-type receptor-like kinases in plants. Plant Physiology 144, 623-636. * denotes the corresponding author.

5. Pike, S., X.-C. Zhang, and W. Gassmann (2005) Electrophysiological characterization of the Arabidopsis avrRpt2-specific HR in the absence of other bacterial signals. Plant Physiology 138, 1009-1017.

6. Zhang, X.-C. and W. Gassmann (2003) RPS4-mediated disease resistance requires the combined presence of RPS4 transcripts with full-length and truncated open reading frames. Plant Cell 15, 2333-2342.

Book Chapters

1. Zhang, X.-C.  and W. Gassmann (2009) Quantifying alternatively spliced mRNAs via capillary electrophoresis. In: Methods in Molecular Biology: Plant Immunity (McDowell, J. eds). Humana press, Accepted.

2. Wan, J., K. Ramonell, X.-C. Zhang, S. Clough, R. Zhang, M. Libault, M. Stacey, J.C. Hong, and G. Stacey (2008) Chitin signaling in Arabidopsis. In: Biology of Plant Microbe Interactions, Vol. 6 (Lorito M, Woo SL, and Scala F, eds). International Society for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, St. Paul, MN.

Manuscripts under Review

Zhang, X.-C., B.S. Cannon, and G. Stacey (2009) Evolutionary genomics of LysM genes in land plants. Submitted to BMC Evo. Biol.

Manuscripts in Preparation

Libault, M., X.-C. Zhang, M. Govindarajulu, Y. T. Ong, L. Brechenmacher, R. Howard Berg, A. Hurley-Sommer, C. Taylor, and G. Stacey (2009) A member of the highly conserved FWL (tomato FW2.2-like) gene family is essential for soybean nodule organogenesis.

Schmutz, J., …, X.-C. Zhang,…, and S. A. Jackson (2009) A genome sequence of paleohexaploid soybean (Glycine max).

Wan, J., X.-C. Zhang, and G. Stacey (2009) Role of a LysM receptor-like kinase in mediating chitin-triggered innate immunity in plants. Invited Commentary in “Innate Immunity”

Invited Conference Presentations

2004-   Zhang, X.-C. and W. Gassmann (2004) Functional characterization of the Arabidopsis RPS4 gene. Oral presentation on the 95th American Phytopathological Society, Anaheim, CA, July 31-August 4, 2004.