RESEARCH FOCUS
The Qi Lab is working in the forefront of plant genome engineering and synthetic biology. We develop plant genome editing and transcriptional regulation tools based on different platforms such as TALE, CRISPR-Cas9, Cas12a and Cas12b. We disseminate such tools worldwide through Addgene. These tools not only allow for editing plant genomes, but also enable genome reprogramming at the transcriptome level. We apply these cutting-edge tools in both basic and translational research in plants to ensure food security and safety. First, we use these new genetic tools to answer some basic questions in plant immunity and resilience under stressful environments. Second, we apply multiplex genome editing tools to accelerate crop breeding and de novo crop domestication to make high yield, more nutritious and disease resistant crops. Third, we employ CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) for engineering metabolic pathways, rewiring plant immune responses and developing synthetic switches in plants toward engineering better crops. These goals can not be achieved without collaboration. We are collaborating with other researchers to apply and use these tools in many plant species including rice, maize, wheat, barley, banana, Arabidopsis, Camelina, soybean, cucumber, tomato, potato, carrot, strawberry, poplar, citrus, apple and pear. Our recent publications can be checked out at Google Scholar.
Ph.D., Plant Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin cities, 2009
M.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2003
B.S., Microbiology, Nankai University, 2000
2022, 2021, 2020 | |
2023, 2022, 2021 | AGNR Dean's Grantsmanship Award |
2021 | AGNR Faculty Research Award |
2021 | UMD Invention of the Year Award in the Life Science category |
2020 | SIVB 2020 Young Scientist Award |
2020 | UMD Invention of the Year Finalist |
2018 | FFAR New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research Award |
2018 | NSF Plant Genome Early Career Award |
2009 | Philip C. Hamm Memorial Scholarship, University of Minnesota |
2009 | PBS Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, University of Minnesota |
1996-2000 | TOLEDO Scholarship, Nankai University |
2000 | Excellent Student Leader, Nankai University |
1999 | Merit Student, Nankai University |
1998 | Merit Student, Nankai University |
1997 | Special Scholarship, Nankai University |
1996 | Merit Student of Jiangsu Province, China |
2020-Present | Associate Professor, University of Maryland, College Park |
2017-2020 | Assistant Professor, University of Maryland, College Park |
2013-2016 | Assistant Professor, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC |
2011-2013 | Research Associate, University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, MN |
2009-2011 | Post Doctoral Researcher, University of Minnesota,- Twin Cities, MN |
Membership:
American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB)
Advancing Science Serving Society (AAAS)
American Phytopathological Society (APS)
The Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB)
Editorship:
Associate Editor, Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2020-
Associate Editor, Plant Cell Reports, 2019-
Guest Editor, Current Opinion of Plant Biology, 2020-
Editorial board, Journal of Genetics and Genomics, 2020-
Editorial board, Plant Communications, 2019-
Editorial board, aBiotech, 2019-
Editorial board, Frontier in Genome Editing, 2019-
Editor, MiMB book "Plant Genome Editing with CRISPR Systems: Methods and Protocols", 2019
Guest editor, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2019-
Guest editor, Cell & Bioscience, 2017
Guest editor, Agriculture, 2016-2017
* = corresponding/senior author; # = graduate student, post-doc or visiting scholar advised by Qi; ## = undergraduate or high school student advised by Qi; † = equal contribution.
Book chapters
Book
Plant Genome Editing with CRISPR Systems
Keynote talks
Research talks other than keynote