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Professor

Plant Science & Landscape Architecture 5121 Plant Sciences Building 4291 Fieldhouse Drive College Park, Maryland 20742

Expertise

  • Plant genome engineering
  • Plant innate immunity

RESEARCH FOCUS

  • Plant genome engineering
  • CRISPR-Cas systems
  • Novel breeding tools
  • Plant synthetic biology
  • Plant innate immunity

Biography

Biography: 

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. 

Education: 

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

Awards and Honors: 

2022, 2021, 2020

Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher

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

 

Professional Work

Professional Positions Held: 

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

Professional Service: 

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

Publications

Selected Journal Publications (since being a PI): 

* = corresponding/senior author; # = graduate student, post-doc or visiting scholar advised by Qi; ## = undergraduate or high school student advised by Qi; † = equal contribution. 

  1. Meiling Ming #, Ɨ, Qiurong Ren Ɨ, Changtian Pan #, Ɨ, Yao HeƗ, Yingxiao Zhang#, Ɨ, Shishi Liu, Zhaohui Zhong2, Jiaheng Wang, Aimee A. Malzahn#, Jun Wu, Xuelian Zheng, Yong Zhang*, Yiping Qi*. CRISPR-Cas12b enables efficient plant genome engineering. Nature Plants, 2020 Mar;6(3):202-208. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-020-0614-6
  2. Filiz Gürel, Yingxiao Zhang#, Simon Sretenovic#, Yiping Qi*. CRISPR-Cas nucleases and base editors for plant genome editing. aBiotech, 30 November 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42994-019-00010-0
  3. Shaoya Li, Yingxiao Zhang#, Lanqin Xia*, Yiping Qi*. CRISPR-Cas12a enables efficient biallelic gene targeting in rice. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 2019 Nov 15. doi: 10.1111/pbi.13295.
  4. Qiurong Ren, Zhaohui Zhong, Yan Wang, Qian Li, Mingzhu Yuan, Yao He, Qi Yu, Caiyan Qi, Xu Tang, Xuelian Zheng, Tao Zhang, Yiping Qi*, Yong Zhang*. Bidirectional promoter based CRISPR-Cas9 systems for plant genome editing. Frontier in Plant Science, 20 September 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.01173
  5. Yingxiao Zhang#, Aimee A Malzahn#, Simon Sretenovic# and Yiping Qi*. The emerging and uncultivated potential of CRISPR technology in plant science. Nature Plants, 2019 Aug;5(8):778-794. doi: 10.1038/s41477-019-0461-5.
  6. Yingxiao Zhang #, Yiping Qi*. CRISPR enables directed evolution in plants. Genome Biology. 2019 Apr 30;20(1):83. doi: 10.1186/s13059-019-1693-4.
  7. Zhaohui Zhong Ɨ, Simon Sretenovic Ɨ,#, Qiurong RenƗ, Lijia Yang, Yu Bao, Caiyan Qi, Mingzhu Yuan, Yao He, Shishi Liu, Xiaopei Liu, Jiaheng Wang, Lan Huang,Yan Wang, Dibin Baby##, David Wang##, Tao Zhang, Yiping Qi*, Yong Zhang*. Improving plant genome editing with high-fidelity xCas9 and non-canonical PAM-targeting Cas9-NG. Molecular Plant. 2019 Mar. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2019.03.011
  8. Aimee A. Malzahn†,#, Xu Tang, Keunsub Lee, Qiurong Ren, Simon Sretenovic#, Yingxiao Zhang#, Hongqiao Chen, Minjeong Kang, Yu Bao, Xuelian Zheng, Kejun Deng, Tao Zhang, Valeria Salcedo##, Kan Wang, Yong Zhang*, Yiping Qi*. Application of CRISPR-Cas12a temperature sensitivity for improved genome editing in rice, maize, and Arabidopsis. BMC Biology. 2019 Jan 31;17(1):9. doi: 10.1186/s12915-019-0629-5.
  9. Xu Tang, Qiurong Ren, Lijia Yang, Yu Bao, Zhaohui Zhong, Binglin Liu, Yan Wang, Simon Sretenovic#, Yingxiao Zhang#, Xuelian Zheng, Tao zhang*, Yiping Qi*, Yong Zhang*. Single transcript unit CRISPR 2.0 systems for robust Cas9 and Cas12a mediated plant genome editing. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 2018 Dec 24. doi: 10.1111/pbi.13068.
  10. Qiwei Shan, Nicholas J Baltes, Paul Atkins, Elida R. Kirkland#, Yong Zhang, Joshua A. Baller, Levi G. Lowder#, Aimee A. Malzahn#, John C. Haugner III, Burckhard Seelig, Daniel F. Voytas*, Yiping Qi*. ZFN, TALEN and CRISPR-Cas9 mediated homology directed gene insertion in Arabidopsis: a disconnect between somatic and germinal cells. Journal of Genetics and Genomics. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgg.2018.07.011
  11. Jianping Zhou, Xuhui Xin, Yao He, Hongqiao Chen, Qian Li, Xu Tang, Zhaohui Zhong, Kejun Deng, Xuelian Zheng, Sayed Abdul Akher, Guangze Cai, Yiping Qi*, Yong Zhang* Multiplex QTL editing of grain-related genes improves yield in elite rice varieties. Plant Cell Reports. 2018
  12. Keunsub Lee, Yingxiao Zhang#, Benjamin P. Kleinstiver, Jimmy A. Guo, Martin J. Aryee, Jonah Miller, Aimee Malzahn#, Scott Zarecor, Carolyn J. Lawrence-Dill, J. Keith Joung, Yiping Qi*, and Kan Wang*. Activities and specificities of CRISPR-Cas9 and Cas12a nucleases for targeted mutagenesis in maize. Plant Biotechnology Journal. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12982
  13. Xu TangƗ, Guanqing LiuƗ, Jianping ZhouƗ, Qiurong Ren, Qi You, Li Tian, Xuhui Xin, Zhaohui Zhong, Binglin Liu, Xuelian Zheng, Dengwei Zhang, Aimee Malzahn#, Zhiyun Gong, Yiping Qi*, Tao Zhang*, Yong Zhang*. A large-scale whole-genome sequencing analysis reveals highly specific genome editing by both Cas9 and Cpf1 (Cas12a) nucleases in rice. Genome Biology. 2018, 19 (1) :84 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13059-018-1458-5
  14. Zhaohui Zhong, Yingxiao Zhang†,#, Qi You, Xu Tang, Qiurong Ren, Shishi Liu, Lijia Yang, Yan Wang, Xiaopei Liu, Binglin Liu, Tao Zhang, Xuelian Zheng, Ysa Le##, Yong Zhang*, Yiping Qi*. Plant genome editing using FnCpf1 and LbCpf1 nucleases at redefined and altered PAM sites. Molecular Plant. 2018, 11 (7): 999-1002.
  15. Magdalena Klimek-Chodacka, Tomasz Oleszkiewicz, Levi G. Lowder#, Yiping Qi, Rafal Baranski. Efficient CRISPR/Cas9 based genome editing in carrot cells. Plant Cell Reports. 2018 Apr;37(4):575-586. doi: 10.1007/s00299-018-2252-2
  16. Levi G. Lowder#, Jianping Zhou, Yingxiao Zhang#, Aimee Malzahn#, Zhaohui Zhong, Tzung-Fu Hsieh, Daniel F. Voytas, Yong Zhang, Yiping Qi*. Robust transcriptional activation in plants using multiplexed CRISPR-Act2.0 and mTALE-Act systems. Molecular Plant. 2018 Feb 5;11(2):245-256. doi: 10.1016/j.molp.2017.11.010.
  17. Jianping Zhou, Kejun Deng, Yan Cheng, Zhaohui Zhong, Li Tian, Xu Tang, Aiting Tang, Xuelian Zheng, Tao zhang, Yiping Q*, Yong Zhang*. CRISPR-Cas9 based genome editing reveals new insights into microRNA function and regulation in rice.  Front Plant Sci. 2017 Sep 13;8:1598. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01598.
  18. Aimee A. Malzahn#, Levi G. Lowder#, Yiping Qi*. Plant genome editing with TALEN and CRISPR. Cell Biosci. 2017 Apr 24;7:21. doi: 10.1186/s13578-017-0148-4. eCollection 2017. Review.
  19. Richard Michelmore*, Gitta Coaker*, Rebecca Bart, Gwyn Beattie, Andrew Bent, Toby Bruce, Duncan Cameron, Jeff Dangl, Sophien Kamoun, Savithramma Dinesh-Kumar, Rob Edwards, Sebastian Eves-van den Akker, Walter Gassmann, Jean Greenberg, Richard Harrison, Ping He, Jagger Harvey, Alisa Huffaker, Scot Hulbert, Roger Innes, Jonathan Jones, Isgouhi Kaloshian, Sophien Kamoun, Fumiaki Katagiri, Jan Leach, Wenbo Ma, John McDowell, June Medford, Blake Meyers, Rebecca Nelson, Richard Oliver, Yiping Qi, Diane Saunders, Michael Shaw, Prasanta Subudhi, Lesley Torrance, Bret Tyler, John Walsh.  Foundational and translational research opportunities to improve plant health. Mol Plant Microbe Interact. 2017, 30 (7): 515-516
  20. Xu Tang, Levi G. Lowder, Tao Zhang, Aimee A. Malzahn, Xuelian Zheng, Daniel F. Voytas, Zhaohui Zhong, Yiyi Chen, Qiurong Ren, Qian Li, Elida R. Kirkland, Yong Zhang*, Yiping Qi*. A CRISPR-Cpf1 system for efficient genome editing and transcriptional repression in plants. Nature Plants, 2017, doi:10.1038/nplants.2017.18
  21. Levi Lowder, Aimee Malzahn, Yiping Qi*. Rapid Evolution of Manifold CRISPR Systems for Plant Genome Editing. Front Plant Sci. 2016 Nov 14; 7:1683.
  22. Xu Tang, Xuelian Zheng, Yiping Qi, Dengwei Zhang, Yan Cheng, Aiting Tang, Daniel F Voytas, Yong Zhang. A single transcript CRISPR-Cas9 system for efficient genome editing in plants. Molecular Plant, 2016, 9 (7): 1088-1091
  23. Quanlin Li, Mingjiao Chen, Dabing Zhang, Wanqi Liang, Jiaojun Wei, Yiping Qi, Zheng Yuan. Development of japonica photo-sensitive genic male sterile rice lines by editing Carbon Starved Anther using CRISPR-Cas9. Journal of Genetics & Genomics, 2016, 43(6):415-9
  24. Joseph W. Paul, III, Yiping Qi*. CRISPR/Cas9 for plant genome editing: accomplishments, problems and prospects. Plant Cell Reports, 2016, 35 (7): 1417-27
  25. Xuelian Zheng, Shixin Yang, Dengwei Zhang, Zhaohui Zhong, Xu Tang, Kejun Deng, Jianping Zhou, Yiping Qi*, Yong Zhang*. Effective screen of CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutants in rice by single-strand conformation polymorphism. Plant Cell Reports, 2016, 35 (7): 1545-54
  26. Wei Fan, Jie Zong, Zhijing Luo, Mingjiao Chen, Xiangxiang Zhao, Dabing Zhang, Yiping Qi, Zheng Yuan. Development of a RAD-Seq Based DNA Polymorphism Identification Software, AgroMarker Finder, and Its Application in Rice Marker-Assisted Breeding. PLOS One, 2016,11(1): e0147187.
  27. Levi G. Lowder#, Dengwei Zhang, Nicholas J. Baltes, Joseph W. Paul, III#, Tang Xu, Xuelian Zheng, Daniel F. Voytas , Tzung-Fu Hsieh, Yong Zhang*, Yiping Qi*. A CRISPR/Cas9 Toolbox for Multiplexed Plant Genome Editing and Transcriptional Regulation. Plant Physiology, 2015, 169 (2): 1-15
  28. Xuelian Zheng, Qian Li, Dongqing Liu, Lili Zang, Kaiyue Zhang, Kejun Deng, Shixin Yang, Zhengyang Xie, Xu Tang, Yiping Qi*, Yong Zhang*.  Promoter analysis of the sweet potato ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase gene in Nicotiana tabacum. Plant Cell Reports, 2015, 34 (11): 1873-1884
  29. Yadong Huang, Chun Yao Li, Yiping Qi, Sungjin Park and Susan I. Gibson. SIS8, a putative mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase, regulates suger resistant seedling development in Arabidopsis. The Plant Journal, 2014, 77 (4): 577-588

Book chapters

  1. Simon Sretenovic#, Changtian Pan#, Xu Tang, Yong Zhang, and Yiping Qi*. Rapid vector construction and assessment of BE3 and Target-AID C to T base editing systems in rice protoplasts. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2020
  2. Guanqing Liu, Yiping Qi and Tao Zhang. Analysis of off-target mutations in CRISPR-edited rice plants using whole genome sequencing. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2020
  3. Yesuf Teslim Yimam, Jianping Zhou, Sayed Abdul Akher, Xuelian Zheng, Yiping Qi, Yong Zhang. Improving a quantitative trait in rice by multigene editing with CRISPR-Cas9. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2020
  4. Xu Tang, Yiping Qi, Yong Zhang. Single transcript unit CRISPR 2.0 systems for genome editing in rice. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2020
  5. Aimee Malzahn#, Yong Zhang, Yiping Qi*. CRISPR-Act2.0: An Improved Multiplexed System for Plant Transcriptional Activation. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2019, 1917: 83-93. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8991-1_7.
  6. Weihang Gu, Dabing Zhang, Yiping Qi, Zheng Yuan. Generating Photoperiod-Sensitive Genic Male Sterile Rice Lines with CRISPR-Cas9. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2019, 1917: 97-107. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8991-1_8.
  7. Jianping Zhou, Zhaohui Zhong, Hongqiao Chen, Mengqiao Yang, Qian Li, Xuelian Zheng, Yiping Qi, Yong Zhang. Knocking out microRNA genes in rice with CRISPR-Cas9. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2019, 1917: 109-119. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8991-1_9.
  8.  Yingxiao Zhang#, Yong Zhang, Yiping Qi*. Plant Gene Knockout and Knockdown by CRISPR-Cpf1 (Cas12a) systems. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2019, 1917: 245-256. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8991-1_18.
  9. Levi G. Lowder#, Aimee A Malzahn#, Yiping Qi*. Plant Gene Regulation Using Multiplex CRISPR-dCas9 Artificial Transcription Factors. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2018; 1676:197-214. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7315-6_12.
  10. Levi G. Lowder#, Joseph W. Paull, III##, Yiping Qi*. Multiplexed Transcriptional Activation or Repression in Plants Using CRISPR-dCas9-Based Systems. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2017, 1629:167-184. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7125-1_12.
  11. Levi G. Lowder#, Aimee A. Malzahn#, Yiping Qi*. Rapid Construction of multiplexed CRISPR-Cas9 system for plant genome editing. Methods in Molecular Biology. 2017; 1578:291-307. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-6859-6_25.
  12. Yiping Qi*. High efficient genome modification by designed Zinc Finger Nuclease. Advances in New Technology for Targeted Modifications of Plant Genomes, 2015, 39-53
  13. Yiping Qi, Colby Starker, Feng Zhang, Nicholas Baltes and Daniel Voytas. Tailor-made mutations in Arabidopsis using zinc finger nucleases.  Methods in Molecular Biology, 2014, 1062: 193-209. doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-580-4_10.
  14. Yiping Qi, Fumiaki Katagiri. Purification of resistance protein complexes using a biotinylated affinity tag. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2011, 712: 21-30. doi: 10.1007/978-1-61737-998-7_3.

Book 

Plant Genome Editing with CRISPR Systems

    Presenations

    Keynote talks

    1. The 50th Brazilian Congress of Plant Pathology (BCPP), Aug 21-23, 2017, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. TITLE: Boosting Basic and Translational Science in Plants with Genome Editing Tools
    2. The 14th International Symposium on Rice Functional Genomics, Sep 25-29, 2016, Montpellier, France. TITLE: Boosting basic and translational science in plants with genome editing tools

     

    Research talks other than keynote

    1. January 13, 2019. PAG XXVIII - Plant & Animal Genome Conference, Jan 11-15, 2020. San Diego, CA. TITLE: CRISPR-Cas12 Genome Engineering Systems in Plants
    2. November 6, 2019. Syngenta, Research Triangle Park, NC. TITLE: Plant genome engineering with CRISPR systems
    3. November 6, 2019. Pairwise Plants, Durham, NC. TITLE: Plant genome engineering with CRISPR systems
    4. November 4, 2019. 7th Plant Genomes & Gene Editing Congress: USA. Raleigh, NC. TITLE: Rapid evolution of CRISPR systems for plant genome editing
    5. October 18, 2019. Department of Plant science and Landscape Architecture, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. TITLE: Plant genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9 and Cas12 systems
    6. October 14, 2019. Department of Plant Science, Penn State University, State College, PA. TITLE: Plant genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9 and Cas12 systems
    7. September 6, 2019. NSF PGRP’s 22nd Annual Awardee Meeting, Alexandra, VA. TITLE: Improving CRISPR activation systems for plant genome reprogramming
    8. August 5, 2019. Plant Biology Annual Meeting |2019. San Jose, CA. TITLE: CRISPR-Cas12a Systems for Plant Genome Engineering
    9. June 25, 2019. CRISPR&NBT, AgroBio Congress 2019. San Diego, CA. TITLE: CRISPR-Cas Systems for Plant Genome Editing & Transcriptional Regulation
    10. June 14, 2019. Inaugural New Tech Talk at USDA-FAS, Washington, DC. TITLE: Cutting-edge Crop Breeding with CRISPR-Cas technologies
    11. June12, 2019. UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL. TITLE: Developing CRISPR-Cas Systems for Plant Genome Engineering
    12. June11, 2019. The 2019 Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) Meeting, Tampa, FL. TITLE: Activity and Specificity of CRISPR-Cas9 and Cas12a Systems in Plant Genome Editing
    13. April 8, 2019. Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences and Plant Resilience Institute, Michigan State University, MI. TITLE: Making productive and resilient crops by genome editing
    14. February 14, 2019. Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California-Berkeley, CA. TITLE: Making productive and climate-resilient crops by genome engineering
    15. January 13, 2019. PAG XXVII - Plant & Animal Genome Conference, Jan 12-16, 2019. San Diego, CA. TITLE: Plant genome engineering with Cas9 and Cas12a: Exploring expression systems
    16. November 14, 2018. UCSD-Food & Fuel for the 21st Century-CRISPR in Plant Biology workshop. University of California-San Diego, La Jolla, CA. TITLE: Promise and challenges of CRISPR-Cas9 and Cas12a systems in plant genome editing
    17. November 5, 2018. Genome Editing for Crop Improvement Symposium, 2018 The American Society of Agronomy & the Crop Science Society of America (ASA&CSSA) International Meeting: "Enhancing Productivity in a Changing Climate". Baltimore, MD. TITLE: Activity and specificity of CRISPR-Cas9 and Cpf1 (Cas12a) systems in plant genome editing
    18. October 8, 2018. Botany seminar series, Yale University, New Haven, CT. TITLE: Plant genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9 and Cas12a
    19. October 4, 2018. Global Challenges: Building Healthy Food Systems Symposium. Session: Innovation Solutions for Food Systems. UMD, College Park, MD. TITILE: Precision breeding for crop improvement by genome editing
    20. October 1, 2018. Inari Agriculture, Cambridge, MA. TITLE: Plant genome editing with CRISPR-Cas systems
    21. September 3. CRISPRing-A New Beginning of Genetic Improvement of Plants and Microbes. Budapest, Hungary. TITLE: Revolutionizing plant breeding with CRISPR-Cas genome editing tools
    22. August 14, 2018. Mid-Atlantic Plant Molecular Biology Society (MAPMBS) 35th Annual Meeting. Laurel, MD. TITLE: Plant genome editing with CRISPR-Cpf1 systems
    23. July 25, 2018. International Symposium on Forest Tree Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (FTMB2018), Harbin, China. TITLE: The promise and challenges of plant genome editing
    24. May 10, 2018. The 2018 Loomis/CBC Symposium, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. TITLE: CRISPR-Cpf1 based plant genome editing
    25. May 2, 2018, The Hoover family invited seminar speaker, Department of Horticultural Science, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. TITLE: Revolutionizing Plant Basic and Translational Science with Genome Editing Tools
    26. April 10, 2018. Plant Breeding & Genetics Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. TITLE: The promise and challenges of plant genome editing
    27. Mar 26, 2018. GARNet Gene Editing Workshop, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. TITLE: Use of CRISPR-Cpf1 for plant genome editing
    28. Mar 21, 2018. KWS Gateway Research Center, St. Louis, Missouri. TITILE: Plant genome editing using CRISPR-Cpf1
    29. Mar 20, 2018. Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Creve Coeur, Missouri. TITLE: Rapid evolution of tools for plant genome editing and transcriptional regulation
    30. PAG XXVI - Plant & Animal Genome Conference, Jan 13-17, 2018. San Diego, CA. TITLE: Efficient Cas9 and Cpf1 systems for plant genome editing and transcriptional regulation
    31. Jan 10, 2018. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel. TITLE: Current progress of plant genome editing
    32. TAU-UMD Virology Workshop, Jan 8-9, 2018. Tel Aviv University, Israel. TITLE: Boosting basic and translational science in plants with genome editing tools
    33. Agricultural Genomics 2017: Functional Genomics toward Green Crops for Sustainable Agriculture, Oct 25-27, 2017, Wuhan, China. TITLE: Developing plant epigenome editing tools for advancing basic and translational research
    34. 2017 Mid Atlantic Plant Molecular Biology Society (MAPMBS) 34th Annual Meeting, Aug 14-15, Laurel, MD. TITLE: Robust Transcriptional Activation in Plants Using Multiplexed CRISPR-ACT2.0 and mTALE-ACT Systems
    35. Aug 1, 2017, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Banos, Philippines. TITLE: The promise and challenges of plant genome editing
    36. XIX International Botanical Congress (IBC 2017), July 23-29, Shenzhen, China. TITLE: A CRISPR-Cpf1 System for Efficient Genome Editing and Transcriptional Repression in Plants
    37. April 21, 2017, Center for Plant Cell Biology, University of California-Riverside, CA. TITLE: Revolutionizing Plant Basic and Translational Science with Genome Editing Tools
    38. CRISPR-AgBio, Precision Genome Editing Congress, April 18-20, San Diego, CA. TITLE: Improving Multiplex CRISPR Systems for Plant Epigenome Editing
    39. Mar 23, 2017, Syngenta Biotechnology, Research triangle park, NC. TITLE: Plant genome editing with CRISPR systems
    40. Mar 22, 2017, Student invited speaker, Department of Biology, UNC-Greensboro, NC. TITLE: Boosting Basic and Translational Science in Plants with Genome Editing Tools
    41. Genome-Enabled Accelerated Crop Breeding Workshop, Oct 16-19,2016, The Banbury Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. TITLE: Multiplexing Systems for Plant Genome Editing and Transcriptional Regulation
    42. July 21, 2016, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University. TITLE: Discovering Hidden Value in the Laboratory
    43. Oct 16, 2015, BASF Plant Science, Research Triangle Park, NC. TITLE: Developing tools for plant genome editing
    44. June 22, 2015, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (SAAS), Jinan, Shandong, China. TITLE: Precise genome editing using sequence-specific nucleases
    45. June 15, 2015, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. TITLE: Developing tools for plant genome editing and transcriptional regulation
    46. June 11, 2015, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China. TITLE: Developing tools for plant genome editing and transcriptional regulation
    47. May 31, 2015, In Vitro Biology Meeting 2015, Tucson, Arizona. TITLE: Developing toolkits for plant genome editing and transcriptional regulation
    48. May 7, 2015, Gene REG Seminar Series at DHMRI, Kannapolis, NC. TITLE: Developing tools for plant genome editing and transcriptional regulation
    49. Mar 17, 2015, Malopolska Center of Biotechnology, Krakow, Poland. TITLE: Developing tools for plant genome editing and gene regulation with engineered DNA binding proteins
    50. Mar 16, 2015, GIN (global-innovative-networked) by USDA and Klaster LifeScience, Krakow, Poland. TITLE: Precise genome editing using sequence-specific nucleases
    51. Sep 2, 2014, Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. TITLE: Developing Protein Complex Purification and Genome Engineering Tools for Studying Plant Disease Resistance
    52. July 29, 2014, Syngenta Biotechnology, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. TITLE: Genome engineering for better crops
    53. 21st International Conference on Plant Growth Substances, June 18-22, 2013, Shanghai, China. TITLE:  Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) and TAL Effector Nuclease (TALEN)-mediated Genome Modifications in Arabidopsis
    54. June 2013, School of Life Science & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, June 18th. TITLE: Developing Protein Purification and Genome Engineering Tools for Studying Plant Disease Resistance
    55. The 27th Annual Retreat of Plant Molecular Biology Consortium, Sept 13-15, 2013. Asheville, North Carolina. TITLE: Zinc Finger Nuclease (ZFN) and TAL Effector Nuclease (TALEN)-mediated Genome Modifications in Arabidopsis
    56. Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists, July 20-24, 2012, Austin, Texas. TITLE: Enhancing Zinc Finger Nuclease-Mediated Genome Modification in Arabidopsis by Manipulating DNA Repair Pathways
    57. BIT’s 4th Annual Protein and Peptide Conference (PepCon-2011), March 23-25, 2011, Beijing, China. TITLE: Plant Genome Engineering Using Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs)

    Teaching