Huang lab illustrated the genomic history of the domestication of cucumber and tomato, and dissected the genetic bases of cucumber bitterness and tomato flavor, which helps develop better-tasting vegetable cultivars. Using genome design, he reinvented potato from a clonally propagated tetraploid crop into a seed-propagated diploid crop.
The research group has 36 members, including 1 PI, 1 associate researcher, 1 assistant researcher, 11 post-doc, 16 Ph.D students, 3 MSc students, and 3 management and support staff.
Jianshu Zheng (zhengjs4142@126.com), Research Interest：Molecular mechanism of legume-rhizobium symbiotic nitrogen fixation.
Jianshu Zheng, Associate Researcher. He received his PH.D. in Plant Genetics and Breeding at Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 2014. He subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher at CAAS in Bio-chemistry and Molecular Biology. His research focuses on molecular mechanism of legume-rhizobium symbiotic nitrogen fixation. As the first author or co-first-author, he has published a series of papers, including Plant Cell, BMC Biology, etc.
Caishun Zhang(caishun2020@163.com), Join AGIS-CAAS at April of 2021，she Focus on developing cultivation techniques for diploid hybrid potato, including efficient propagation and planting technologies of diploid hybrid potato in green houses and the field.
Fengjiao Bu：Dr. Fengjiao Bu’s research focused on genetic diessecting of sex determination of cucumber during her MSc research at Institute of Vegetables and Flowers ofthe Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science. She joined the Molecular Biology Lab of Wageningen University to pursue her doctoral degree, conducting research on root nodule symbiosis. She currently works as a postdoctoal researcher at AGIS, focusing on the use of genome editing to dicipher genetics and evolution of critical biological process of root nodule nitrogen-fixing symbiosis.
PingXian Zhang ：Pingxian Zhang completed his PhD in 2021 at Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), majoring in Epigenetic Regulation and Epigenomic-based Bioinformatics. His research focused on epigenetic improvement of crop breeding. In Professor Sanwen Huang’s lab he investigates the epigenetic basis of diploid potato inbreeding depression caused by deleterious mutations. He has published a series of papers, including Plant Cell, New Phytologist, Plant Biotechnology, etc.
XuMing Luo：XuMing Luo. He got his PhD degree in Chinese Academy of Sciences. He was awarded the “100 Excellent Doctoral Dissertations” (Chinese Academy of Sciences) in 2021. He has worked extensively on plant immunity by multiple disciplines including molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics and bioinformatics. He has published more than 10 research articles in the SCI journals, including EMBO Journal, Molecular Plant, Plant Physiology and DNA Research. Currently, he is a postdoc of Agricultural Synthetic Biology Center in AGIS. His research mainly focuses on the potato immunity and potato yield. He aims at enhancing disease resistance and yield of potato by using synthetic biology techniques like protein design and genome editing.
Nan Wang ：Nan Wang is a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Sanwen Huang's group, focusing on the genomic evolution of clonally propagated crops, primarily potatoes. His research focus on the genomic burden at the population-level and its impact on breeding. These researches aim to provide new insights into the genetic improvement of clonally propagated crops.
Shuaishuai Wang：Shuaishuai Wang, PostDoc, conducted postdoctoral work at the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen in 2022, focusing on molecular biology and plant genome editing techniques. Over the past a few years, he has been dedicated to investigating the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying the superior traits of strawberry fruits. In Professor Sanwen Huang's lab he conducts research to optimize plant genome knock-in technology and drive the application of genome editing in molecular breeding designs.
Yuying Li：Yuying Li graduated from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2020 with a Ph.D. degree. Since February 2020, he has been working as a postdoctoral researcher at Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. His main research focuses on exploring disease resistant genes and deciphering resistance mechanisms against potato late blight.
Keyi Ye：Keyi Ye joined Sanwen Lab in 2019, and has since been engaged in exploring the molecular mechanisms of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. He utilizes both multi-omics techniques and experimental methods to investigate the development of root nodules in the model legume, Lotus japonicus. My final goal is to transfer the symbiotic nitrogen fixation capacity to more crops, by employing synthetic biological methods.
Yi Zheng ：During my Master’s and Doctoral studies, I dedicated myself to the research of detection methods for circular RNA. This rigorous investigation not only deepened my understanding of circular RNA but also laid a solid foundation for my subsequent research. As I transitioned into my postdoctoral phase, I shifted my focus towards the significant factors influencing biological evolution: recombination and mutation. To gain a comprehensive understanding of these factors, I conducted an in-depth study of artificial cucumber populations. Leveraging second-generation sequencing methods coupled with bioinformatics and statistical analysis, I was able to discern and summarize the patterns of occurrence for recombination and mutation. This multi-disciplinary approach has been instrumental in my research and continues to guide my scientific exploration.
Yuanchao Xu:My name is Yuanchao Xu. During the period from September 2017 to June 2022, I hold a doctoral degree in Vegetable Science from the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, where I specialized in the genomics and comparative genomics of Cucurbitaceae crops. From April 2022 to the present, I am working as a postdoctor at the Agricultural Genomics Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, focusing on the identification and exploration of variations in the cucumber EMS mutant library, as well as research on the genetic mechanisms of phosphorus absorption and utilization.
YuJuan Zhu:Phosphorus (P) is not only an essential element for plant growth, but also a nonrenewable resource. Modern agriculture consumes a large amount of P fertilizer, which leads to unsustainable food security and critical environmental problems. We aim to breed crops with good performance under less P fertilizer application. I am committed to identifying key components that regulate plant P efficiency, including P acquisition efficiency (PAE) and internal P utilization efficiency (PUE), and dissecting the underlying molecular mechanism by integrating multi-omics, genetics, and molecular biology methods.
MUVUNYI BLAISE PASCAL:Diploid hybrid potato breeding will improve farmers' access to affordable, high-quality potato starting material and enable breeders to respond quickly to farmers' needs. With the biological barriers to developing diploid potato varieties surpassed, the challenge now is to bring these varieties to farmers, especially in low-income countries. The adoption of diploid hybrid potato varieties requires farmers’ adaptation to new cultivation practices and radical shifts in traditional potato seed systems. The Global Hybrid Potato Alliance (GHPA) was created by AGIS-CAAS and the International Potato Center (CIP) to foster collaboration to bring diploid hybrid potato technology to farmers. I have been instrumental in establishing relevant partnerships for GHPA in Rwanda and Kenya. I am also regularly involved in the cultivation of diploid hybrid potato varieties at AGIS. The practical skills being gained will be useful in training lead farmers in diploid potato cultivation in Rwanda and beyond.
Hu Yong；Yiyuan Ding； Zhihong Liu； Luo Wei ；Dai Jichen ；wangjie； Guang Hua Cai； Zhi Yang Zhang； Lin cheng ； QUN LIAN；Zhaonian Dong ；Yuting Yang ； Wei Zhi Liu ； Qi Cui ； hongbo Li;mengjiao Chen