Self-introduction

Zhou Qian earned her Ph.D. from Sun Yat-sen University in 2016 and joined Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in 2020, where she currently serves as a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Biology. Her research focuses on exploring the biosynthesis and functional characterization of novel plant natural products. In recent years, she has published multiple articles in renowned journals such as Nature Communications, New Phytologist and Environmental Science & Technology. She has also led several research projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)-General Program,  NSFC-Youth Project, Guangdong Provincial General Program, Shenzhen Municipal General Program and Postdoctoral Foundation Project.

Research Interests

◆Discovery and Analysis of Biosynthetic Pathways of Plant Natural Products

◆Development and Utilization of Multi-Omics Technologies

◆Small Molecule-Mediated Plant-Microbe Interactions

Professional Experience

◆ 2025.11 - Present Research Associate Professor, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology

◆ 2020.01 - 2025.10 Research Assistant Professor, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology

◆ 2018.01 - 2019.02 Visiting Scholar, Western University of Health Sciences, USA

◆ 2016.07 - 2018.01 Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Xiamen University

Educational Background

◆ 2011.09 - 2016.06 Ph.D. (M.S. leading to Ph.D.) in Environmental Science, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University

◆ 2007.09 - 2011.06 B.S. in Biotechnology, Luoyang Normal University

Honors & Awards

◆ 2020: Shenzhen High-Level Talent (Backup Category)

Selected Publication

[1] Luo, F.#; Zhou, Q.#; Chen, F.; Liu, X.; Chiu, T.-Y.; Zhu, G.-Y.; Huang, A.C.* Divergent multifunctional P450s-empowered biosynthesis of bioactive tripterifordin and cryptic atiserenoids in Aconitum implies convergent evolution. Nature Communications, 16, 5857 (2025). 

[2]  Xie, J.#; Tian, J. #; Khan, S.; Chen, F.; Yu, J.; Hao, Y.; Xiong, H.-M.; Zhang, F.; Zhou, Q.; Zhu, G.-Y.; Huang, A.C.* Glyceollin biosynthesis in a plant chassis engineered for isoflavone production. Nature Chemical Biology, 2025, 21(10):1497-1508.

[3] Zhou, Q.; Sun, P.; Xiong, H.; Xie, J.; Zhu, G.; Tantillo, Dean J.; Huang, AC.* (2023) Insight into neo-functionalization of 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclases in B,C-ring-opened triterpene biosynthesis in quinoa. New Phytologist, 2024, 241(2): 764-778.  

[4] Hong, Y.#; Yu, Z.#; Zhou, Q.; Chen C.; Hao, Y.; Wang, Z.; Zhu, J.; Guo, H.; Huang, A.C.* (2024) NAD+ deficiency primes defense metabolism via 1O2-escalated jasmonate biosynthesis in plants. Nature Communications, 15(1):6652.

[5] Hong, Y.#, Zhou, Q.#; Hao, Y.; Huang, AC.* (2021) Crafting plant root metabolome for improved microbe-assisted stress resilience. New Phytologist, 2022, 234(6): 1945-1950.

[6] Zhou, Q.#; Fu, H.#; Yang, D.; Ye, C.; Zhu, S.; Lin, J.; Ye, W.; Ji, G.; Ye, X.; Wu, X.*, Li, QQ.* (2018) Differential alternative polyadenylation contributes to the developmental divergence between two rice subspecies Japonica and Indica.The Plant Journal, 2019, 98(2):260-276.

[7] Zhou, Q.; Guo, J.; He, C.; Shen, C.; Huang, Y.; Chen, J.; Guo, J.; Yuan, J.; Yang, Z.* (2016) Comparative transcriptome analysis between low-and high-cadmium-accumulating genotypes of pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) in response to cadmium stress. Environmental science & technology, 50(12): 6485-6494

#co-first author; * Corresponding author.     

Contacts

◆ Address: Room 308, Research Building 1, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Boulevard, Nanshan District, Shenzhen

Postal Code: 518055

◆ Email: zhouq3@mail.sustech.edu.cn