Crop Bioinformatics and Applications

Team Name: Crop Bioinformatics and Applications

Research Focus: developing crop phenome, genome, transcriptome and other omics information database and analytical pipelines; studying the relationship between crop genomic variations and functions of important trait genes with bioinformatics methods; developing classical breeding and genome-wide optimal breeding genetic analysis techniques and software and tools formolecular breedingdesign; referring to synthetic transcription factor transgenic plant phenotype identification and corresponding transcriptome and phenome analysis to carry out systematic research on the functions of genes and regulatory networksfor crop stress resistance, flowering, yield, growth, and other important traits, andpractical methods for breeding.

Research Objectives: to establish and improve biological information analytical platform and high-throughput data analyzing pipeline, explore genome-wide selective breeding genetic analysis methods, develop software for optimal molecular breeding design, use synthetic transcription factor system to establish gene regulatory networks ofimportant traits, and clone the genes related to stress resistance, flowering and yield.

Team Chief Scientist: Dr. MAO Long

Education Background

Mao Long, a plant molecular geneticist by training, received his BSc degree in Genetics (1988) from Wuhan University, Hubei, China, his MS degree in Plant Molecular Genetics (1991) from Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and his PhD in Plant Molecular Genetics (1995) from John Innes Center, UK and CAS.

Research Area

Dr. Mao actively participated in several plant genome sequencing (rice, wheat) during his postdoc training at Clemson University, South Carolina, USA and after he took the position at CAAS. He is currently the leader of the Crop Bioinformatics and Application Innovation Team, ICS, CAS and interested in bioinformatics, genomics, and functional genomics using wheat as a research subject in particular.

Recent publications

·Jia et al. (2013), Aegilops tauschii draft genome sequence reveals a gene repertoire for wheat adaptation. Nature 496, 91–95

·Wu et al.(2013)Regulation of FLOWERING LOCUS T by a microRNA in Brachypodium distachyon. Plant Cell 25(11):4363-77

·Liu et al. (2013) The SEPALLATA MADS-box protein SLMBP21 forms protein complexes with JOINTLESS and MACROCALYX as a transcription activator for tomato flower abscission zone development. Plant J 77(2):284-296

·Geng et al. (2013) TaCPK2-A, a calcium-dependent protein kinase that is required for wheat powdery mildew resistance enhances bacterial blight resistance in transgenic rice. J Exp Bot 64(11):3125-36

Academic memberships:

Associate Editor: Genomics, Proteomics, and Bioinformatics, The Crop Journal

Members: American Association for Advanced Sciences, American Plant Biologist Society, Chinese Society of Genetics, Chinese Society of Crop Science, Chinese Society of Cytogenetics.

Team Members: LIN Chen-tao, WANG Jian-kang, ZHAO Kai-jun, LI Hong-yu, LIU Bin, WANG Chun-lian, LI Ai-li, LI Hui-hui, ZHAO Tao, ZHANG Lu-yan, GENG Shuai-feng, YIN Chang-bin, ZHANG Sheng-rui.