Rui Zhou Plant Biology Division Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation 2510 Sam Noble Parkway Ardmore, OK  73401 USA Phone: (580)224-6640 E-mail: rzhou@noble.org

Current position
Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Richard Dixon’s Laboratory, studying lignin biosynthesis in Medicago truncatula and alfalfa with the goal of improving biofuel production. 

Research interests
Primary interest lies in plant cell wall biochemistry and genomics, specifically lignin and cellulose synthesis and regulation. Long term goals are to improve the bioenergy productivity of biofuel plants and forage digestibility through genetic manipulation of primary and secondary metabolic processes.

Education

Ph.D., Horticulture, May 2002, the University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 
Dissertation: Regulation of carbohydrate metabolism in apple mature leaves.
Advisor: Dr. Bruno Quebedeaux

Areas of Study:

• Plant Physiology: Photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism and source-sink interaction.
•  Plant biochemistry: Protein purification and Enzyme kinetics study

MSc., Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, July 1991, Shandong Agricultural University, Shandong, China

• Thesis: Study on the chloroplast DNA of higher plants.
  Advisor: Professor Bingsong Cheng

Areas of Study:

• Molecular Biology
• Plant biochemistry 

BSc., Horticulture, July 1986, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Jiangxi, China
 
Research Experience

• December 2006 to present: Postdoctoral Fellow, Plant Biology Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Oklahoma, USA 73401 
• March 2005 to December 2006: Research Associate, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Working on biochemical and molecular mechanisms of carbohydrate metabolism in apple plants
• March 2002 to March 2005: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Working on biochemical and molecular mechanisms of carbohydrate metabolism in apple plants
• August 1997 to March 2002: Research Assistant, Department of Natural Resource Sciences and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742. Studying enzymology and physiology of carbohydrate metabolism in apple leaves
• March 1997 to August 1997: Visiting Scientist. Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan 50250, ISRAEL. Conducting research on pathology of avocado fruits during posthavest storage
• July 1991 to February 1997: Lecturer in Plant Biochemistry at Shangdong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018 P.R. China. Working on photosynthetic metabolism in apple
• September 1986 to July 1988: Assistant Professor in Plant Biochemistry at Shangdong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong, 271018 P.R. China. Studying molecular biology of chloroplast DNA in higher plants

 Teaching Experience

• September 2003 and 2005: Lab sessions of Postharvest Biology of Horticultural Crops (HORT 425), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
• July 1991 to February 1997:  Lecturer in Plant Biochemistry at Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, Shandong 271018, P. R. China
• July 1988 to July 1991:  Assistant Lecturer in Plant Biochemistry at Shangdong Agricultural University, Taian, Shangdong 271018, P.R. China 

Laboratory Skills

• Enzyme measurement with UV-visible spectrophotometer and radioactive isotope
• Determination of metabolites including sugar-phosphates, sugars, antioxidants and amino acids with enzyme-coupled spectrophotometer and HPLC etc.
• Protein Purification (affinity, ion exchange chromatography and molecular sieve chromatography)
• Protein characterization (SDS-PAGE, Native-PAGE and Western blotting)
• RNA/DNA extraction from plant and bacterial sources
• Southern, Northern and Western Blotting
• Photosynthesis study with LI-COR 6200 and LI-COR 6400, PP system, and oxygen electrode.
• PCR and RT-PCR skills
• Construct making
• Transformation of higher plant
• Primer design for cloning and diagnostic PCR
• Growth and maintenance of greenhouse-grown maize, apple and Arabidopsis
• General tissue culture experience (sterile techniques and propagation)
• HPLC maintenance 

Peer-Reviewed Publications 

1. Zhou R, Cheng L and Dandekar AM (2006) Down-regulation of sorbitol dehydrogenase and up-regulation of sucrose synthase in shoot tips of the transgenic apple trees with decreased sorbitol synthesis. Journal Experimental Botany. 57: 3647-3657.
2.  Zhou R, Cheng L and Dandekar (2006) Antioxidant system is up-regulated in transgenic apple trees with decreased sorbitol synthesis (submitted).
3.  Zhou R, Cheng L (2005) Binding of 3-phosphoglycerate leads to both activation and stabilization of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from apple leaves. Functional Plant Biology 32 (9) 839-848.
4. Cheng L, Zhou R, Redeil E, Dandekar AM, Sharkey TD (2005)  Antisense suppression of sorbitol synthesis leads to an increase in starch synthesis without altering CO2 assimilation in source leaves of apple. Planta. 220: 767-776.
5.  Zhou R, Cheng L (2004) Biochemical characterization of cytosolic
   fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase from apple (Malus domestica) leaves. Plant Cell Physiology 45: 879-886.
6.  Zhou R, Sicher RC, Cheng L, Quebedeaux (2003) Regulation of apple leaf
   aldose-6-phosphate reductase activity by inorganic phosphate and divalent
   cations. Functional Plant Biology 30: 1037-1043.
7.  Zhou R, Cheng L, Wayne R (2003) Purification and characterization of sorbitol-6-phosphate phosphatase from mature apple leaves. Plant Science 165: 227-232. 
8.  Zhou R, Quebedeaux B (2003) Changes in photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism in mature apple leaves in response to whole plant source-sink manipulation. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 128: 113-119.
9. Zhou R, Sicher RC, Quebedeaux B (2002) Apple leaf sucrose-phosphate synthase is inhibited by sorbitol-6-phosphate. Functional Plant Biology 29: 569-574.
10.  Zhou R, Sicher RC, Quebedeaux B (2001) Diurnal changes in carbohydrate metabolism in mature apple leaves. Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 28: 1143-1150.
11.  Yakoby N, Zhou R, Kobiler I, Dinoor A, and Prusky D (2001) Development of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides REMI mutants as biocontrol agents against anthracnose disease in avocado fruits. Phytopathology 91: 143-148.
12.  Zhou R, Li H, Guo H, Shu H (1996) Diurnal regulation of carbon export from apple leaves. Acta Horticulturae Sinica 23 (2): 189-190.
13.  Zhou R, Yang HQ, Shu H (1996) Regulation of plant sink strength by abscisic acid. Plant Physiology Communications 32(3): 223-228.
14.  Zhou R, Xia N, Shu H (1995) Regulation of leaf photosynthesis by apple fruit. Acta Horticulturae Sinica 22(3): 293-294.
15. Yang HQ, Zhou R, Wang L (1995) The relationship between polyamines and fruit development in horticultural plants. Chinese Bulletin of Botany 12 (Supplement): 68-72.
16. Zhou R, Shu H (1993) Sorbitol and its metabolism in higher plants. Plant Physiology Communications 29(5): 384-390. 

Manuscripts in Preparation

1. Zhou R, Cheng L, Dandekar AM, Sharkey TD (2007) Biochemical mechanisms of up-regulation of starch synthesis in mature leaves of transgenic apple trees with a decreased capacity for sorbitol synthesis.
2.  Zhou R, Cheng L, Dandekar AM (2007) Reduced sorbitol synthesis leads to the changes in organic acid and nitrogen metabolism in apple leaves.
3. Zhou R, Cheng L (2007) Sorbitol-6-phosphate inhibits apple leaf fructose-1/6-bisphosphatase. 

Oral Presentations and Posters  

1. Zhou R (2006) The compensation for the reduced sorbitol synthesis in apple plants. Plant Biology Division, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK 73401.
2. Zhou R (2006) Compensatory mechanism of carbohydrate metabolism in apple plants with reduced sorbitol synthesis. Department of Horticulture, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
3. Zhou R, Cheng L, Dandeka A (2006) Mechanism of up-regulation of starch synthesis in mature leaves of transgenic apple trees with decreased sorbitol synthesis. HortScience 41(4) 1009.
4. Zhou R, Cheng L, Dandeka A (2006) Regulation of starch degradation in mature leaves of transgenic apple trees with decreased sorbitol synthesis. HortScience 41(4) 1009-1010.
5. Cheng L, Zhou R, Dandeka A (2006) Carbohydrate metabolism in source and sink tissues of transgenic apple with decreased sorbitol synthesis. HortScience 41(4) 931.
6.  Zhou R, Cheng L and Dandekar A (2004) Antisense inhibition of sorbitol synthesis leads to changes in the activity of the antioxidant system in apple leaves. HortScience 39 (5): 887-888.
7. Zhou R, Cheng L (2004) Regulatory properties of apple leaf cytosolic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. HortScience 39 (5): 761.
8.  Zhou R, Cheng L, Dandekar A (2003) Regulation of sorbitol dehydrogenase activity in apple young leaf tissues by sorbitol and sucrose. HortScience 38(5): 764.
9. Cheng L, Zhou R, Reidel E, Sharkey T, Dandekar A (2003) Antisense inhibition of sorbitol synthesis leads to up-regulation of starch synthesis without altering CO2 assimilation in apple leaves. HortiScience 38(5): 764.
10. Zhou R, Quebedeaux B (2001) Diurnal regulation of aldose-6-phosphate reductase and sucrose-phosphate synthase in apple source leaves.” HortScience 36(3):547.
11. Zhou R, Quebedeaux B (2000) Changes in carbohydrate metabolism in apple leaves in response to source-sink manipulation.  HortScience 35(3):419-420.
12. Quebedeaux B, Wang Z, Zhou R, Reddy VR (2000)  A model database for apple Growth, Phenology and Photosynthesis.  30th Crop Simulation Workshop. Speaker. (Program and Abstract).  Temple, Texas.  March 6-8, 2000.
13. Quebedeaux B, Wang Z, Zhou R, Reddy VR (1999)  A database for developing simulation models for apple growth and photosynthate partitioning. Proceedings of the 29th Annual Crop Simulation Workshop.  Biological Systems Simulation Group.  29:20. 

Reviewer

1. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science
2. Functional Plant Biology