Dr. Qingmei Guan

　　Professor

　　qguan@nwsuaf.edu.cn

　　College of Horticulture

　　Northwest A&F University

　　3 Taicheng Rd.

　　Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100

　　Education

　　Ph.D in Plant Science from University of Maryland, USA. 2013

　　M.S. in Pomology from Northwest A&F University. 2005

　　B. S. in Pomology from Northwest A&F University. 2002

　　Professional Experience

　　2014-      Professor, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China

　　2013-2014  Research Associate, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

　　2009-2013  Research Assistant, Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

　　2005-2008  Assistant Lecturer, Lecturer, Department of Food and Biological Engineering, Bengbu College, Anhui, China.

　　Research Interests

　　1. Molecular mechanisms of plant responses to abiotic stress (extreme temperatures and drought stress)

　　Adverse effects caused by abiotic stresses including drought, salinity, cold and heat stress result in huge yield loss of crops worldwide. To survive in a fixed environment, plants have to adjust their metabolisms and developmental programs to adapt to environmental stress or acclimate to the transitory stress. The ultimate goal of this project is to understand the Molecular mechanisms of plant responses to abiotic stress. We are using genetic, biochemical, genomic, and physiological approaches to try to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of plant stress responses with Arabidopsis thaliana and apple trees as plant materials.

　　2. Molecular marker-assisted apple breeding at whole-genome level with stress- resistant traits.

　　Another focus of my research is on the area of plant breeding. Currently, we are investigating the genetics of abiotic stresses in apple trees, with emphasis on the use of molecular markers at whole-genome level. The goal of this project is to obtain new apple cultivars with abiotic stress-resistant traits.

　　Teaching

　　Plant Breeding

　　Selected Publications

　　Li, X., Kui, L., Zhang, J., Xie, Y., Wang, L., Yan, Y., Wang, N., Xu, J., Li, C., Wang, W., van Nocker, S., Dong, Y., Ma, F., and Guan, Q. (2016). Improved hybrid de novo genome assembly of domesticated apple (Malus x domestica). Gigascience. 5(1):35.

　　Guan, Q., Yue, X., Zeng, H., and Zhu, J. (2014). The protein phosphatase and its interacting partner NAC019 are required for heat stress-responsive gene regulation and thermotolerance in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 26(1):438-453.

　　Jeong, S.I., Fukudome, A., Aksoy, E., Bang, W.Y., Kim, S., Guan, Q., Bahk, J.D., May, A.K., Russell, W.K., Zhu, J., Koiwa, H. (2013). Regulation of Abiotic Stress Signaling by Arabidopsis C-terminal Domain Phosphatase-like 1 Requires Interaction with a K-homology Domain-containing Protein. PLoS ONE. 8(11):e80509.

　　Guan, Q., Wu, J., Yue, X., Zhang, Y., and Zhu, J. (2013). A nuclear calcium-sensing pathway is critical for gene regulation and salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis. PLoS Genetics. 9(8): e1003755.

　　Guan, Q., Wu, J., Zhang, Y., Jiang, C., Liu, R., Chai, C., and Zhu, J. (2013). A DEAD box RNA helicase is critical for pre-mRNA splicing, cold-responsive gene regulation, and cold tolerance in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 25: 342-356.

　　Guan, Q., Lu, X., Zeng, H., Zhang, Y., and Zhu, J. (2013). Heat stress induction of miR398 triggers a regulatory loop that is critical for thermotolerance in Arabidopsis. Plant Journal. 74: 840-851.

　　Guan, Q., Wen, C., Zeng, H., and Zhu, J. (2013). A KH domain-containing putative RNA-binding protein is critical for heat stress-responsive gene regulation and thermotolerance in Arabidopsis. Molecular Plant. 6: 386-395.

　　Lu, X., Guan, Q., and Zhu, J. (2013). Downregulation of CSD2 by a heat-inducible miR398 is required for thermotolerance in Arabidopsis. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 8(8). pii: e24952.

　　Li, W., Guan, Q. (co-first author), Wang, Z.-Y., Wang, Y., and Zhu, J. (2013). A bi-functional xyloglucan galactosyltransferase is an indispensable salt stress tolerance determinant in Arabidopsis. Molecular Plant. 6: 1344-1354.