Education
- PhD, UBC, in Canada (2010/01 - present)
- MSc, Nanjing Agricultural University, in China (2006/09 - 2008/12)
- BSc, Jilin Agricultural University, in China (2002/09 - 2006/07)
Research
For my PhD program, co-suprevised by Dr. Lacey Samuels in Botany and Dr. Shawn Mansfield in the Department of Wood Science in Forestry, I will elucidate the role of arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) in secondary cell wall biosynthesis. It is an interesting project. AGPs are currently divided into two classes depending upon their core protein: ‘classical’ and ‘nonclassical’ AGPs. Classical AGPs are defined by the core protein and contain Hyp, Ala, Ser, Thr and Gly as the major amino acid constituents, whereas nonclassical AGPs have their carbohydrate moieties attached to core proteins which are different from the classical ones in any number of ways. AGPs may have roles in secondary cell wall initiation and lignification, acting as matrices for the orderly addition of nascent wall precursors to the growing wall matrix. AGPs are also thought to be involved in cell expansion. They may also play a role in programmed cell death, cell adhesion and signalling pathways through glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchors.
For my Master program, my research project was ferritin genes expression patterns in pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai.) and apple micrografts, the scion is the transgenic Malus domestica Borkh, the stock is the genetic transformation of Malus robusta Rhed. with rolC. All of them are cultivated by tissue culture. Ferritins are iron-storage proteins involved in the regulation of free iron levels in the cells. Abiotic stress could affect the expression of ferritins and is crucial for developing any transgenic strategy. I learned different ferritin genes expression pattern in pear and micrografting apple. Also, I had studied in depth on the establishment of in vitro and the plant regeneration system of capsicum, in order to establish and increase a high rate of regeneration systems for improving transgenic efficiency.
Funding
China Scholarship Council, and NSERC Working on Walls (WoW) grant.
Other Interests
- Growing flowers
- Reading and writing essays
- Light music
- Cooking
- Knitting
- Walking
