Qian Shen   Associate Professor/Project Leader Department of Plant Science/Horticulture Email: qshen18@sjtu.edu.cn or shenqian212@hotmail.com Address: Room 0-407, Building A, School of Agriculture and Biology, SJTU

 

 

 

Education and Employment:

2020.06 – present

Associate Professor at the Department of Plant Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

2018.04 – 2019.05 

Visiting Scholar at Biotechnology Center at Cornell University, NY, USA.

2015.10 – 2020.06

Postdoctoral at Horticulture Research Station in SJTU, Shanghai, China

2009.09 – 2015.09

Ph.D., School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.

2005.09 – 2009.06

B.Sc., School of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Zhejiang, China.

 

 

 

Research Interests：

1. Plant synthetic biology and transcriptional regulation of plant natural products 

Plant synthetic biology is a new interdisciplinary field that involves the application of engineering principles to plant biology toward the redesign plant production. By integrating multidisciplinary techniques such as biology, biochemistry, engineering, and mathematical modeling, plant synthetic biology aims to harness the power of nature to solve problems in medicine, manufacturing, and agriculture. In recent years, synthetic biology has gradually shifted from the study of single-cell biological components and circuits to multicellular complex systems. This emerging field should play an important role in future agriculture for traditional crop improvement.

Our group intends to comprehensively use multiple biotechnologies and methods to improve the chassis of plant synthetic biology and its application. We’ll research on mining and design the elements for natural product production; modules assembling and reconstruction of metabolic pathways, transcriptional regulation of natural products, etc. Finally, to improve the biosynthesis efficiency of the high value-added natural products in plants.

 

2. Plant trichome development

The plant trichomes that often cover the plant body that differentiate from epidermal cells. Trichomes may be either unicellular or multicellular and are either glandular or non-glandular. Recent studies suggest that trichomes serve a number of functions important to the plant. Trichomes are the cell factory producing and storing abundant plant specialized metabolites. These metabolites are involved in plant adaptation to its environment and many of them have remarkable properties such as fragrance, flavor, and pharmaceuticals. Meanwhile, trichomes increase the reflection of solar radiation, thereby reducing internal temperatures. Recently, our group together with our collaborators at Cornell found that trichomes may influence tomato fruit quality traits. We are trying to develop an understanding of the mechanisms by which trichomes are formed, which in turn will inspire strategies to alter their abundance through breeding or biotechnological approaches and substantially improve the fruit quality traits.

 

 

 

Research Funding:

1. National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China, Grant No. 31600231, “The research on regulation mechanism of methyl jasmonate-responsive bHLH transcription factors involved in artemisinin biosynthesis”. 01/2017- 12/2019

2. First-Class General Financial Grant from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Grant No. 2016M590356, “The regulation mechanism of artemisinin biosynthesis by MYC transcription factor family”. 05/2016- 09/2019

3. Major National Science and Technology Program of China for Innovative Drug, Grant No. 2017ZX09101002-003-002 (Participate), 01/2017-12/2020.

4. National High-Tech R&D Program of China (863 Program), Grant No. 2011AA100605 (Participate), 01/2011-12/2016

5. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation，Grant No.: OPP1199872 (Participate), “Identification and functional characterization of putative enzymes involved in the artemisinin biosynthesis from Artemisia annua”. 09/2018-12/2019

 

 

 

Honors & Awards:

2019  Young Scientists Outstanding Paper of Chinese Society of Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology

2015  Outstanding Graduates Awards of Shanghai Jiao Tong University

2014  Shanghai Science and Technology Invention Second Award (Ranking 7)

 

 

 

Selected Publications: (* co-first authors, # corresponding author)

1. Hassani, D., Fu, X., Shen, Q., Khalid, M., Rose, J.K.C., and Tang, K#. (2020). Parallel Transcriptional Regulation of Artemisinin and Flavonoid Biosynthesis. Trends in Plant Science 25, 466-476.
2. Shen Q, Huang H, Zhao Y, Xie L, He Q, Zhong Y, Wang Y, Wang Y, Tang k#. (2019). The transcription factor AabZIP9 positively regulates the biosynthesis of artemisinin in Artemisia annua. Frontiers in Plant Science 10:1294.
3. Lv Z, Guo Z, Zhang L, Zhang F, Jiang W, Shen Q, Fu X, Yan T, Shi P, Hao X, et al. (2019). Interaction of AaTGA6 with salicylic acid signaling modulates artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua. Journal of Experimental Botany 70(15):3969-3979.
4. Kayani S, Shen Q, Ma Y, Fu X, Xie L, Zhong Y, Chen T, Pan Q, Li L, Rahman S, et al. (2019). The YABBY family transcription factor AaYABBY5 directly targets cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP71AV1) and double bond reductase 2 (DBR2) involved in artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua. Frontiers in Plant Science 10: 1084.
5. Shen Q*, Zhang L*, Liao Z*, Wang S, Yan T, Shi P, et al. (2018). The genome of Artemisia annua provides insight into the evolution of Asteraceae family and artemisinin biosynthesis. Molecular Plant 11(6): 776-788. (ESI, Highly Cited Paper)
6. Ma Y, Xu D, Li L, Zhang F, Fu X, Shen Q, Lyu, Wu Z, Pan Q, Shi P et al. (2018) Jasmonate promotes artemisinin biosynthesis by activating the TCP14-ORA complex in Artemisia annua. Science Advances 2018, 4(11):eaas9357.
7. Shi P, Fu X, Shen Q, Liu M, Pan Q, Tang Y, Jiang W, Lv Z, Yan T, Ma Y, et al. (2017). The roles of AaMIXTA1 in regulating the initiation of glandular trichomes and cuticle biosynthesis in Artemisia annua. New Phytologist 217(1): 261-276.
8. Yan T, Chen M, Shen Q, Li L, Fu X, Pan Q, Tang Y, Shi P, Lv Z, Jiang W, et al. (2017). HOMEODOMAIN PROTEIN 1 is required for jasmonate‐mediated glandular trichome initiation in Artemisia annua. New Phytologist 213(3): 1145-1155.
9. Chen M, Yan T, Shen Q, Lu X, Pan Q, Huang Y, Tang Y, Fu X, Liu M, Jiang W, et al. (2017). GLANDULAR TRICHOME-SPECIFIC WRKY 1 promotes artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua. New Phytologist 214(1): 304-316.
10. Shen Q*, Lu X*, Yan T, Fu X, Lv Z, Zhang F, Pan Q, Wang G, Sun X, Tang K#. (2016). The jasmonate-responsive AaMYC2 transcription factor positively regulates artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua. New Phytologist 210(4): 1269-1281. (ESI, Highly Cited Paper）
11. Shen Q, Yan T, Fu X, Tang K#. (2016). Transcriptional regulation of artemisinin biosynthesis in Artemisia annua L. Science Bulletin 61(1): 18-25. (Cover Paper)
12. Tang K#, Shen Q, Lu X, Zhang F. (2016). Improving artemisinin content in Artemisia annua by transcription factor regulation. Pushing the boundaries of scientific research: 120 years of addressing global issues (Science/AAAS, Washington, DC, 2016) This is a sponsored supplement. Science 351(6278): p.48-51.

 

 

 

Selected Authorized Patents:

1. China Patent: Artemisia annua L. bHLH class transcription factor coding sequence and cloning method and application; Inventors: Tang Kexuan, Shen Qian, Zhao Yu, Zhang Tingting, Sun Xiaofeng; Date of Patent: 2020.03.06，Patent No：ZL 201610680590.6
2. China Patent: Artemisia annua L. WRKY class transcription factor coding sequence and cloning method and application; Inventors: Tang Kexuan, Shen Qian, Wang Lei, Jiang Weimin, Hao Xiaolong, Li Ling; Date of Patent: 2020.02.07，Patent No：ZL 201610682275.7
3. China Patent: Artemisia annua L. bHLH class transcription factor coding sequence and cloning method and application; Inventors: Tang Kexuan, Shen Qian, Zhao Yu, Wang Yuliang; Date of Patent: 2020.02.07，Patent No：ZL 201610680603.X
4. China Patent: Artemisia annua L. bZIP class transcription factor coding sequence and cloning method and application; Inventors: Tang Kexuan, Shen Qian, Zhao Yu, Fu Xueqing, Shi Pu, Liu Meng; Date of Patent: 2019.09.04，Patent No：ZL 201610680579.X,
5. China Patent: Artemisia annua L. bZIP class transcription factor coding sequence and cloning method and application; Inventors: Tang Kexuan, Shen Qian, Huang Huayi, Yan Tingxiang, Chen Minghui, He Qian; Date of Patent: 2019.09.04，Patent No: ZL 201610682249.4
6. China Patent: Artemisia annua L. bZIP class transcription factor coding sequence and cloning method and application; Inventors: Tang Kexuan, Shen Qian, Ma Yanan, Lv Zongyou, Pan Qifang, Tang Yueli; Date of Patent: 2019.12.10，Patent No: ZL 201610680529.1
7. China Patent: Method for increasing artemisinin content in Artemisia annua by DBR2 (double bond reductase 2) gene overexpression, Inventors: Tang Kexuan, Shen Qian, Chen Yunfei, Wang Tao, Wu Shaoyan, Lu Xu, Date of Patent: 2015.07.08, Patent No: ZL 201210014227.2
8. China Patent: Promoter for regulating and controlling gene expression in non-glandular trichomes and its application, Inventors: Tang Kexuan, Chen Qiao, Shen Qian, Fu Xuqing, Shi Pu, Sun Xiaofen, Yan Tingxiang, Date of Patent: 2017.12.29, Patent No: ZL 201510727603.6
9. China Patent: Artemisia annua MYC2 transcription factor protein coding sequence and applications thereof, Inventors: Tang Kexuan, Shen Qian, Lu Xu, Fu Xuqing, Yan Tingxiang, Sun Xiaofen, Wang Guofeng, Date of Patent: 2015.09.30, Patent No: ZL 201310413155.3
10. China Patent: Promoter for regulating and controlling gene expression in non-glandular trichomes and its application, Inventors: Tang Kexuan, Chen Qiao, Shen Qian, Fu Xuqing, Shi Pu, Sun Xiaofen, Yan Tingxiang, Date of Patent: 2017.11.10, Patent No: ZL 201510729014.1

 

 

 

Personal profile website:

Researchgate:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Qian_Shen2

Google Scholar:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=l7KtJdwAAAAJ&hl=en