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United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Grape Genetics Research Unit Plant Genetic Resources Unit
Cornell AgriTech New York State Agricultural Experiment Station Cornell University
630W. North Street Geneva, New York 14456 Voice: (315)787.2482, Fax: (315)787.2339 Ganyuan.Zhong@ars.usda.gov
Overview
I serve as Research Leader for the USDA-ARS Grape Genetics Research Unit (GGRU) and Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU) at the AgriTech of Cornell University, Geneva, NY. As a Research Geneticist, I conduct research for improving grapevine fruit quality, plant architecture, and breeding processes. One recent focus is to develop and use non-transgenic genome editing tools for grapevine fruit trait improvement.
Education
B.S. Agronomy, Jiangsu Agricultural College, China
M.S. Plant Genetics and Breeding, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China
Ph.D. Genetics, University of California, Davis
Professional Experience
Supervisory Research Geneticist/Research Leader, 2007-Present, USDA-ARS GGRU, Geneva, NY
Supervisory Research Geneticist/Research Leader, 2010-Present, USDA-ARS PGRU, Geneva, NY
Scientist/Senior Research Scientist, 1995-2007 , Research and Product Development, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., A DuPont Business, Des Moines, IA
Postdoctoral Research Associate, 1991-1995, Department of Agronomy, University of California, Davis, CA
Issued patents
James Wayne Bing, Robert F. Cressman, Jr., Manju Gupta, Salim M. Hakimi, David Hondred, Todd L. Krone, Mary Hartnett Locke, Abigail K. Luckring, Sandra E. Meyer, Daniel Moellenbeck, Kenneth Edwin Narva. Paul D. Olson, Craig D. Sanders, Jimei Wang, Jian Zhang, Gan-Yuan Zhong. Corn event DAS-59122-7 and methods for detection thereof. Many US and international patents have been received for this invention, including US 7323556 ( January 29, 2008), US 7695914 and US 7696341 (April 13, 2010), US7875429 and US7875430 (January 25, 2011), AU2005292090 B2 (Februarys 3, 2011), US78888023 and US78888495 (February 15, 2011), US7897342 (March 1, 2011), US7932033 (April 26, 2011), US7956246 (June 7, 2011), UA97088 C2 (January 10, 2012), US RE43373 (May 8, 2012), CA 2588243C (June 11, 2013), EP1794308 B1 (August 28, 2013), TW1414236B (November 11, 2013), US8592653 (November 26, 2013), and US8952223 (February 10, 2015).
William B. Allen, Bo Shen, Mitchell C. Tarczynski, Mark E. Williams, Peizhong Zheng, Gan-Yuan Zhong. Compositions related to the quantitative trait locus 6 (QTL6) in maize and methods of use. Four US and international patents have been received for this invention, including US 7812216 (October 12, 2010), EP 1991047 B1 (September 26, 2013), AU2007220007 B2 (February 2, 2013), and AU2007223426 B2 (May 9, 2013).
Timothy K. Chicoine, Jeffery W. Derry, Christine B. Hazel, Donglong Liu, Billy Fred McCutchen, Wayne J. Mehre, Kenneth A. Peeples, David W. Saunders, Gan-Yuan Zhong. Maize event DP- 098140-6 and compositions and methods for the identification and/or detection thereof. Two US and international patents have been received for this invention: US 7928296 (April 19, 2011) and ZA 200901955 A (August 25, 2010).
William B. Allen, Bo Shen, Mitchell C. Tarczynski, Mark E. Williams, Peizhong Zheng, Gan-Yuan Zhong. Identifying a high oil phenotype in maize by detecting a marker locus genetically linked with a QTL6 region. US 7981677. Issued on July 19, 2011.
William B. Allen, Bo Shen, Mitchell C. Tarczynski, Mark E. Williams, Peizhong Zheng, Gan-Yuan Zhong. Method of identifying maize plants having increased oil content using quantitative trait locus 6 (QTL6). US 8084208. Issued on December 27, 2011.
William B. Allen, Bo Shen, Mitchell C. Tarczynski, Mark E. Williams, Peizhong Zheng, Gan-Yuan Zhong. Producing maize plants having a high oil phenotype using a marker locus genetically linked with a QTL6 region. US 9137957. Issued on September 22, 2015.
William B. Allen, Bo Shen, Mitchell C. Tarczynski, Mark E. Williams, Peizhong Zheng, Gan-Yuan Zhong. Compositions and polyeptides related to type 1 diacylgycerol O-acyltransferase (DGAT). US 8748576. Issued on June 10, 2014.
William B. Allen, Bo Shen, Mitchell C. Tarczynski, Mark E. Williams, Peizhong Zheng, Gan-Yuan Zhong. Methods of producing maize plants having a high oil phenotype by detecting a marker locus genetically linked with a QTL6 region.= US 8319010. Issued on November 27, 2012.
Joan T. Odell, Rebecca E. Cahoon, Karlene H. Butler, Jimei Wang, Gan-Yuan Zhong. Plant RNA-directed RNA polymerase proteins. US 7060813. Issued on June 13, 2006.
Scott E. Nichols, Kanwarpal S. Dhugga, George W. Singletary, Court A. Saunders, Derrick Witcher, Wesley B. Bruce, Lynne E. Sims, Guihua Lu, Gan-Yuan Zhong. Plant uridine diphosphate-glucose dehydrogenase genes, proteins, and uses thereof. US 6399859. Issued on June 4, 2002.
(Clicking on the reprint icon will take you to the publication reprint.)
Ectopic enhancer–enhancer interactions as causal forces driving RNA-directed DNA methylation in gene regulatory regions-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Yang, Y., Liu, J., Singer, S., Yan, G., Bennett Jr, D.R., Liu, Y., Wang, X., Hilly, J., Xu, W., Yang, Y., Zhong, G., Liu, Z., An, Y., Liu, H., Liu, Z. 2024. Ectopic enhancer–enhancer interactions as causal forces driving RNA-directed DNA methylation in gene regulatory regions. Plant Biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14435.
Editing VvDXS1 for creation of muscat flavor in Vitis vinifera cv. Scarlet Royal-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Yang, Y., Wheatley, M.S., Meakem, V.M., Galarneau, E.R., Gutierrez, B.L., Zhong, G. 2024. Editing VvDXS1 for creation of muscat flavor in Vitis vinifera cv. Scarlet Royal. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.14290.
CRISPR Cas9- and Cas12a-mediated gusA editing in transgenic blueberry-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Han, X., Yang, Y., Han, X., Ryner, J.T., Ahmed, E.A., Qi, Y., Zhong, G., Song, G. 2021. CRISPR Cas9- and Cas12a-mediated gusA editing in transgenic blueberry. Frontiers in Plant Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-021-02177-1.
Phenotypic evaluation of fire blight outbreak in the USDA Malus collection-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Dougherty, L.E., Wallis, A., Cox, K., Zhong, G., Gutierrez, B.L. 2021. Phenotypic evaluation of fire blight outbreak in the USDA Malus collection. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11010144.
The genome of Shanputao (Vitis amurensis) provides a new insight into cold tolerance of grapevine-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Wang, Y., Xin, H., Fan, P., Zhang, J., Liu, Y., Dong, Y., Wang, Z., Yang, Y., Zhang, Q., Ming, R., Zhong, G., Li, S., Liang, Z. 2020. The genome of Shanputao (Vitis amurensis) provides a new insight into cold tolerance of grapevine. Plant Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.15127.
Genomic consequences of apple improvement-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Migicovsky, Z., Gardner, K., Richards, C.M., Chao, T., Schwaninger, H., Fazio, G., Zhong, G., Myles, S. 2021. Genomic consequences of apple improvement. Horticulture Research. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-020-00441-7.
VcFT-induced mobile florigenic signals in transgenic and transgrafted blueberries-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Song, G., Walworth, A., Lin, T., Chen, Q., Han, X., Zaharia, L., Zhong, G. 2019. VcFT-induced mobile florigenic signals in transgenic and transgrafted blueberries. Horticulture Research. 6(105). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-019-0188-5.
VcRR2 regulates chilling-mediated flowering through expression of hormone genes in a trangenic blue berry mutant-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Lin, T., Walworth, A., Zong, X., Danial, G., Tomaszewski, E., Callow, P., Han, X., Zaharia, L., Edger, P., Zhong, G., Song, G. 2019. VcRR2 regulates chilling-mediated flowering through expression of hormone genes in a trangenic blue berry mutant. Horticulture Research. (2019) 6:96. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41438-019-0180-0.
Constitutive expression of an apple gene promotes flowering in transgenic blueberry under nonchilling conditions-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Zong, X., Zhang, Y., Walworth, A., Tomaszewski, E.M., Callow, P., Zhong, G., Song, G. 2019. Constitutive expression of an apple FLC3-like gene promotes flowering in transgenic blueberry under nonchilling conditions. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 20(11):2775. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20112775.
Patterns of genomic and phenomic diversity in wine and table grapes-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Migicovsky, Z., Sawler, J., Gardner, K., Aradhya, M.K., Prins, B.H., Schwaninger, H.R., Bustamente, C., Buckler, E.S., Zhong, G., Brown, P., Myles, S. 2017. Patterns of genomic and phenomic diversity in wine and table grapes. Horticulture Research. 4:17035. doi: 10.1038/hortres.2017.35.
Towards the elucidation of the cytoplasmic diversity of North American Grape Breeding Programs-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Fresnedo-Ramirez, J., Sun, Q., Hwang, C., Ledbetter, C.A., Ramming, D.W., Fennell, A., Walker, A., Luby, J., Clark, M., Londo, J.P., Cadle Davidson, L.E., Zhong, G., Reisch, B. 2016. Towards the elucidation of the cytoplasmic diversity of North American Grape Breeding Programs. Molecular Breeding. 36:116.
Genome to phenome mapping in apple using historical data-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Migicovsky, Z., Gardner, K., Money, D., Sawler, J., Bloom, J., Moffett, P., Chao, C.T., Schwaninger, H.R., Fazio, G., Zhong, G., Myles, S. 2016. Genome to phenome mapping in apple using historical data. The Plant Genome. 9(2). doi: 10.3835/plantgenome2015.11.0113.
The vulnerability of US apple (Malus) genetic resources-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Volk, G.M., Chao, C.T., Norelli, J.L., Brown, S.K., Fazio, G., Peace, C., McFerson, J., Zhong, G., Bretting, P.K. 2015. The vulnerability of US apple (Malus) genetic resources. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution. 62(5):765-794. doi:10.1007/s10722-014-0194-2.
Genome-wide survey of genetic diversity of apple using genotyping-by-sequencing-(Abstract Only) Gardner, K., Schwaninger, H.R., Dann, S., Baldo, A.M., Chao, C.T., Fazio, G., Volk, G.M., Richards, C.M., Zhong, G., Myles, S. 2013. Genome-wide survey of genetic diversity of apple using genotyping-by-sequencing [abstract]. Annual International Plant & Animal Genome Conference. W248.
Rapid genomic characterization of the genus Vitis-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Myles, S., Chia, J., Hurwitz, B., Simon, C.J., Zhong, G., Buckler IV, E.S., Ware, D. 2010. Rapid genomic characterization of the genus Vitis. PLoS One. 5(1):e8219.
A phenylalanine in DGAT is a key determinant of oil content and composition in maize-(Peer Reviewed Journal) Zheng, P., Allen, W., Roesler, K., Williams, M., Zhang, S., Li, J., Glassman, K., Ranch, J., Nubel, D., Solawetz, W., Bhattramakki, D., Llaca, V., Deschamps, S., Zhong, G., Tarczynski, M., Shen, B. 2008. A phenylalanine in DGAT is a key determinant of oil content and composition in maize. Nature Genetics. 40:367-372.
NOVEMBER 2, 2020| THE FABLED SILK ROAD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE OF OUR FAVORITE AND MOST VALUABLE FRUITS: THE DOMESTICATED APPLE. RESEARCHERS HAVE NOW ASSEMBLED COMPLETE REFERENCE GENOMES AND PAN-GENOMES FOR APPLE AND ITS TWO MAIN WILD PROGENITORS, PROVIDING DETAILED GENETIC INSIGHTS INTO APPLE DOMESTICATION AND IMPORTANT FRUIT TRAITS THAT COULD HELP PLANT BREEDERS IMPROVE THE CROP'S FLAVOR, TEXTURE, AND RESISTANCE TO STRESS AND DISEASE.
*Goes to Non-Federal Site
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