Post Doctoral Associate

Department of Plant and Microbial Biology

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

present - 2016

• Elucidate hybrid vigor using multi-omics approach; data mining on functional gene regulations; elucidation of transcriptional regulatory differences underlying stress response; integrating multi-omics dataset for transcriptional network construction.
• Nathan M. Springer Lab

AgroInformatics Analyst

Department of Applied Economics

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

2016 - 2015

• Design and implement a generic database and user interface for storing genotyping, breeding and phenotyping information for soybean breeding programs.

Research Assistant

Department of Plant Pathology

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

2015 - 2009

• Medicago truncatula reference genome assembly, characterization of structural variation in the population, pan-genome construction

Ph.D. Plant Pathology & Bioinformatics

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

St. Paul US

2015 - 2009

• Thesis: Defense-related gene families in the model legume, Medicago truncatula: computational analysis, pan-genome characterization, and structural variation
• Advisor: Prof. Neivn D. Young

M.S. Forensic Medicine

Xi’an Jiaotong University

Xi’an CN

2009 - 2007

• Thesis: Dissection of Common Mitochondrial Haplogroups using Coding Region SNPs
• Advisor: Prof. Shengbin Li

B.E. Biological Engineering & Computer Science and Technology

Xi’an Jiaotong University

Xi’an CN

2007 - 2003

PLPA5001: Introductory Plant Pathology

Department of Plant Pathology

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

2012 - 2011

• Teach laboratory sessions, lead discussion sections, answer questions and grade examinations.

Cis-regulatory elements within TEs can influence expression of nearby maize genes

bioRxiv. 2020. p. 2020.05.20.107169.

N/A

2020

• Noshay JM, Marand AP, Anderson SN, Zhou P, Guerra MKM, Lu Z, et al

Stable unmethylated DNA demarcates expressed genes and their cis-regulatory space in plant genomes

bioRxiv. 2020. p. 2020.05.21.109744

N/A

• Crisp PA, Marand AA, Noshay JM, Zhou P, Lu Z, Schmitz RJ, et al

Widespread imprinting of transposable elements and young genes in the maize endosperm

bioRxiv. 2020. p. 2020.04.08.032573.

N/A

• Anderson SN, Zhou P, Higgins K, Brandvain Y, Springer NM

Meta Gene Regulatory Networks in Maize Highlight Functionally Relevant Regulatory Interactions

Plant Cell. 2020, 32: 1377-1396.

N/A

• Zhou P, Li Z, Magnusson E, Cano FAG, Crisp PA, Noshay J, Grotewold E, HirschC, Briggs SP, Springer NM
• Impact Factor = 9.618

Variation and Inheritance of Small RNAs in Maize Inbreds and F1 Hybrids

Plant Physiol. 2020, 182: 318-331.

N/A

• Crisp PA, Hammond R, Zhou P, Vaillancourt B, Lipzen A, Daum C, et al

Monitoring the interplay between transposable element families and DNA methylation in maize

PLoS Genet. 2019, 15: e1008291.

N/A

2019

• Noshay JM, Anderson SN, Zhou P, Ji L, Ricci W, Lu Z, et al

Transposable elements contribute to dynamic genome content in maize

Plant Journal. 2019, 100: 1052-1065.

N/A

• Anderson SN, Stitzer MC, Brohammer AB, Zhou P, Noshay JM, O’Connor CH, et al

Highly Genotype- and Tissue-specific Single-Parent Expression Drives Dynamic Gene Expression Complementation in Maize Hybrids

bioRxiv. 2019,. p. 668681.

N/A

• Li Z, Zhou P, Della Coletta R, Zhang T, Brohammer AB, Vaillancourt B, et al

Dynamic Patterns of Gene Expression Additivity and Regulatory Variation throughout Maize Development

Molecular Plant. 2019, 12: 410-425.

N/A

• Zhou P, Hirsch CN, Briggs SP, Springer NM
• Impact Factor = 12.084

Strategies for optimizing BioNano and Dovetail explored through a second reference quality assembly for the legume model

BMC Genomics. 2017, 18: 578.

N/A

2017

• Moll KM^*, Zhou P^*, Ramaraj T, Fajardo D, Devitt NP, Sadowsky MJ, et al

Exploring structural variation and gene family architecture with De Novo assemblies of 15 Medicago genomes

BMC Genomics. 2017, 18: 261.

N/A

• Zhou P, Silverstein KAT, Ramaraj T, Guhlin J, Denny R, Liu J, et al

Exploring structural variants in environmentally sensitive gene families

Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2016, 30: 19–24.

N/A

2016

• Young ND, Zhou P, Silverstein KA

Detecting small plant peptides using SPADA (Small Peptide Alignment Discovery Application)

BMC Bioinformatics. 2013, 14: 335.

N/A

2013

• Zhou P, Silverstein KA, Gao L, Walton JD, Nallu S, Guhlin J, et al

Whole-genome nucleotide diversity, recombination, and linkage disequilibrium in the model legume Medicago truncatula

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011, 108: E864-70.

N/A

2011

• Branca A, Paape TD, Zhou P, Briskine R, Farmer AD, Mudge J, et al

The Medicago genome provides insight into the evolution of rhizobial symbioses

Nature. 2011, 480: 520-524.

N/A

• Young ND, Debellé F, Oldroyd GED, … , Zhou P, …, et al
• ESI Highly Cited Paper

Reviewer for journals

N/A

N/A

• Plant Biotechnology Journal
• Plant Science
• The Plant Genome
• Plant Direct
• Crop Science

Meta gene regulatory networks in maize refine functionally relevant regulatory interactions

Plant and Animal Genome XXVIII Conference

San Diego, CA

2020

Exploring Functional Transcriptomics using Gene Regulatory Networks in Maize.

61^st Annual Maize Genetics Conference

St. Louis, MO

2019

Documenting the Manifestations of Heterosis in Co-expression Networks for Maize

Plant and Animal Genome XXVI Conference

San Diego, CA

2018

The Medicago Pan-Genome Reveals Large-scale Variation

Plant and Animal Genome XXII Conference

San Diego, CA

2014

Detecting secreted peptides in plants using SPADA (Secreted Peptide Alignment Discovery Algorithm)

Plant and Animal Genome XXI Conference

San Diego, CA

2013

Population-Scale Deep Sequencing Reveals Extensive Structural Variation in Medicago species

Minnesota Supercomputing Institute Research Exhibition

Minneapolis, MN

2011

Genome Distribution and Population Genetics of Nodule-Specific Cysteine-Rich (NCR) Peptides in Medicago

Plant and Animal Genome XIX Conference

San Diego, CA

A Medicago truncatula Hapmap as a Platform for Exploring the Genetics of Symbiosis

Plant and Animal Genome XVIII Conference

San Diego, CA

2010

Co-expression based Gene Regulatory Networks Predict Functional Interactions in Maize

N/A

China Agriculture University, Beijing

2019

Transcriptome Dynamics in Maize

N/A

Huazhong Agriculture University, Wuhan

Toward a Medicago Pan-genome: Assembling and Comparing Multiple Genomes

Medicago truncatula Workshop

Noble Research Institute, Ardmore

2016

Assembling and Comparing Multiple High-Quality Medicago Genomes

N/A

Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing