Shuai Zhan

Personal Profile

2001-2005     Nanjing University (Bachelor)
2005-2010     Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, CAS (PhD)
2010-2014     University of Massachusetts Medical School (Postdoc)
2014-present  Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, SIBS, CAS (PI)

Research Work

We mainly use population genomics and comparative genomics approaches to characterize genetic bases underlying the diverse adaptive mechanisms (e.g. seasonal adaptation, adaption to host plants, changing host range, etc) and address how these mechanisms contribute to the rapid speciation of insects.

Main Achievements

 (1) We applied population genomics to study the genetic and evolutionary bases of seasonal migration in the monarch butterfly. We found that the monarch butterfly was ancestrally migratory and that a collagen IV gene uniquely confers the long migration ability of migratory butterflies.

　　

 (2) We sequenced 137 representative lines of silkworms across the globe and reconstructed the detailed history of the silkworm domestication. We also characterized key genes that potentially contributed to those changed traits along the domestication.

　　

 (3) We uncovered the population structures of invasive fall webworms and found that metabolism plasticity played an important role in allowing herbivores to rapidly adapt to novel ecosystem.

　　

 (4) We applied comparative genomics in parallel systems, i.e. the cockroach and the black soldierfly, to explore molecular secrets underlying how insects adapt to environments enriched with high load of pathogens. We found that the expansion of immune related gene families, particularly the TOLL pathway, might be associated with this respect.

　　

 (5) We developed and optimized omics analysis approaches and implement them in multiple insect study systems. Through broad collaboration, we have decoded genomes of many important insect species.

Publications

    (1) Zhang S, Shen S, Peng J, Zhou X, Kong X, Ren P, Liu F, Han L, Zhan S*, Huang Y*, Zhang A*, Zhang Z* (2020) Chromosome-level genome assembly of an important pine defoliator, Dendrolimus punctatus (Lepidoptera; Lasiocampidae). Mol Ecol Resour 20: 1023-1037.
    (2) Mei L#, Chen M#, Shang Y, Tang G, Ye Tao Y, Zeng L, Huang B, Li Z, Zhan S*, Wang C* (2020) Population genomics and evolution of a fungal pathogen after releasing exotic strains to control insect pests for 20 years. ISME J 14: 1422-1434.
    (3) Liu A#, Chen W#, Huang C, Qian C, Liang Y, Li S*, Zhan S*, Luan Y* (2020) MicroRNA evolution provides new evidence for a close relationship of Diplura to Insecta. Syst Entomol 45: 365–377.
    (4) Zhan S*#, Fang G#, Cai M#, Kou Z#, Xu J, Cao Y, Bai L, Zhang Y, Jiang Y, Luo X, Xu J, Xu X, Zheng L, Yu Z, Yang H, Zhang Z, Wang S, Tomberlin JK*, Zhang J*, Huang Y*. (2019) Genomic landscape and genetic manipulation of the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens, a natural waste recycler. Cell Res 30: 50-60.
    (5) Zhang T#, Yuan D#, Xie J, Lei Y, Li J, Fang G, Tian L, Liu J, Cui Y, Zhang M, Xiao Y, Xu Y, Zhang J, Zhu M, Zhan S*, Li S* (2019) Evolution of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway in animals. Mol Biol Evol 36: 2548–2556.
    (6) Wu N#, Zhang S#, Li X#, Cao Y, Liu X, Wang Q, Liu Q,Liu H, Hu X, Zhou X, James A？, Zhang Z*, Huang Y*, Zhan S* (2019) Fall webworm genomes yield insights into rapid adaptation of invasive species. Nat Ecol Evol 3: 105-115.
    (7) Quan Q, Hu X, Pan B, Zeng B, Wu N, Fang G, Cao Y, Chen X, Li X, Huang Y*, Zhan S* (2019) Draft genome of the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii. Insect Biochem Mol Biol 105: 25-32.
    (8) Wang#, Chen#, Yang Y, Xu J, Fang G, Niu C, Huang Y, Zhan S* (2018) The Masc gene product controls masculinization in the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon. Insect Sci 26: 1037-1044.
    (9) Xiang H#, Liu X#, Li M#, Zhu Y, Wang L, Cui Y, Liu L, Fang G, Qian H, Xu A*, Wang W*, Zhan S* (2018) The evolutionary road from wild moth to domestic silkworm. Nat Ecol Evol 2: 1268-1279.
    (10) Qiu C#, Zhang Y#, Fan Y#, Pang T, Su Y, Zhan S*, Xu Y* (2018) HITS-CLIP reveals sex-differential RNA binding and alterative splicing regulation of SRm160 in Drosophila. J Mol Cell Biol 11: 170-181.
    (11) Li S*#, Zhu S#, Jia Q#, Yuan D#, Ren C#, Li K, Liu S, Cui Y, Zhao H, Cao Y, Fang G, Li D, Zhao X, Zhang J, Yue Q, Fan Y, Yu X, Feng Q, Zhan S* (2018) The genomic and functional landscapes of developmental plasticity in the American cockroach. Nat Commun 9: 1008.
    (12) Zhan S*, Zhang W, Niitep？ld K, Hsu J, Haeger F, Zalucki MP, Altizer S, de Roode JC, Reppert SM, Kronforst MR* (2014) The genetics of monarch butterfly migration and warning coloration. Nature 514: 317-321.
    (13) Zhan S, Reppert SM* (2013) MonarchBase: the monarch butterfly genome database. Nucleic Acids Res 41: D758-D763.
    (14) Zhan S, Merlin C, Boore JL and Reppert SM^* (2011) The monarch butterfly genome yields insights into long-distance migration. Cell 147: 1171-1185.
    (15) Zhan S^#, Guo Q#, Li M, Li M, Li J, Miao X, Huang Y* (2010) Disruption of an N-acetyltransferase gene in the silkworm reveals a novel role in pigmentation. Development 137: 4083-4090.