Research Program                                   

The research in Dr. Zhang’s lab focus on three related fields: molecular genetics, toxicology, and biotechnology.

1. Molecular Genetics:
My lab is using model species [Zebrafish (Danio rerio), Caenorhabditis elegans, and Arabidopsis] and important crops (cotton, soybean, maize) to study the microRNA-mediated gene regulation and its function in organism growth, development, and response to stressors.  Multiple computational and experimental approaches, including microarray, qRT-PCR, genetic, genomic, and biochemical methods will be employed. Recent studies have demonstrated that more than 30% of protein-coding genes are targeted by microRNAs (miRNAs), signal-strand small RNAs with 20-25 nucleotides. miRNAs regulate multiple biological and metabolic processes, including development and growth, cell signaling, diseases, and cancers. Currently, miRNAs have become one of the most important gene regulators. We are also interested in microRNA-mediated gene expression in breast cancer.

2. Toxicology:
Environmental pollution is a global issue, which can cause numerous diseases in humans and wildlife, including cancers. My lab will focus on the toxicity and effects of several groups of traditional and emerging pollutants, such as nanomaterials, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, explosives, and pesticides. The development of novel biomarkers for rapidly assessing the exposure and health effects of these environmental pollutants would be an important outcome of toxicological study. My lab is also interested in investigating the molecular mechanisms of toxicant/toxin-induced cancers and their chemoprevention using natural products, such as green tea.

3. Biotechnology:
My lab will focus on creating new transgenic organisms for producing drugs, biofuels, modifying resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors, and improving crop yield and quality. We are also interested in the biosafety and risk assessment of genetically modified foods.

Courses Taught

BIOL 5900, 5901. Biotechniques and Lab (For Spring Semester).

BIOL 3550, 4550. Plant Biotechnology (For Fall Semester).

Recent Publications

1.    Qiu DY, Pan XP, Wilson IW, Li F, Liu M, Teng W, Zhang BH. (2009). High throughput sequencing technology reveals that the taxoid elicitor methyl jasmonate regulates microRNA expression in Chinese yew (Taxus chinensis). Gene (In press).

2.    Zhang BH, Pan XP (2009) RDX induces aberrant expression of microRNAs in mouse brain and liver. Environmental Health Perspectives 117 (2): 231-240.

3.    Zhang BH, Pan XP, Stellwag EJ (2008) Identification of soybean microRNAs and their targets. Planta 229 (1): 161-182.

4.    Zhang BH, Farwell MA. (2008) microRNAs: a new emerging class of players for disease diagnostics and gene therapy. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine12(1): 3-21.

5.    Zhang BH, Pan XP, Venne L, Dunnum S, McMurry ST, Cobb GP & Anderson TA (2008) Development of a method for the determination of 9 currently used cotton pesticides by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Talanta 75(4): 1055-1060.

6.    Zhang BH, Cox SB, McMurry ST, Jackson WA, Cobb GP & Anderson TA (2008) Reproduction toxicity of RDX metabolites N-nitroso compounds in earthworms. Environmental Pollution 153(3): 658-667.

7.    Venne LS, Anderson TA, Zhang BH, Smith LM & McMurry ST (2008) Organochlorine pesticide concentrations in sediment and amphibian tissue in playa wetlands in the Southern High Plains, USA. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 80(6): 497-501.

8.    Zhang BH, Wang QL, Wang KB, Pan XP, Liu F, Guo TL, Cobb GP & Anderson TA. (2007) Identification of cotton microRNAs and their targets. Gene 397(1-2): 26-37. (The 2^nd HOTTEST article during July to September, 2007; TOP25 Hottest Articles during October 2007 to September, 2008)

9.    Pan XP, Zhang BH, San Francisco M & Cobb GP (2007) Characterizing viral microRNAs and its application on identifying new microRNAs in viruses. Journal of Cellular Physiology 211(1): 10-18.

10.Zhang BH, Pan XP, Cobb GP & Anderson TA. (2007) MicroRNAs as oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Developmental Biology 302(1): 1-12. (The HOTTEST article during July to September, 2006, October to December, 2006, January to March, 2007, April to June, 2007, and July to September, 2007, October to December, 2007, January to March, 2008, April to June, 2008, and July to September, 2008)

11.Zhang BH, Wang QL & Pan XP. (2007) MicroRNAs and their regulatory roles in animals and plants. Journal of Cellular Physiology 210(2): 279-289.

12.Zhang BH, Pan XP, Smith JN, Anderson TA, and Cobb GP (2007) Extraction and determination of trace amounts of energetic compounds in blood by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC/ECD). Talanta 72(2): 612-619.

13.Pan XP, San Francisco M, Lee C, Ochoa KM, Xu XZ, Liu J, Zhang BH, Cox SB, and Cobb GP.  (2007) Examination of the mutagenicity of RDX and its N-nitroso metabolites using the Salmonella reverse mutation assay. Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis 629(1): 64-69.

14.Pan XP, Zhang BH, Smith JN, SanFrancisco M, Anderson TA, and Cobb GP (2007) Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) transformation to N-nitroso compounds in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). Chemosphere 67(6): 1164-1170.

15.Zhang BH, Pan XP, Wang QL, Cobb GP & Anderson TA. (2006) Computational identification of microRNAs and their targets. Computational Biology and Chemistry 30 (6): 395-407. (The HOTTEST article during October to December, 2006, January to March, 2007, April to June, 2007, and July to September, 2007 October to December, 2007, January to March, 2008; 2^nd hottest article during April to June, 2008, and July to September, 2008)

16.Zhang BH, Pan XP & Anderson TA. (2006) MicroRNA: a new player in stem cells. Journal of Cellular Physiology 209(2): 266-269.

17.Zhang BH, Pan XP & Anderson TA. (2006) Identification of 188 conserved maize microRNAs and their targets. FEBS Letters 580 (15): 3753-3762. (“TOP25 Hottest Articles during July to September, 2006)

18.Zhang BH, Pan XP, Cox SB, Cobb GP & Anderson TA. (2006) Evidence that miRNAs are different from other RNAs. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences(CMLS) 63(2):246-254. (TOP1 Most Downloaded Article, March 31, 2006; January 1 to February 26, 2007)

19.Zhang BH, Pan XP, Cannon C, Cobb GP & Anderson TA. (2006) Conservation and divergence of plant microRNA genes. The Plant Journal 46 (2): 243-259. (The top 20 most popular articles)

20.Zhang BH, Pan XP, Cobb GP & Anderson TA. (2006) Plant microRNA: a small regulatory molecule with big impact. Developmental Biology 289: 3-16. (“TOP25 Hottest Articles” downloaded during October-December, 2005 and ranked the HOTTEST article during January to March, 2006)

21.Zhang BH, Freitag C, Cañas JE, Cheng QQ & Anderson TA. (2006) Effects of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) metabolites on cricket (Acheta domesticus) survival and reproductive success. Environmental Pollution 144(2): 540-544.

22.Pan XP, Zhang BH, Tian K, Jones LE, Liu J, Anderson TA, Wang JS, Cobb GP (2006) Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry analysis of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX). Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 20: 2222-2226.

23.Zhang BH, Kendall RJ & Anderson TA. (2006) Toxicity of the explosive metabolites hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitroso-1,3,5-triazine (TNX) and hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine (MNX) to the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Chemosphere64(1): 86-95.

24.Zhang BH, Smith PN & Anderson TA (2006) Evaluating the bioavailability of explosive metabolites, hexahydro-1-nitroso-3,5-dinitro-1,3,5-triazine (MNX) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitroso-1,3,5-triazine (TNX), in soils using passive sampling devices. Journal of Chromatography A1101: 38-45.

25.Pan XP, Zhang BH, Cox SB, Anderson TA & Cobb GP. (2006) Determination of N-nitroso derivatives of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) in soils by pressurized liquid extraction and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Journal of Chromatography A1107: 2-8.

26.Landrum M, Cañas JE, Coimbatore G, Cobb GP, Jackson WA, Zhang BH & Anderson TA (2006) Effects of perchlorate on earthworm (Eisenia fetida) survival and reproductive success. The Science of the Total Environment 363: 237-244.

27.Presley SM, Rainwater TR, Austin GP, Platt SG, Zak JC, Cobb G.P, Marsland EJ, Tian K,  Zhang BH, Anderson TA, Cox SB, Abel MT, Leftwich BD, Huddleston J, Jeter R, and Kendall RJ. (2006) Assessment of pathogens and toxicants in New Orleans, LA following hurricane Katrina. Environmental Science and Technology 40(2): 468-474.

28.Zhang BH, Pan XP, Wang QL, Cobb GP & Anderson TA (2005) Identification and characterization of new plant microRNAs using EST analysis. Cell Research 15(5): 336-360 

29.Zhang BH, Pan XP, Cobb GP & Anderson TA (2005) Use of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) /gas chromatography-electron capture detection (GC-ECD) for the determination of biodegradation intermediates of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) in soils. Journal of Chromatography B 824:277-282.

30.Pan XP, Zhang BH & Cobb GP (2005) Extraction and analysis of trace amount of cyclonite (RDX) and its nitroso-metabolites in animal liver tissue using gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Talanta 67: 816-823.

31.Zhang BH, Pan XP, Guo TL, Wang QL & Anderson TA (2005) Measuring gene flow in the cultivation of transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Molecular Biotechnology, 31:11-20.

32.Zhang BH, Pan XP& Wang QL (2005) Development and commercial use of Bt cotton. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants 11: 51-64.

33.Pan XP, Zhang BH & Cobb GP (2005) Transgenic plants: environmental benefits and risks. Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants 11: 13-32.

Laboratory Personnel