Ning Zhang

Ning Zhang, from rust fungi to plant pathogenic ascomycetes

Ph.D. 2002
Assistant Professor
Rutgers University
Department of Plant Biology & Pathology
Department of Biochemistry & Microbiology
201B Foran Hall/ Cook Campus
59 Dudley Rd.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

e-mail: zhang@aesop.rutgers.edu

Flora Emma (born 8 January 2003) celebrates the lunar New Year, 2004

Education

Ph. D. (2002) Thesis: Molecular phylogeny of Melanospora and Diaporthales, and population genetics of dogwood anthracnose fungus (defended 29 October 2001). August 1996 to May 2002 Ph. D. student, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University.
M. S. (1996) Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Science (P. R. China). Major: Mycology. Thesis: Uredinales of the Daba Mountains
B. S. (1993) Shandong University (P. R. China). Major: Microbiology. Thesis: Tryptophan Fermentation using Corynebacterium glutanicum Trp 10 and its genetics

Work Experience

Postdoctoral Research Associate, July 2004-present, Department of Plant Pathology, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Cornell University. Research projects: 1) Integrated technologies for the rapid diagnosis of known and emerging plant pathogens. 2) Mechanism of DMI fungicide resistance of the brown rot pathogen Monilinia fructicola (with Christine Smart)
Postdoctoral Research Associate, April 2002-June 2004, Fusarium Research Center, Department of Plant Pathology, The Pennsylvania State University.
Research project: Molecular Phylogeny phylogeny of the Fusarium solani species complex (with David Geiser)
Graduate Teaching Assistant, 1996-present, Introductory Biology Laboratory (major's and non-major's sections) and Mycology, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University
Graduate Research Assistant, 1993-1994, Biology Department, Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Project: Differences of Activity of Fatty Acid Synthase Among Animals of Different Ages

Technical Experience

Detection and identification of plant pathogenic fungi by molecular methods, including probe-design, macroarray (reverse dot-blot hybridization), and real-time PCR assays
Other molecular biological techniques (DNA and RNA extraction and purification, PCR, gene cloning, DNA sequencing, AFLP, RFLP etc.)
Computer analysis for molecular phylogeny and population genetics (Clustal, PAUP*, MacClade, Arlequin, MEGA, PHYLIP, GeneScan, etc.)
Electron Microscopy (SEM and TEM)

Professional Societies

Mycological Society of America (1998-present)
American Phytopathological Society (2001-present)

Publications

Zhang, N. and Smart, C. D. Macroarray detection of known and emerging fungal and oomycete pathogens on solanaceous crops (in preparation).
Zhang, N., Geiser, D. M., and Smart, C. D. Macroarray detection and differentiation of solanacous plant pathogens in the Fusarium solani species complex (submitted).
Hibbett, D. M., M. Binder, J. F. Bischoff, M. Blackwell, P. F. Cannon, O. Eriksson, S. Huhndorf, T. Y. James, P. M. Kirk, R. Lücking, T. Lumbsch, F. Lutzoni, P. B. Matheny, D. J. McLaughlin, M. J. Powell, S. Redhead, C.d L. Schoch, J. W. Spatafora, J. A. Stalpers, R. Vilgalys, M. C. Aime, A. Aptroot, R. Bauer, D. Begerow, G. L. Benny, L. A. Castlebury, P. W. Crous, Y.-C. Dai, W. Gams, D. M. Geiser, G. W. Griffith, D. L. Hawksworth, V. Hofstetter, K. Hosaka, R. A. Humber, K. Hyde, U. Kõljalg, C. P. Kurtzman, K.-H. Larsson, R. Lichtwardt, J. Longcore, A. Miller, J.-M. Moncalvo, S. Mozley Standridge, F. Oberwinkler, E. Parmasto, J. D. Rogers, L. Ryvarden, J. P. Sampaio, A. Schuessler, J. Sugiyama, J. W. Taylor, R. G. Thorn, L. Tibell, W. A. Untereiner, C. Walker, Z. Wang, A. Weir, M. Weiss, M. White, K. Winka , Y.-J. Yao, N. Zhang. 2007. A Higher-Level Phylogenetic Classification of the Fungi. Mycological Research in press.
Zhang, N., Castlebury, L. A., Miller, A. N., Hundorf, S. M., Schoch, C., Seifert, K. A., Rossman, A. Y., Rogers, J. D., Kohlmeyer, J., Volkmann-Kohlmeyer, B, and Sung, G-H. An overview of the systematics of the Sordariomycetes based on a four-gene phylogeny. Mycologia (98: in press).

Zhang, N., O’Donnell, K., Sutton, D. A., Nalim, A., Samuels, G. J., Summerbell, R. C., Padhye, A. A. & Geiser, D. M. Members of the Fusarium solani species complex causing infections in both humans and plants are common in the environment. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 44:2186-2190.
Tantardini, A., Calvi, M., Cavagna, B., Zhang, N., & Geiser, D. 2004. Primo rinvenimento in Italia di antracnosi causata da Discula destructiva su Cornus florida e C. nuttallii. Informatore Fitopatologico 12:44-47.
Geiser, D.M., Jimenez-Gasco, M.D., Kang, S.C., Makalowska, I., Veeraraghavan, N., Ward, T.J., Zhang, N., Kuldau, G.A. & O'Donnell, K. 2004. Fusarium ID v. 1.0: A DNA sequence database for identifying Fusarium. European Journal of Plant Pathology 110: 473-479.
Zhang, N., Suh, S-O. & Blackwell, M. 2003. Microorganisms in the gut of beetles: evidence from molecular cloning. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 84: 226-233.
Zhang, N. & Blackwell, M. 2002. Molecular phylogeny of Melanospora corda and similar pyrenomycetous fungi. Mycological Research 106: 148-155.
Zhang, N. & Blackwell, M. 2002. Population Structure of Dogwood Anthracnose Fungus. Phytopathology 92: 1276-1283.
Zhang, N. & Blackwell, M. 2001. Molecular phylogeny of dogwood anthracnose fungus (Discula destructiva) and the Diaporthales. Mycologia 93:356-364.
Zhang, N., Zhuang, J.-Y. & Wei, S.-X. 1997. Rust fungi of the Daba Mountains. Mycotaxon 61: 49-79.

Abstracts

Zhang, N. and Smart, C. D. Macroarray detection of known and emerging fungal and oomycete pathogens on solanaceous crops. Joint meeting of American Phytopathological Society/Canadian Phytopathological Society/Mycological Society of America. July-August 2006.
Parker, D. M., Zhang, N., Smart, C. D., and Koeller, W. D. Polymorphism of 14 alpha-demethylase gene (CYP51) in brown rot pathogen Monilinia fructicola from a resistant orchard in New York State. Joint meeting of American Phytopathological Society/Canadian Phytopathological Society/Mycological Society of America. July-August 2006.
Zhang, N., Castlebury, L. A., Miller, A. N., Huhndorf, S. M., Schoch, C., Seifert, K. A., Rossman, A. Y., Rogers, J. D., Kohlmeyer, J., Volkmann-Kohlmeyer, B., and Sung, G-H. An overview of the systematics of the Sordariomycetes based on a four-gene phylogeny. (Invited Presentation) Deep Hypha (A Phylogeny for Kingdom Fungi) meeting, Baton Rouge, LA, February 2006.
Zhang, N., Geiser, D. M., and Smart, C. D. Molecular detection of members of the Fusarium solani species complex using a macroarray. Mycological Society of America annual meeting, Hilo, HI, July-August 2005.
Zhang, N., Nalim, F.A., Sutton, D.A., Epstein, L., O'Donnell, K. & Geiser, D.M. Association of clinical, environmental and plant pathogenic isolates within the Fusarium solani species complex. Mycological Society of America annual meeting, Asheville, NC, July 2004.
Zhang, N., Geiser, D.M. & O’Donnell, K. An elongation factor database of the Fusarium solani species complex. Mycological Society of America annual meeting, Asilomar, CA, July 2003.
Zhang, N. & Blackwell, M. 2000. Molecular Phylogeny of dogwood anthracnose fungus and the Diaporthales. Mycological Society of America annual meeting, Burlington VT, July-August 2000.
Zhang, N. & Blackwell, M. 2000. Population Genetics of Dogwood Anthracnose Fungus (Discula destructiva Redlin). Mycological Society of America annual meeting, Salt Lake City, August-September 2001.
Zhang, N. & Blackwell, M. 1999. Molecular phylogeny of Melanospora corda and similar pyrenomycetous fungi. Mycological Society of America annual meeting, St. Louis, MO, August 1999.

Honors and Awards

Research

Population genetic studies of the dogwood anthracnose fungus (Discula destrictiva Redlin). Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research, Honorable Mention Award, Louisiana State University Chapter, April 1999
Molecular phylogeny of Melanospora cordaand similar pyrenomycetous fungi. Outstanding Poster Presentation Award, Mycological Society of America, August 1999
Competitive Graduate Stipend Supplement, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, academic year, 1999-2000
McDaniel Travel Award * Seminar, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, February 2000 (presentation 15 March 2000)
Intellectual Gumbo 2000, Graduate Student Association, Louisiana State University, Poster Competition, 24 February 2000
F. A. Uecker Travel Award, Mycological Society of America for "Molecular Phylogeny of Dogwood Anthracnose Fungus and the Diaporthales," June 2000
Competitive Graduate Stipend Supplement, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, academic year, 2000-2001
E. S. Luttrell Travel Award, Mycological Society of America for "Population Genetics of Dogwood Anthracnose Fungus (Discula destructiva Redlin). August-September 2001
BioGrads Travel Award, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, June 2001

Teaching

Daisy B. and William J. Luke Botany Teaching Award. Given annually to a teaching assistant in the plant biology program for outstanding instruction, May 2001
Freshman Biology Award. Given annually to a teaching assistant in the biological sciences for outstanding instruction in freshman biology laboratories, May 2001

*The McDaniel Travel Award is a competitive prize presented in memory of Michael McDaniel, a promising graduate student in the second year of his PhD program in Dr. William Lee’s lab at LSU, sadly killed instantly by someone who ran a red light.

Ning discusses her poster with a colleague (Mycological Society of America annual meeting, St. Louis, MO, August 1999).

Last Modified: 9 November 2006
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