Education:  　　2010-2016    Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology, The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, (Adviser: Prof.  Zeng-fu XU)    　　2006-2010 B. Sc. College of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China    　Professional appointments:    　　01/2020 - present     Associate Professor, Group of Molecular Breeding of Energy Plants, Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China    　　12/2016 - 12/2019    Assistant Professor, K Group of Molecular Breeding of Energy Plants, Key Laboratory of Tropical Plant Resources and Sustainable Use, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China   　　Research Interest     　　Functional genomics and molecular breeding of biodiesel feedstock plants. The goal of our research group is to breed improved varieties of biodiesel feedstock plants by transgenic approaches. In particular, my research direction is focused on increasing the yield potential of woody oil plants Jatropha curcas and Plukenetia volubilis through manipulating floral development and sex expression.

  

  

  

Article: 

1. Tang M., Bai X., Niu L., Chai X., and Xu Z.-F. miR172 regulates both vegetative and reproductive development in the perennial woody plant Jatropha curcas, 2018, Plant and Cell Physiology， 59 (12): 2549-2563.
2. Tang M., Song Y.., Niu L., and Xu Z.-F. An ortholog of LEAFY in Jatropha curcas regulates flowering time and floral organ development. 2016, Scientific Reports,6: 37306.
3. Tang M., Tao Y.-B., Xu, Z.-F. Ectopic expression of Jatropha curcas APETALA1 (JcAP1) caused early flowering in Arabidopsis, but not in Jatropha. 2016, PeerJ, 4: e1969.
4. Fu, Q., Li, C., Tang, M., Tao, Y.-B., Pan, B.-Z., Zhang, L., Niu, L., He, H., Wang, X., and Xu, Z.-F. An efficient protocol for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of the biofuel plant Jatropha curcas by optimizing kanamycin concentration and duration of delayed selection. 2015, Plant Biotechnol Rep 9, 405-416.
5. Chai, X., Yang, Z., Fu, Q., Pan, B.,Tang, M., Li, C., & Xu, Z. F. First report of root and basal stem rot in Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) caused by Fusarium oxysporum in China. 2017, Plant Disease.
6. Li, J., Pan, B.-Z., Niu, L., Chen, M.-S., Tang, M., & Xu, Z.-F. Gibberellin Inhibits Floral Initiation in the Perennial Woody Plant Jatropha curcas. 2018, Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 37(3), 999–1006.
7. Chen, M., Zhao, M., Wang, G., He, H., Bai, X., Pan, B., Fu, Q., Tao, Y., Tang, M., Jorge M, Xu, Z.-F.Transcriptome analysis of two inflorescence branching mutants reveals cytokinin is an important regulator in controlling inflorescence architecture in the woody plant Jatropha curcas. BMC plant biology, 2019, 19(1): 468.
8. Ming, X., Tao, Y. B., Fu, Q., Tang, M., He, H., Chen, M. S.,& Xu, Z. F. Flower-specific overproduction of cytokinins altered flower development and sex expression in the perennial woody plant Jatropha curcas L. 2020, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(2), 640.