Qinlong Zhu
Title：Professor
Address: Room 517, Science and Technology Building, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou
Contact Tel: 020-87541125
Email: zhuql@scau.edu.cn
RESEARCH INTEREST
My central research interest lies in Plant Synthetic Biology and Genome Engineering, specifically focusing on developing advanced genetic tools and platforms for functional crop innovation. This includes creating TransGene Stacking (TGS) technologies for the genetic transformation of large DNA fragments and multigene assembly, and broad-target precise base editing systems for efficient crop breeding. A core application is the design and creation of novel functional food crops (e.g., "Purple Endosperm Rice," "Astaxanthin Rice," "eRuby Rice," and "Saffron Rice") and the use of AI-driven functional genomics (e.g., PlantGPT) to accelerate crop germplasm improvement and enhance global food security.
EDUCATION
2004.09-2007.06 Ph.D. in Horticulture, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
2001.09-2004.06 M.S in Cell Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
1997.09-2001.06 B.S. in Animal Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
MPLOYMENT HISTORY
2024-present Professor, College of Agriculture, Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Precise Breeding of Future Crops,State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University
2020-2024 Professor,College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University
2017-2018 Visiting associate professor, Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, School of Integrative Plant Science/USDA-ARS, Plant, Soil and Nutrition Laboratory, Cornell University, USA
2016-2020 Associate Professor,College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University
2011-2016 Assistant Professor, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University
2007-2011 Postdoctor, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University
AWARDS AND HONORS
2025 Bauhinia Science and Technology Innovation Award (First Author out of 10), South China Agricultural University
2025 Second Prize, 13th DBN Science and Technology Award (First Author out of 9)
2024 Selected as a Distinguished Professor (Zhujiang River Scholar) of Guangdong Province
2024 Selected as a Ding Ying Outstanding Scholar at South China Agricultural University
2021 Champion, Golden Star Award, Guangdong Seed Industry Science and Technology Innovation Competition (Third Authorout of 11)
2019 Selected as a young top-notch talent in science and technology innovation in Guangdong
2019 Special Prize for Outstanding Young Scientist Paper, 13th Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Biotechnology and National Biotechnology Conference
2017 Genetic Engineering Award, 10th DBN Science and Technology Award (Sixth Authorout of 12)
2017 Best Poster Award, The 4th ICPM (International Conference on Plant Metabolism)
2009 Third Prize, 6th China Association for Science and Technology Journal Excellent Academic Paper Award
2007 Zheng Ji-Zhang Changying Young Outstanding Paper Award, CSBMB (The Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
PUBLICATIONS(* Correspondence author)
[1] Tan J, Wang Y, Lin Z, Chai N, Xue Y, Chen L*, Liu Y-G*, Zhu Q*. eRUBY rice: Co-expression of a feedback-insensitive TyrA arogenate dehydrogenase with RUBY enhances endosperm betalain levels. Plant Physiology, 2025,199(2): kiaf416.
[2] Liu J, Zhang R, Chai N, Su L, Zheng Z, Liu T, Guo Z, Ma Y, Xie Y, Xie X, Lin Q, Chen L, Liu Y-G*, Zhu Q*. Programmable genome engineering and gene modifications for plant biodesign. Plant Communications, 2025, 6(8): 101427 (Editor’s Choice and On the cover).
[3]Sun K, Cheng S, Chai N, Mi J, Zhang R, Qian Q, Zheng Z, Chen K, Zeng D, Peng X, Shen M, Zhou D, Zhu Q*, Liu Q*, Tan J*. Engineering Adenine Deaminase TadA for Precise and PAM-Flexible Point Mutagenesis and Gradient-Tuning Endogenous Protein Design. Advanced Science, 2025, 12(34): e06644.
[4]Zhang R#, Wang Y#, Yang W#, Wen J, Liu W, Zhi S, Li G, Chai N, Huang J, Xie Y, Xie X, Chen L, Gu M*, Liu Y-G*, Zhu Q*. PlantGPT: An Arabidopsis-Based Intelligent Agent that Answers Questions about Plant Functional Genomics. Advanced Science, 2025, 12(30): e03926 (Editor’s Choice and Frontispiece).
[5]Gao H, Pei X, Song X, Wang S, Yang Z, Zhu J*, Lin Q*, Zhu Q*, Yang X*. Application and development of CRISPR technology in the secondary metabolic pathway of the active ingredients of phytopharmaceuticals. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2025, 15:1477894 (ESI Highly Cited Paper).
[6]Zheng Z, Liu T, Chai N, Zeng D, Zhang R, Wu Y, Hang J, Liu Y, Deng Q, Tan J, Liu J, Xie X, Liu Y-G*, Zhu Q*. PhieDBEs: a DBD-containing, PAM-flexible, high-efficiency dual base editor toolbox with wide targeting scope for use in plants. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2024, 22 (11): 3164-3174.
[7]Zhang R, Chai N, Liu T, Zheng Z, Lin Q, Xie X, Wen J, Yang Z, Liu Y-G*, Zhu Q*. The type V effectors for CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome engineering in plants. Biotechnology Advances, 2024, 74: 108382.
[8]Luo W, Tan J, Li T, Feng Z, Ding Z, Xie X, Chen Y, Chen L, Liu Y-G, Zhu Q*, Guo J*. Overexpression of maize GOLDEN2 in rice and maize calli improves regeneration by activating chloroplast development. Science China Life Sciences, 2023, 66 (2): 340-349.
[9] Zhao Y, Han J, Tan J, Yang Y, Li S, Gou Y, Luo Y, Li T, Xiao W, Xue Y, Hao Y, Xie X, Liu Y-G *, Zhu Q*. Efficient assembly of long DNA fragments and multiple genes with improved nickase-based cloning and Cre/loxP recombination. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2022, 20 (10):1983–1995 (On the cover).
[10] Zhu Q*, Tan J, Liu Y-G. Molecular farming using transgenic rice endosperm. Trends in Biotechnology, 2022, 40 (10):1248–1260.
[11] Han J, Ma K, Li H, Su J, Zhou L, Tang J, Zhang S, Hou Y, Chen L, Liu Y-G, Zhu Q*. All-in-one: a robust fluorescent fusion protein vector toolbox for protein localization and BiFC analyses in plants. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2022, 20(6):1098-1109.
[12] Tan J#, Zeng D#, Zhao Y#, Wang Y, Liu T, Li S, Xue Y, Luo Y, Xie X, Chen L, Liu Y-G, Zhu Q*. PhieABEs: a PAM-less/free high-efficiency adenine base editor toolbox with wide target scope in plants. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2022, 20(5): 934–943. (ESI Highly Cited Paper)
[13] Liu T#, Zeng D#, Zheng Z, Lin Z, Xue Y, Li T, Xie X, Ma G, Liu Y-G*, Zhu Q*. The ScCas9++ variant expands the CRISPR toolbox for genome editing in plants. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 2021, 63 (9): 1611–1619.
[14] Zeng D#, Liu T#, Tan J, Zhang Y, Zheng Z, Wang B, Zhou D, Xie X, Guo M, Liu Y-G*, Zhu Q*. PhieCBEs: Plant High-efficiency Cytidine Base Editors with Expanded Target Range. Molecular Plant, 2020, 13 (12): 1666–1669.
[15] Zeng D, Liu T, Ma X, Wang B, Zheng Z, Zhang Y, Xie X, Yang B, Zhao Z, Zhu Q*, Liu Y-G*. Quantitative regulation of Waxy expression by CRISPR/Cas9-based promoter and 5'UTR-intron editing improves grain quality in rice. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2020, 18 (12): 2385–2387.
[16]Tan J, Zhao Y, Wang B, Hao Y, Wang Y, Li Y, Luo W, Zong W, Li G, Chen S, Ma K, Xie X, Chen L, Liu Y-G*, Zhu Q*. Efficient CRISPR/Cas9-based plant genomic fragment deletions by microhomology-mediated end joining. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2020, 18(11): 2161–2163.
[17] Wang B, Fang R, Chen F, Han J, Liu YG, Chen L*, Zhu Q*. A novel CCCH-type zinc finger protein SAW1 activates OsGA20ox3 to regulate gibberellin homeostasis and anther development in rice. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 2020, 62 (10): 1594-1606.
[18]Zhu Q, Wang B, Tan J, Liu T, Li L, Liu Y-G*. Plant Synthetic Metabolic Engineering for Enhancing Crop Nutritional Quality. Plant Communications, 2020, 1, 100017.
[19]Zeng D, Li X, Huang J, Li Y, Cai S, Yu W, Li Y, Huang Y, Xie X, Gong Q, Tan J, Zheng Z, Guo M, Liu Y-G*, Zhu Q*. Engineered Cas9 variant tools expand targeting scope of genome and base editing in rice. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2020, 18(6): 1348–1350.
[20]Zhu Q, Zeng D, Yu S, Cui C, Li J, Li H, Chen J, Zhang R, Zhao X, Chen L, and Liu Y-G. From Golden Rice to aSTARice: Bioengineering Astaxanthin Biosynthesis in Rice Endosperm. Molecular Plant, 2018. 11 (12): 1440–1448 (On the cover andESI Highly Cited Paper).
[21]Zhu Q, Yu S, Zeng D, Liu H, Wang H, Yang Z, Xie X, Shen R, Tan J, Li H, Zhao X, Zhang Q, Chen Y, Guo J, Chen L, Liu Y-G*. Development of “Purple Endosperm Rice” by engineering anthocyanin biosynthesis in the endosperm with a high-efficiency transgene stacking system. Molecular Plant, 2017, 10 (7): 918-929. (On the cover and ESI Highly Cited Paper)