Zhen Hu

Personal Profile

Zhen Hu, male, born in 1990, Ph. D, associate professor, a member of Hou Ji laboratory, Shanxi province

Academic Education

        2015.09-2020.08     Ph.D, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University

        2011.09-2015.06     Master, College of Plant Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University

        2007.09-2011.06     Bachelor, College of Life Science, Yangtze University

Work Career

        2023.10 to date      Associate professor, College of Agriculture, Shanxi Agricultural University

        2020.10-2023.09    Postdoctoral fellow, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University

Main Research Directions

         1. Analysis of the cell wall structure basis for crop lodging resistance

         2. High-value and efficient utilization of crop straw

Overview of Teaching and Research

Dr. Hu has been engaged in long-term scientific research on genetic improvement and comprehensive utilization of crop biomass. By utilizing association analysis, he has revealed cell wall structural factors influencing crop lodging resistance and straw utilization efficiency. Through QTL mapping, he has identified genetic loci related to cell wall structures. Moreover, he has employed molecular marker-assisted selection, transgenic or gene editing techniques to screen or create genetic improved plants with desirable cell wall characteristics. Dr. Hu has participated in two national natural science foundation projects and published more than 8 papers in Nature Communication, Green Chemistry, Biotechnology for Biofuels, Bioresource Technology, Industrial Crops & Products and other academic journals.

Presentative Papers

1. Zhen Hu^#, Qian Li^#, Yuanyuan Chen, Tianqi Li, Youmei Wang, Ran Zhang, Hao Peng, Hailang Wang, Yanting Wang, Jingfeng Tang, Muhammad Nauman Adtab, Liangcai Peng. Intermitten ultrasound retains cellulases unlock for enhanced cellulosic ethanol with high-porosity biochar for dye adsorption using desirable rice mutant straw. Bioresource Technology. 2023, 369:128437.

2. Zhen Hu, Youmei Wang, Jingyuan Liu, Yuqi Li, Yanting Wang, Jiangfeng Huang, Yuanhang Ai, Peng Chen, Yuqing He, Muhammad Nauman Aftab, Lingqiang Wang, Liangcai Peng. Integrated NIRS and QTL assays reveal minor mannose and galactose as contrast lignocellulose factors for biomass enzymatic saccharification in rice. Biotechnology for Biofuels. 2021, 14:144.

3. Zhen Hu^#, Hao Peng^#, Jingyuan Liu, Huiyi Zhang, Sufang Li, Hailang Wang, Zhengyi Lv, Youmei Wang, Dan Sun, Jingfeng Tang, Liangcai Peng, Yanting Wang. Integrating genetic-engineered cellulose nanofibrils of rice straw with mild chemical treatments for enhanced bioethanol conversion and bioaerogels production. Industrial Crops & Products. 2023, 202: 117044.

4. Zhen Hu, Guifen Zhang, Ali Muhammad, Rana Abdul Samad, Youmei Wang, Jonathan D. Walton, Yuqing He, Liangcai Peng, Lingqiang Wang. Genetic loci simultaneously controlling lignin monomers and biomass digestibility of rice straw.Scientific Reports. 2018, 8:3636.

5. Zhen Hu, Guifen Zhang, Yuanyuan Chen, Youmei Wang, Yuqing He, Liangcai Peng, Lingqiang Wang. Determination of lignin monomer contents in rice straw using visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy. Bioresources. 2018, 13:3284-3299.

6. Ran Zhang^#, Zhen Hu^#, Yanting Wang, Huizhen Hu, Fengcheng Li, Mi Li, Arthur Ragauskas, Tao Xia, Heyou Han, Haizhong Yu, Bingqian Xu, Liangcai Peng. Single-molecular insights into cellulose nanofibers assembly for enzymatic and chemical catalysis of sugars and nanocrystals. Nature Communication. 2023, 14, 1100.

7. Ran Zhang^#, Zhen Hu^#, Hao Peng, Peng Liu, Youmei Wang, Jingyang Li, Jun Lu, Yanting Wang, Tao Xia, Liangcai Peng. High density cellulose nanofibril assembly leads to upgraded enzymatic and chemical catalysis of fermentable sugars, cellulose nanocrystals and cellulase production by precisely engineering cellulose synthase complexes. Green Chemistry. 2023, 25:1096.

8. Anyong Zhang^#, Zhen Hu^#, Xue Hu^#, Ting Zhao, Yixiang Wang, Yuqi Li, Yanting Wang, Liangcai Peng, Xifeng Ren. Large-scale screening of diverse barely lignocelluloses for simultaneously upgrading biomass enzymatic saccharification and plant lodging resistance coupled with near-infrared spectroscopic assay. Industrial Crops & Products. 2023, 194:116324.

Contact Information

Address: No. 81 Longcheng Street, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China

Postcode: 030031

Email: zhen_hu@sxau.edu.cn