Dabing Zhang

Dr Dabing Zhang

Professor

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


  • Mechanism of the development of inflorescence and spikelet in cereals

Rice and barley, the representative grass plants, develop specialized morphology of inflorescence and spikelet, which determines the ultimate yield production. We are using various approaches including forward and reverse genetics, biochemistry, cell biology etc to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying cereal inflorescence and spikelet development. Current research focuses on transcriptional factors such as MADS box genes and the regulatory network involved in the morphogenesis and development of inflorescence and spikelet in rice.

  • Molecular aspects of cereal male reproduction

The life cycle of flowering plants alternates between diploid sporophyte and haploid gametophyte generations. Male gametophytes develop in the anther compartment of the stamen within the flower and require cooperative functional interactions between gametophytic and sporophytic tissues. During the male reproductive development, there are numerous biological events including cell division, differentiation and degeneration of somatic tissues consisting of four concentric cell layers surrounding and supporting reproductive cells as they form mature pollen grains through meiosis and mitosis. To understand the mechanism of cereal male reproduction, we are combining systematic biology (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabonomics) with other approaches such as genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, and structure biology to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying each biological process of male reproduction in rice and barley.

For more information, please visit UoA-SJTU Joint Laboratory for Plant Sciences and Breeding and Laboratory of Plant Developmental Biology

  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2015 - ongoing Professor University of Adelaide
    2015 - ongoing Chair Professor of Plant Science Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai
    2008 - 2015 Distinguished Professor of Plant Science Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    1994 - 1998 Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) China Ph.D on plant molecular genetics
    1991 - 1994 Nanjing University, Nanjing China Master of plant biology
  • Research Interests

  • Priority Partners Grant (2016-2017)
  • ARC Discovery (2017-2019) The roles of of SEP-like genes in determining cereal inflorescence architecture
  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Principal Supervisor Transcriptome analysis to unravel mechanisms underlining the heat stress response during barley reproductive stage Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Full Time Mr Shiyu Sun
    2023 Co-Supervisor MADS-box gene function and conservation in barley and arabidopsis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Dominic James Lyford
    2018 Principal Supervisor Genome-wide analysis of small-RNA and key regulators identification during barley inflorescence development Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Reyhaneh Ebrahimi Khaksefidi
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2018 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Manipulating Grapevine Bud Fruitfulness Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Xiaoyi Wang
    2016 - 2019 Principal Supervisor Don't Cry for Me: Evolutionary and Functional Analysis of Two Rice Pollen Allergens, Ory s 1 and Ory s 12 Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Deborah Devis
    2016 - 2020 Principal Supervisor Roles of LOFSEP genes in barley inflorescence development Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Hendrik Nicolaas Johannes Kuijer
    2016 - 2021 Principal Supervisor Analysis of MADS-box genes and heat stress in barley (Hordeum vulgare) reproductive development Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Full Time Miss Cindy Callens
    2015 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Roles of a Glutamyl-tRNA Synthetase in Controlling Early Anther Development in Rice Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Xiujuan Yang
  • Position: Professor
  • Phone: 83136987
  • Email: dabing.zhang@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: Waite
  • Building: Plant Research Centre, floor Level One
  • Room: 1.86
  • Org Unit: Agricultural Science

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