I started my research career working on co-evolution between phage WO and endosymbiont bacteria Wolbachia at Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Then I got a fellowship supporting me to work on malaria vaccine project at Yale University. I did my postdoc working on host-microbe interactions at Harvard University and using advanced genetic and symbiotic technologies for mosquito control at University of California, San Diego. My lab current research continues to focus on animal-microbe interactions and genetic technologies for mosquito-borne diseases control.

Laboratory Manager

During my study, I mainly engaged in the research of plant disease epidemic and comprehensive control. Now I mainly explore the interactions between host and microbiota, and develop new technologies using microbiome and genome editing for mosquito control. At the same time, I am also responsible for the administrative affairs of our lab.

Postdoctoral Fellow

My research focus has been understanding the role of microorganisms that interact with insect hosts; specially, using insects (jewel wasp; bees; fruit borers) to determine the molecular and physiological mechanism of host regulation of microorganisms. The long-term goals of research are discovering theories of insect microbial adaptation, along with developing innovative techniques and strategies for green prevention and pest management.

Insecticides resistance has become widespread in mosquito, reducing pesticide efficacy and increasing financial expenditure. One pattern of pesticide resistance mechanisms is symbiont-mediated detoxification within insect pests. I aim to explore detoxification modulated by symbiotic associations between bacteria and mosquitoes, as well as the development of new strategy for mosquito control.

Yan-Jun Liu

Qi-Qi Wang

My recent research interests focus on the molecular interactions between mosquito hosts and gut microbiota. Genomics techniques such as genomics, metagenomics and metabolomics are mainly used to reveal the role played by gut microbiota in the growth and development of mosquitoes. Expect that new mutual mechanisms or theories will be discovered.

My recent interest is to address how nutrition, pesticides, probiotics and other factors affect gut communities of jewel wasps over long-term evolutionary time. In addition, I also focus on the transmission mechanisms of microorganisms in jewel wasps from mother to offspring.

Mosquitoes carry the risk of spreading disease through their bites. My research focuses on exploring the molecular mechanisms by which gut microbes regulate mosquito behavior, thereby providing the basis for developing new technologies to prevent mosquito-borne diseases.

Xiang-Guang Chen

Students

Ph.D.

Rong-Er Zheng

Ying Li

Jian-Qiu Cheng

Long-yang Wang