Bio

Dr. Yuanwei Zhang is an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology at Nanjing Normal University. His group employs a multidisciplinary approach covering genetics, biochemistry, and cell biology to investigate the regulatory mechanisms underlying development, pathogenesis and drug resistance in the human fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus.

Educational Background

2015/08-2017/08: Joint Ph.D., Molecular Microbiology, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK

2011/09-2017/12: Ph.D., Microbiology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China

2007/09-2011/07: B.S., Biological Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, China

Research Projects

1.    National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32370078), 2024/01-2027/12

2.    Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, 2023/07-2026/06

3.    Natural Science Foundation of the Higher Education Institutions of Jiangsu Province (No. 23KJB180014), 2023/07-2025/07

4.    National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31900404), 2020/01-2022/12

5.    Natural Science Foundation of the Higher Education Institutions of Jiangsu Province (No. 19KJB180017), 2023/07-2025/07

Publications:

1.    Li Y†, Dai M†, Lu L* and Zhang Y* (2023) The C2H2-Type Transcription Factor ZfpA, Coordinately with CrzA, Affects Azole Susceptibility by Regulating the Multidrug Transporter Gene atrF in Aspergillus fumigatus. Microbiol Spectr 11(4): e0032523.

2.    Zhang Y, Wang Y, Fan J, Zhu G and Lu L* (2022) Aspergillus fumigatus Elongator complex subunit 3 affects hyphal growth, adhesion and virulence through wobble uridine tRNA modification. PLoS Pathog 18(11): e1010976.

3.    Ye J, Wang Y, Li X, Wan Q, Zhang Y* and Lu L* (2022) Synergistic Antifungal Effect of a Combination of Iron Deficiency and Calcium Supplementation. Microbiol Spectr 10(3): e0112122.

4.    Zhang Y, Fang W, Raimi OG, Lockhart DEA, Ferenbach AT, Lu L and van Aalten DMF* (2021) Genetic and structural validation of phosphomannomutase as a cell wall target in Aspergillus fumigatus. Mol Microbiol 116(1): 245-59.

5.    Zhang Y, Fan J, Ye J and Lu L* (2021) The fungal-specific histone acetyltransferase Rtt109 regulates development, DNA damage response, and virulence in Aspergillus fumigatus. Mol Microbiol 115(6): 1191-206.

6.    Zhang C, Ren Y, Gu H, Gao L, Zhang Y* and Lu L* (2021) Calcineurin-mediated intracellular organelle calcium homeostasis is required for the survival of fungal pathogens upon extracellular calcium stimuli. Virulence 12(1): 1091-110.

7.    Li Y, Dai M, Zhang Y* and Lu L* (2021) The sterol C-14 reductase Erg24 is responsible for ergosterol biosynthesis and ion homeostasis in Aspergillus fumigatus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 105(3): 1253-68.

8.    Du W, Zhai P, Wang T, Bromley MJ, Zhang Y* and Lu L* (2021) The C2H2 Transcription Factor SltA Contributes to Azole Resistance by Coregulating the Expression of the Drug Target Erg11A and the Drug Efflux Pump Mdr1 in Aspergillus fumigatus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 65(4): e01839-20.

9.    Du W, Zhai P, Liu S, Zhang Y* and Lu L* (2021) The Copper Chaperone CcsA, Coupled with Superoxide Dismutase SodA, Mediates the Oxidative Stress Response in Aspergillus fumigatus. Appl Environ Microbiol 87(17): e0101321.

10.    Zhang Y, Wei W, Fan J, Jin C, Lu L and Fang W* (2020) Aspergillus fumigatus Mitochondrial Acetyl Coenzyme A Acetyltransferase as an Antifungal Target. Appl Environ Microbiol 86(7): e02986-19.

11.    Zhang Y†, Jiang H† and Lu L* (2019) Calcium Cation Cycling and Signaling Pathways in Fungi. In: Hoffmeister D and Gressler M, eds. Biology of the Fungal Cell. Cham: Springer International Publishing: 111-23.

12.    Zhang Y, Zheng Q, Sun C, Song J, Gao L, Zhang S, Munoz A, Read ND and Lu L* (2016) Palmitoylation of the Cysteine Residue in the DHHC Motif of a Palmitoyl Transferase Mediates Ca2+ Homeostasis in Aspergillus. PLoS Genet 12(4): e1005977.（Faculty Opinion Recommended）

Honors and Awards

    Jiangsu Provincial Educational Teaching and Research Achievement Award, Third Prize (2018)

    Excellent Academic Paper of Natural Science in Nanjing City, Third Prize (2018)

    National Scholarship, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (2016)

    Joint PhD Scholarship, China Scholarship Council (2015)

Contact

Email: ywzhang@njnu.edu.cn

ORCID: 0000-0003-0854-6123

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yuanwei-Zhang