Lab Members
Meng Chen, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
B.S./M.S./Ph.D. Iowa State University; Postdoc, Salk Institute
Professor of Cell Biology
Department of Botany & Plant Sciences
Teaching: BIOL 107A Molecular Biology, CBNS 101 Cell Biology
Office: Genomics 4234B; Phone: (951) 827-5635
Email: meng.chen@ucr.edu
Joined in November 2007.
CV; Google Scholar; Linkedin; ResearchGate; Web of Science; Academic Tree
Meng (pronounced /məŋ/) started his scientific journey at Iowa State University as a combined BS/MS student in Biochemistry studying enzymology with Prof. Herbert Fromm. During his Ph.D. with Prof. Steve Rodermel, Meng studied chloroplast biogenesis and cloned the YELLOW VARIEGATED 2 (VAR2) gene in Arabidopsis by chromosomal walking. After joining Prof. Joanne Chory‘s lab at the Salk Institute as a postdoctoral research associate in 1999, Meng began to study light sensing in plants, particularly the dynamics and function of the phytochrome B-containing subnuclear membraneless organelles named photobodies. Meng started his lab in 2008 at Duke University, where he continued investigating phytochrome signaling and photobody formation. His lab also established padlock-FISH — a fluorescence in situ hybridization method for labeling individual genes — and revealed light-regulated gene repositioning upon gene activation in Arabidopsis. Following a move to UC Riverside in 2015, the Chen lab elucidated a nucleus-to-plastid signaling pathway for controlling chloroplast transcription. His research interests broadened to include temperature signaling, nuclear organization, and nucleus-plastid communication.
Juan Du, Ph.D., Postdoc
B.S. China Agricultural University; Ph.D. Oklahoma State University
Email: jdu@ucr.edu
Joined in July 2020.
Research Project: Phytochrome Signaling and Nuclear Organization
Liu W., Lowrey H., Xu A., Leung C.C., Adamchek C., He J., Du J. et al. (2024) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 121(25):e2408322121.
Du J. et al. (2024) Nat Commun DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47789-1
Kim R.J.*, Fan D.*, He J.*, Kim K., Du J., Chen M. (2024) Nat Commun DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47790-8
Du J., Chen M. (2024) Methods Mol Biol DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3814-9_10
Liu W., Lowrey H., Leung C.C., Adamchek C., Du J., He J., Chen M., Gendron J.M. (2023) bioRxiv DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.18.558326
Sang Q., Fan L., Liu T., Qiu Y., Du J. et al. (2023) Nat Commun DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36774-9
Jiangman He, Ph.D., Postdoc
B.S. South China Agricultural University; Ph.D. Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology (China); Postdoc. UC Riverside
Email: jiangman@ucr.edu
Joined in August 2020.
Research Project: Phytochrome Signaling
Liu W., Lowrey H., Xu A., Leung C.C., Adamchek C., He J. et al. (2024) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 121(25):e2408322121.
Kim R.J.*, Fan D.*, He J.* et al. (2024) Nat Commun DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47790-8
Qiu Y., Pasoreck E.K., Yoo C.Y., He J. et al. (2021) Nat Commun DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22313-x
Yoo C.Y.*, He J.*, Sang Q.* et al. (2021) Nat Commun DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25909-5
De Fan, Ph.D., Postdoc
B.S. Lanzhou University (China), Ph.D. Peking University (China)
Email:
Joined in August 2022.
Research Project: Phytochrome Signaling and Thermosensing
Kim R.J.*, Fan D.* et al. (2024) Nat Commun DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47790-8
Fan D., Chen M. (2024) Methods Mol Biol DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3814-9_2
Nan Xu, Graduate Student
Email: nan.xu1@ucr.edu
Joined in April 2023.
Research Project: Phytochrome signaling and chloroplast biogenesis
Josie Tam, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Biochemistry, UCR Class 2025
Email: jtam030@ucr.edu
Joined in April 2023.
Nora Flynn, Ph.D. Candidate
Ph.D. Student of Prof. Xuemei Chen
Email: nora.flynn@email.ucr.edu
Joined in July 2023.
Flynn N. et al. (2024) Plastid transcription. Nucleic Acids & Mol Biol vol 37 (in press)
Flynn N. (2024) Building a better blueprint for bolting. Plant Cell DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae240
Flynn N. (2024) During long days, HY5a keeps dormancy away. Plant Cell DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koae037.
Flynn N. (2023) Narrowing numerous nascent RNA-sequencing strategies. Plant Cell DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad243.
Flynn N. (2023) A new phase of identifying RNA-binding proteins: Plant phase extraction. Plant Cell DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad153.
Flynn N. (2023) Don’t be blue: Pure green light spurs brassinosteroid signaling. Plant Cell DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koad040
Hang R., Xu Y., Wang X., Hu H., Flynn N. et al. (2023). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2301081120.
Fan L., Gao B., Xu Y., Flynn N. et al. (2022) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A DOI:10.1073/pnas.220841511.
Hu H.*, Flynn N.*, and Chen X. (2021) Discovery, processing and potential role of noncanonical caps in RNA. In: Jurga, S., Barciszewski, J. (eds) Epitranscriptomics. RNA Technologies, vol 12. Springer, Cham. (*equal contribution)
Hu H., Flynn N., et al. (2021) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A DOI: 10.1073/pnas.202559511.
Shaowei Duan, Ph.D., Postdoc
B.S./M.S. Northwest A&F University (China); Ph.D. The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Email: shaowei.duan@ucr.edu
Joined in November 2023.
Research Project: Phytochrome Signaling and Chloroplast Biogenesis
Darwin Chang, Undergraduate Research Assistant
CMDB, UCR Class 2025
Email: darwin.chang@email.ucr.edu
Joined in November 2023.
Derek Chow, Undergraduate Research Assistant
Biology, UCR Class 2025
Email: derek.chow@email.ucr.edu
Joined in November 2023.
Alumni
Keisuke Tasaki, Ph.D., Visiting Professor
Visiting Professor 2023-2024
Current Position: Associate Professor, Tokyo University of Agriculture
Youra Hwang, Ph.D.
Postdoc 2020-2024
Current Position:
R. Jean Ae Kim, Ph.D.
Ph.D. student 2017-2024
Current Position: Postdoc, UCLA.
Qing Sang, Ph.D.
Postdoc 2019-2022
Current Position: Associate Professor, Peking University (China)
Soeun Han, Ph.D.
Postdoc 2019-2020
Current Position: Postdoc, UC San Diego
Keunhwa Kim, Ph.D.
Assistant Specialist 2016-2020
Current Position: Research Professor, Wonkwang University (Korea)
Chan Yul Yoo, Ph.D.
Postdoc 2013-2015; Assistant Project Scientist 2015-2020
Current Position: Assistant Professor, University of Utah
Joseph Hahm
Junior Specialist 2017-2019
Current Position: Senior Associate Scientist, Bristol Myers Squibb
Yongjian Qiu, Ph.D.
Postdoc 2011-2015; Assistant Project Scientist 2015-2019
Current Position: Assistant Professor, University of Mississippi
Jia Wei, Ph.D.
Visiting Scientist 2018-19
Current Position: Associate Professor, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Emily Yang, Ph.D.
Ph.D. student 2012-2017
Current Position: Postdoc, Columbia University Medical Center
Andrew P. Nevarez, Ph.D.
Ph.D. student 2011-2016
Current Position:
Chunmiao (Mia) Feng, Ph.D.
Postdoc 2011-2016
Current Position: Database Analyst, NCIRE
Yiting Shi, Ph.D.
Postdoc 2014-2015
Current Position: Associate Professor, China Agriculture University
Elise (Van Buskirk) Pasoreck, Ph.D.
Ph.D. student 2009-2014
Current Position: Proposal Developer, IQVIA
He Wang
Lab Technician 2008-2010
Meina Li, Ph.D.
Postdoc 2008-2013
Current Position: Associate Professor, Guangzhou University
