Associate Professor

Tel: +86-13771401977

Email: zx@jiangnan.edu.cn

Web:

2016 – present            Associate Professor, Jiangnan University, PRC

2014 – 2016               Lecturer, Jiangnan University, PRC

2007 – 2014               Ph.D., Jiangnan University, PRC

2003 – 2007               B.Sc., Jiangnan University, PRC

Zhang has been closely involved   in breeding of microorganisms for industrial production of important   chemicals, such as value-added natural/unnatural amino acids, C-4 chemicals   and steroid intermediates. On the basis of Metabolic Engineering, Synthetic   Biology and Protein Engineering technologies, Zhang’s research direction can   be illustrated as follows: (1) Isolation and identification of microorganisms   from natural resources and breeding of outstanding candidates from   high-throughput screening method, (2) metabolic engineering of intracellular synthesis   pathways by global regulation of cell metabolism, (3) construct of novel   unnatural bio-pathways by enzyme evolution, (4) protein engineering of   important enzymes applied for biocatalysis or food industry, (5) optimization   of high density fermentation by process engineering and fermentation control.  

[1]       Zhang Xian^Δ, Zhang Rongzhen^Δ,   Bao Teng, Rao Zhiming*, Yang Taowei, Xu Meijuan, Xu   Zhenghong, Li Huazhong*, Yang Shangtian. The rebalanced   pathway significantly enhances acetoin production by disruption of acetoin   reductase gene and moderate-expression of a new water-forming NADH oxidase in   Bacillus subtilis [J]. Metabolic Engineering, 23: 34-41, 2014.

[2]       Zhang Xian, Rao Zhiming*, Li   Jingjing, Zhou Junping, Yang Taowei, Xu Meijuan, Bao Teng, Zhao Xiaojing.   Improving the acidic stability of Staphylococcus aureus α‑acetolactate   decarboxylase in Bacillus subtilis by changing basic residues to   acidic residues [J]. Amino Acids, 47:707–717, 2015.

[3]       Zhang Xian^Δ, Bao Teng^Δ,   Rao Zhiming*, Yang Taowei, Xu Zhenghong, Yang Shangtian, Li Huazhong*. Two-stage pH Control   Strategy Based on The pH Preference of Acetoin Reductase Regulates Acetoin   and 2,3-butanediol Distribution in Bacillus subtilis [J]. PLoS One,   9(3): e91187, 2014.

[4]       Zhang Xian, Zhang Rongzhen*, Bao Teng, Yang Taowei,   Xu Meijuan, Li Huazhong, Xu Zhenghong, Rao Zhiming*. Moderate expression of   the transcriptional regulator ALsR enhances acetoin production by Bacillus   subtilis [J]. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol, 40:1067-1076, 2013.

[5]       Zhang Xian, Yang Taowei, Lin Qing,   Xu Meijuan, Xia Haifeng, Xu Zhenghong, Li Huazhong, Rao Zhiming*. Isolation and   identification of an acetoin high production bacterium that can reverse   transform 2,3-butanediol to acetoin at the decline phase of fermentation [J]. World J Microbiol Biotechnol, 27(12):2785-2790,   2011.

[6]       Zhang Xian, Zhang Rongzhen*, Yang Taowei, Zhang   Jing, Xu Meijuan, Li Huazhong, Xu Zhenghong, Rao Zhiming*. Mutation breeding   of acetoin high producing Bacillus subtilis blocked in 2,3-butanediol   dehydrogenase [J]. World J Microbiol Biotechnol, 29: 1783-1789, 2013.

[7]       Xian Zhang, Zhiming* R, Zhang L,   Meijuan X, Taowei Y. Efficient 9α-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione production   by engineered Bacillus subtilis co-expressing Mycobacterium neoaurum   3-ketosteroid 9α-hydroxylase and B. subtilis glucose 1-dehydrogenase with   NADH regeneration. SpringerPlus 5:1207, 2016.

[8]       Xian Zhang,  Dan Wu, Taowei   Yang, Meijuan Xu, Zhiming Rao*. Over-expression of Mycobacterium neoaurum   3-ketosteroid-Δ1-dehydrogenase in Corynebacterium crenatum for   efficient bioconversion of 4-androstene-3,17-dione to   androst-1,4-diene-3,17-dione. Electronic Journal of Biotechnology, 2016, 24:   84-90.

[9]       Teng Bao^Δ, Xian Zhang^Δ, Xiaojing Zhao, Zhiming   Rao*, Taowei Yang，Shangtian Yang. Regulation of the   NADH pool and NADH/NADPH ratio redistributes acetoin and 2,3-butanediol   proportion in Bacillus subtilis. Biotechnology Journal, 8(10): 1298-1306, 2015.

[10]   Bao Teng^Δ, Zhang   Xian^Δ, Rao Zhiming*, Zhao Xiaojing, Zhang Rongzhen,   Yang Taowei, Xu Zhenghong, Yang Shangtian. Efficient whole-cell biocatalyst   for acetoin production with NAD⁺ regeneration system through   homologous co-expression of 2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase and NADH oxidase in   engineered Bacillus subtilis [J]. PLoS One, 9(7): e102951, 2014.