Main work

Prof. Yuan Zhilin, the PI of State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding (Beijing). He mainly works on the genetic and environmental basis of novel tree root-fungus mutualistic interactions, population genomics of root dark septate endophytes (DSEs) and DSEs-based synthetic fungal community construction. These advances have revolutionized our understanding of functioning of soil mutualistic fungi and paved the way for technology of "matching site, fungi, and fertilizer with trees". In the past five years, a total of 23 peer reviewed papers were published including prestigious journals like the ISME Journal, Curr Biol and Trends Microbiol.

Key research projects

• The Youth Fund (31100463, 2012-2014), General Fund (31370704, 2014-2017) and Outstanding Youth Fund of NSFC (31722014, 2018-2020).

• Leading talent project ("10000-talent Program") of Zhejiang Province (2020R52037, 2021-2023).

Awards & achievements

• Leading talent project ("10000-talent Program") of Zhejiang Province, 2020

• Millions of Talents Project Provincial candidates of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, 2018

• The 14th China Forestry Youth Science and Technology Award, 2017

Published articles & books

• Yuan Zhilin, Su Zhenzhu and Zhang Chulong. 2016. Understanding the Biodiversity and Functions of Root Fungal Endophytes: the ascomycete Harpophora oryzae as a model case. In: The Mycota Vol. IV: Environmental and Microbial Relationships, 3rd edition, ed. by Irina S. Druzhinina and Christian P. Kubicek. Springer, pp. 205-214.

• Wei Huanshen, Zhenhui Zhong, He Xinghua, Yang Yuzhan, Riccardo Baroncelli, Yuan Zhilin. 2024. Loss of the accessory chromosome converts a pathogenic tree root fungus into a mutualistic endophyte. Plant Communications, 5(1): 100672.

• Yuwei Zhang, Jincai Shi, Xianan Xie, Francis Martin, Ertao Wang, Zhilin Yuan. Phosphorus/nitrogen sensing and signaling in diverse root–fungus symbioses. Trends in Microbiology, doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.08.005

• Peng Long, Wang Yuchen, Zhang Yan, Zhang Xiaoguo, Francis Martin, Yuan Zhilin. 2022. A facultative ectomycorrhizal association is triggered by organic nitrogen. Current Biology, 32(24):5235-5249.e7.

• Xinghua He, Yuzhan Yang, Huanshen Wei, Zhilin Yuan. 2021. Soil microbiome-mediated salinity tolerance of poplar plantlets is context-dependent. Chemosphere, 272: 129600.

• Xinghua He, Zhilin Yuan. Near-chromosome-level genome assembly of the dark septate endophyte Laburnicola rhizohalophila: a model for investigating root-fungus symbiosis. Genome Biology and Evolution, 13(3): evab026.

• Yuan Z, Wu Q, Xu L, Druzhinina IS, Stukenbrock EH, Nieuwenhuis BPS, Zhong Z, Liu ZJ, Wang X, Cai F, Kubicek CP, Shan X, Wang J, Shi G, Peng L, Martin FM. 2021. The genomic landscape in a relict fir-associated fungus reveals rapid convergent adaptation towards endophytism. The ISME Journal, 16(5): 1294-1305.

• Yuan Z, Druzhinina IS, Gibbons JG, Zhong Z, Van de Peer Y, Rodriguez RJ, Liu Z, Wang X, Wei H, Wu Q, Wang J, Shi G, Cai F, Peng L, Martin FM. 2021. Divergence of a genomic island leads to the evolution of melanization in a halophyte root fungus. The ISME Journal, 15(12): 3468-3479.

• Long Peng, Xiaoliang Shan, Yuzhan Yang, Irina S. Druzhinina, Xueyu Pan, Wei Jin, Xinyu Wang, Xiaoguo Zhang, Francis M. Martin, Zhilin Yuan. 2021. Facultative symbiosis with a saprotrophic soil fungus promotes potassium uptake in American sweetgum trees. Plant Cell and Environment, 44(8): 2793-2809.

• Qin Y, Druzhinina IS, Pan Xueyu, Yuan ZL. 2016. Microbially-Mediated Plant Salt Tolerance and Microbiome-based Solutions for Saline Agriculture. Biotechnology Advances, 34(7): 1245-1259.

• Yuan Zhi-Lin, Chen Yi-Cun, Xu Bai-Ge, Zhang Chu-Long. 2012. Current perspectives on the volatile-producing fungal endophytes. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 32(4): 363-373.

• Yuan Zhi-lin, Rao Long-bing, Chen Yi-cun, Zhang Chu-long and Wu You-gui. From pattern to process: species and functional diversity in fungal endophytes of conifer Abies beshanzuensis. Fungal Biology, 2011, 115: 197-213.

• Yuan Zhi-lin, Zhang Chu-long, Lin Fu-cheng and Christian P. Kubicek. Identity, Diversity, and Molecular Phylogeny of the Endophytic Mycobiota in Rare Wild Rice Roots (Oryza granulata) from a Nature Reserve in Yunnan, China. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2010, 76:1642-1652.

• Yuan Zhi-lin, Zhang Chu-long and Lin Fu-cheng. Role of Diverse Non-Systemic Fungal Endophytes in Plant Performance and Response to Stress: Progress and Approaches. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 2010, 29: 116-126.

• Yuan Zhi-lin, Lin Fu-cheng, Zhang Chu-long and Kubicek Christian P. A new species of Harpophora (Magnaporthaceae) recovered from healthy wild rice (Oryza granulata) roots, representing a novel member of beneficial dark septate endophyte. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 2010, 307: 94-101.