Xiuren Zhang received his Ph.D. from Cornell University and conducted postdoctoral research at The Rockefeller University. He began his career as an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University in 2008 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2014 and to Full Professor in 2018. He held the Christine Richardson Professorship in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics before he joined in SUAT.

Dr. Zhang is an internationally recognized expert in RNA biology and plant science. His research has long focused on plant RNA silencing, RNA secondary structures, epigenetics, epitranscriptomic modifications, and host–virus interactions. He has published a series of pioneering studies as a sole corresponding author in top-tier journals such as Cell, Nature, Nature Cell Biology, Nature Plants, Science Advances, Developmental Cell, Nature Comm, and PNAS. His research achievements have been reported more than 20 times by international media, with approximately 700 citations/year currently.

Dr. Zhang has secured more than $18.5 million in research funding from multiple agencies, including NIH and NSF in the US. In recognition of his outstanding scientific contributions, he has received numerous honors, including AgriLife Faculty Fellow, Presidential Impact Fellow, Chancellor EDGES Fellow, and earlier NSF CAREER Award. Dr. Zhang was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

1.Identification and mechanistic investigation of new components in RNA silencing pathways in plants.

2.Deciphering genetic codes and functions embedded in RNA secondary structures and RNA epi-modification.

3.Functional analysis of intrinsic disorder proteins and their transformation applications.

4.Improvement of critical agricultural traits, biotechnology products, and human health via RNA-driven synthetic biology.

Education:

1999-2003: Cornell University, NY. Ph.D. Plant Biology

1997-1999: Auburn University, AL. M.S. Horticulture/Biotech

1991-1994: China Agricultural University. M.S. Horticulture

1985-1989: Southern Agricultural College of Anhui. BS. Economic Plant

Work Experience

2023.9-025.7 Christine Richardson Endowed Professor, Department of Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Texas A&M (TAMU)

2020.7-2025.7 Professor, Department of Biology (Joint appointment) TAMU

2018.9-2023.8 Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, TAMU

2013.9-2018.8 Assoc Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics,TAMU

2008.9-2013.8 Assist Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics,TAMU

2003.9-2008.7 Postdoc, Lab of Plant Molecular Biology, Rockefeller University

1. Functions and mechanisms of new components in RNA silencing (2024.2.1-2029.1.31): NIH (two R01s merged to one R35; stopped in 2025 due to PI's departure from US; Sole PI);

2. Function and mechanism of Coat protein complex I in RNA silencing (2023.12.1-2027.12.1): NSF Molecular & Cellular Biology (MCB) (stopped in 2025 due to PI's departure from US; Sole PI);

3. Exploring LLPS-featured SAID homologs to improve agricultural traits (2023.7.6-2028.7.6): HATCH, USDA (PI);

4. Roles of SWI/SNF complexes in posttranscriptional processing of RNA (2019.4.1-2024.5.31): NIH (Sole PI);

5. Suppression mechanism of Geminivirus-encoded TrAP protein (2018.12.21-2023.11.30): NIH (Sole PI);

6. Roles of the SERRATE protein in regulation of miRNA biogenesis and transposable element silencing in Arabidopsis thaliana (2017.11.15-2022.11.14): NSF (Sole PI);

7. CAREER: Arabidopsis Argonaute10-protein interactome (2013.6.15-2019.5.14): NSF (Sole PI);

8. Pathogenesis Mechanism of Geminivirus-Encoded AL2 (2012.2.1-2015.1.31): NIH (Sole PI);

9. Biochemical basis of liquid-liquid phase separation and impact of DSPPL in microRNA production factory (2011.6.1-2026.5.31): Welch Foundation (Sole PI);

10. Argonaute-RNA interactome in Arabidopsis (2010.2.1-2014.1.31): NSF (Sole PI).

1.Zhong S** Oh TR, Li X, Zhang J, Choi SW, Gao C, Peng X, Dong J, He C,Zhang X**. CDS-localized m6A drives co-translational RNA decay to relieve biotic and abiotic endoplasmic reticulum stresses. Nat Plants. 2026 May;12(5):1062-1078. doi: 10.1038/s41477-026-02299-4.

2.Zhu J** Li C, Onyia C, Li X, Yan X, Zhong S, Oh T, Zhang X.** DMS-MaPseq and DREEM Analyses Implicate the Critical Role of RNA Structural Dynamics in Turnip Yellow Mosaic Virus Pathogenicity. Adv Sci 2026 May 8:e75614. doi: 10.1002/advs.75614.

3.Zhong, S., X., Li, C. Bai, H., Chen, J., Gan, L. Zhu, J. Oh, T., Yan, X., Zhu, J., Li, N., Koiwa, H. Meek, T., Peng, X., Yu, B., Zhang, Z.** and Zhang, X.**, 2024. SERRATE drives phase separation behaviours to regulate m6A modification and miRNA biogenesis. Nat Cell Biol.

4.Li, X., Zhong, S.**, Li, C., Yan, X., Zhu, J., Li, Y., Wang, Z., Peng, X., and Zhang, X., 2024. RNA helicase Brr2a promotes miRNA biogenesis by properly remodeling secondary structure of pri-miRNAs. Nat Plants. doi: 10.1038/s41477-024-01788-8.

5.Yan X*, Li C*, Liu K, Zhang T, Xu Q, Li X, Zhu J, Wang Z, Yusuf A, Cao S, Peng X, Cai JJ, Zhang X. 2024. Parallel degradome-seq and DMS-MaPseq substantially revise the miRNA biogenesis atlas in Arabidopsis. Nat Plants. doi: 10.1038/s41477-024-01725-9.

6.Zhang, T*., Li, C*; Zhu, J*, **., Li, Y., Wang, Z., Tong, C., Xi, Y., Han, Y.; Koiwa, H.; Peng, X., and Zhang, X**. Structured 3' UTRs destabilize mRNAs in plants. Genome Biol 2024 Feb 22;25(1):54. doi: 10.1186/s13059-024-03186-x.

7.Wang, Z., Zhao, C., Tong, C., Castillo-González, C., Li, C., Xie, K., Zhu, J., Jacob, Y., Michaels, S., Jacobsen, S., Peng, X., and Zhang, X. Mutations of histone methyltransferases confer Geminivirus resistance to via retaining DNA repair proteins onto rDNA and defense genes in Arabidopsis. 2023. Nat Comm. Nov 18;14(1):7484. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-43311-1

8.Shang, B*., Wang, L.*, Yan, X.*, Li, C., Wu, C. Wang, T., Choi, S., Wang, Z., Peng, X., and Zhang, X. Intrinsically disordered proteins SAID1/2 condensate on SERRATE/ARS2 for dual inhibitions of miRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis. 2023. PNAS. 2023 Apr 4;120(14):e2216006120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2216006120.

9.Wang, L.*, Yan, X.*, Li, Y., Wang, Z., Chhajed, S., Shang, B., Wang, Z., Suk Won Choi, S.W., Zhao, H., Chen, S., and Zhang. X. PRP4KA phosphorylates SERRATE for degradation via 20S proteasome to fine-tune miRNA production in Arabidopsis. Sci Adv. 2022. 8(12):eabm8435. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abm8435.

10.Sun, D*, Li, Y*, Ma, Z, Yan, X, Li, N, Shang, B, Hu, X, Cui, K, Koiwa, H, and Zhang, X. 2021. The epigenetic factor FVE orchestrates cytoplasmic SGS3-DRB4-DCL4 activities to promote transgene silencing in Arabidopsis. Sci Adv. 7(32):eabf3898. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abf3898.

11.Li. Y.*, Sun, D.*, Ma, Z., Yamaguchi, K.$, Wang, L, Zhong, S. Yan, X., Shang, B., Nagashima, Y., Koiwa, H., Han, J., Xie, Q., Zhou, M., Wang, Z.**, and Zhang, X.**, 2020. Degradation of Serrate via ubiquitin-independent 20S proteasome to survey RNA metabolism. Nat Plants. 2020 Aug;6(8):970-982. doi: 10.1038/s41477-020-0721-4.

12.Ma, Z., Castillo-González, C. #, Wang, Z., Sun, D. #, Hu, X., Shen, X., Potok, M.E., and Zhang, X. Arabidopsis Serrate Coordinates Histone Methyltransferases ATXR5/6 and RNA Processing Factor RDR6 to Regulate Transposon Expression. Dev Cell. 45(6):769-784.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.05.023.

13.Wang, Z., Ma, Z.*, Castillo-González, C. *, Sun, D. , Li, Y. , Yu, B., Zhao, B., Li, P., and Zhang, X. 2018. SWI/SNF subunit CHR2 remodels pri-miRNAs via SE to inhibit miRNA production. Nature. 557(7706):516-521.

14.Zhang, Z.*, Guo, X.*, Ge, C*., Ma, Z., Jiang, M. , Li, T., Koiwa H., Yang, S.K., and Zhang, X. 2017. KETCH1 (Karyopherin Enabling the Transport of the Cytoplasmic HYL1) imports HYL1 to nucleus for miRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis. PNAS. 114(15):4011-4016.

15.Zhang, Z.*, Liu, X.*, Guo, X., Wang, X-J.** and Zhang, X**. 2016. Arabidopsis AGO3 predominantly recruits 24-nt small RNAs to regulate epigenetic silencing. Nat Plants. 16049 (2016) doi:10.1038/nplants.2016.49.

16.Castillo-González, C., Liu, X., Huang, C., Zhao, C., Hu, T., Sun, F$., Ma, Z., Zhou, Y., Zhou, X., Wang, X., and Zhang, X.2015. Geminivirus-encoded TrAP suppressor inhibits the histone methyltransferase SUVH4/KYP to counter host defense. eLife. 2015 Sep 7;4. doi: 10.7554/eLife.06671.

17.Zhu, H., Zhou, Y., Castillo, C. , Lu, A., Zhao, Y., Duan, L., Li, Z., Wang, XJ and Zhang, X. 2013. Bidirectional processing of pri-miRNAs with branched terminal loops by Arabidopsis Dicer-like1. Nat Struc Mol Biol 20:1106-1115.

18.Zhu, H.*, Hu, F.* , Wang, R.*, Zhou, X., Sze, S., Liou, L. , Barefoot, A., Dickman, M.,and Zhang, X. 2011. The Arabidopsis Argonaute 10 specifically recruits miR166/165 to maintain shoot apical meristem. Cell. 145:242-256.