Education:

2012.09 – 2017.06 State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ph.D

2015.07 – 2016.07 Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Joint training programs

2008.09 – 2012.06 Sun Yat-Sen University，College of Life Sciences, B.S

Working Experience:

2023.03-present Shenzhen University, IAS, Assistant Professor

2020.07-2023.02 Shenzhen University, IAS, Associated Research Fellow

2017.07-2020.06 Shenzhen University, IAS, Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Research Interests:

Microbial ecology

Mangrove blue carbon sink

Ecological distribution, metabolism and evolution of methanogens/methanotrophs

Metagenomics associated bioinformatics

Prediction of greenhouse gas emission fluxes based on ecological models

Grants:

1. National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Youth Fund Project, 42007217, Metabolisms and environmental effects of Methanofastidiosa and Methanomassiilicoccales in mangrove wetlands, 2021/01-2023/12, 240,000 RMB

2. China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, 2018M630977, Spatial variations and environmental effects of novel methanogens in mangrove ecosystems, 2018/01-2020/06, 80,000 RMB

Publications:

(1)Cui-Jing Zhang#, Yu-Rong Liu#, Gui-Hong Cha, Yang Liu, Xin-Quan Zhou, Zhong-Yi Lu, Jie Pan, Ming-Wei Cai, Meng Li* Potential for mercury methylation by Asgard archaea in mangrove sediments. The ISME Journal 2023, 17: 478–485 (#equal contribution)

(2) Zhuo Zhou#,Cui-jing Zhang#, Peng-fei Liu#, Lin Fu#, Rafael Laso-Pérez, Lu Yang, Li-ping Bai, Jun-zhang Lin, Wei-dong Wang, Gunter Wegener*, Meng Li*, Lei Cheng*. Non-syntrophic methanogenic hydrocarbon degradation by an archaeal species. Nature 2022, 601: 257–262 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04235-2

(3)Cui-Jing Zhang, Yu-Lian Chen, Yi‑Hua Sun, Jie Pan, Ming‑Wei Cai, Meng Li*. Diversity, metabolism and cultivation of archaea in mangrove ecosystems. Marine Life Science & Technology 2021, 3: 252–262

(4)Cui-Jing Zhang, Jie Pan, Yang Liu, Chang-Hai Duan, Meng Li*. Genomic and transcriptomic insights into methanogenesis potential of novel methanogens from mangrove sediments. Microbiome 2020, 8:94

(5)Cui-Jing Zhang, Yu-Lian Chen, Jie Pan, Yong-Ming Wang, Meng Li*. Spatial and seasonal variation of methanogenic community in a river-bay system in South China. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 2020, 104:4593-4603

(6)Cui-Jing Zhang, Jie Pan, Chang-Hai Duan, Yong-Ming Wang, Yang Liu, Jian Sun, Hai-Chao Zhou, Xin Song, Meng Li*. Prokaryotic Diversity in Mangrove Sediments across Southeastern China Fundamentally Differs from That in Other Biomes. mSystems 2019, 4(5): e00442-19

(7)Cui-Jing Zhang, Zhong-Ling Yang, Ju-Pei Shen, Yi-Fei Sun, Jun-Tao Wang, Hong-Yan Han, Shi-Qiang Wan, Li-Mei Zhang*, Ji-Zheng He. Impacts of long-term nitrogen addition, watering and mowing on ammonia oxidizers, denitrifiers and plant communities in a temperate steppe. Applied Soil Ecology 2018, 130(4): 241-250

(8)Cui-Jing Zhang, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, John E. Drake, Peter B. Reich, Mark G. Tjoelker, David T. Tissue, Jun-Tao Wang, Ji-Zheng He*, Brajesh K. Singh*. Intra-species variation of the widely distributed tree species Eucalyptus tereticornis regulates the responses of soil microbiome to changes in temperatures. Environmental Microbiology Reports 2018, 10(2):167-178

(9)Cui-Jing Zhang, Ju-Pei Shen, Yi-Fei Sun, Jun-Tao Wang, Li-Mei Zhang, Zhong-Ling Yang, Hong-Yan Han, Shi-Qiang Wan and Ji-Zheng He*. Interactive effects of multiple climate change factors on ammonia oxidizers and denitrifiers in a temperate steppe. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 2017, 93(4): fix 037

(10) Zongbao Liu, Xiulin Wan,Cuijing Zhang, Mingwei Cai, Yueping Pan, Meng Li*. Deep sequencing reveals comprehensive insight into the prevalence, mobility, and hosts of antibiotic resistance genes in mangrove ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Management 2023;335:117580

(11) Zhe Lyu*, Amelia-Elena Rotaru*, Mark Pimentel*,Cui-Jing Zhang*, and Simon K.-M. R. Rittmann*. Editorial: The methane moment - Cross-boundary significance of methanogens: Preface. Frontiers in Microbiology 2022, 13

(12) Xinxu Zhang,Cuijing Zhang, Yang Liu, Rui Zhang, Meng Li*. Non-negligible roles of archaea in coastal carbon biogeochemical cycling. Trends in Microbiology 2022, S0966-842X(22)00316-X

(13) Xinxu Zhang, Yuhan Huang, Yang Liu, Wei Xu, Jie Pan, Xiaowei Zheng, Huan Du,Cuijing Zhang, Zhongyi Lu, Dayu Zou, Zongbao Liu, Mingwei Cai, Jinbo Xiong, Yaxin Zhu, Zhiyang Dong, Hongchen Jiang, Hailiang Dong, Juquan Jiang, Zhuhua Luo, Li Huang, Meng Li. An ancient respiratory system in the widespread sedimentary archaea Thermoprofundales. Molecular Biology and Evolution. 2022 Oct 1:msac213. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msac213.

(14) Mingwei Cai, Xiuran Yin, Xiaoyu Tang,Cuijing Zhang, Qingfei Zheng, Meng Li*. Metatranscriptomics reveals different features of methanogenic archaea among global vegetated coastal ecosystems. Science of the Total Environment 2022, 802:149848

(15) Mingwei Cai, Chang-Hai Duan, XinXu Zhang, Jie Pan, Yang Liu,Cuijing Zhang, and Meng Li*. Genomic and transcriptomic dissection of Theionarchaea in marine ecosystem. SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences 2022, 65(6):1222-1234

(16) Wen-Cong Huang, Yang Liu, Xinxu Zhang,Cui-Jing Zhang, Dayu Zou, Shiling Zheng, Wei Xu, Zhuhua Luo, Fanghua Liu, and Meng Li*. Comparative genomic analysis reveals metabolic flexibility of Woesearchaeota. Nature Communications 2021, 12(1):5281

(17) Yang Liu, Kira S. Makarova, Wen-Cong Huang, Yuri I. Wolf, Anastasia N. Nikolskaya, Xinxu Zhang, Mingwei Cai,Cui-Jing Zhang, Wei Xu, Zhuhua Luo, Lei Cheng, Eugene V. Koonin* & Meng Li*. Expanded diversity of Asgard archaea and their relationships with eukaryotes. Nature 2021, 593(7860):553-557

(18) Zhongyi Lu, Zongbao Liu,Cuijing Zhang, Qiaoyan Wei, Siyu Zhang, Meng Li*. Spatial and seasonal variations of sediment bacterial communities in a River-bay System in South China. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 2021, 105(5):1979-1989.

(19) Shu-Shen Dai, Ziming Yang, Yindong Tong, Long Chen, Si-Yuan Liu, Rong Pan, Yanbin Li,Cui-Jing Zhang, Yu-Rong Liu*, Qiaoyun Huang. Global distribution and environmental drivers of methylmercury production in sediments, Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2021, 407: 124700

(20) Mingwei Cai, Tim Richter-Heitmann, Xiuran Yin, Wen-Cong Huang, Yuchun Yang,Cuijing Zhang, Changhai Duan, Jie Pan, Yang Liu, Yue Liu, Michael W. Friedrich, Meng Li*. Ecological features and global distribution of Asgard archaea, Science of the Total Environment 2021, 758:143581 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143581

(21) Zongbao Liu,Cuijing Zhang, Qiaoyan Wei, Siyu Zhang, Zhexue Quan, Meng Li*. Temperature and Salinity Drive Comammox Community Composition in Mangrove Ecosystems Across Southeastern China. Science of the Total Environment. 2020, 742:140456

(22) Yi-Fei Sun, Ju-Pei Shen,Cui-Jing Zhang, Li-Mei Zhang, Wen-Ming Bai, Ying Fang, Ji-Zheng He*. Responses of soil microbial community to nitrogen fertilizer and precipitation regimes in a semi-arid steppe. Journal of Soils and Sediments. 2018, 18:762–774

(23) Jun Zeng, Ju-Pei Shen*, Jun-Tao Wang, Hang-Wei Hu,Cui-Jing Zhang, Ren Bai, Li-Mei Zhang, Ji-Zheng He*. Impacts of projected climate warming and wetting on soil microbial communities in alpine grassland ecosystems of the Tibetan Plateau. Microbial Ecology 2018, 75: 1009-1023

(24) Qing Wang, Yu-Rong Liu*,Cui-Jing Zhang, Li-Mei Zhang, Li-Li Han, Ju-Pei Shen and Ji-Zheng He. Responses of soil nitrous oxide production and abundances and composition of associated microbial communities to nitrogen and water amendment. Biology and Fertility of Soils 2017, 53(6): 601-611

(25) Jun Zeng, Kai Lou,Cui-Jing Zhang, Jun-Tao Wang, Hang-Wei Hu, Ju-Pei Shen, Li-Mei Zhang, Li-Li Han, Tao Zhang, Qin Lin, Philip M.Chalk and Ji-Zheng He*. Primary succession of nitrogen cycling microbial communities along the deglaciated forelands of Tianshan Mountain, China. Frontiers in Microbiology 2016, 7:1353.