Peer-Reviewed Publications (Selected Publications. Corresponding author is highlighted in bold, * indicates SBU undergraduate students)

1. Matthew Fabian, Min Gao, Xiao-Ning Zhang, Jiangli Shi, Leah Vrydagh, Sung-Ha Kim, Priyank Patel, Anna R Hu*, Hua Lu. (2023) The flowering time regulator FLK controls pathogen defense in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Physiology. 191(4): 2461-2474. DOI:10.1093/plphys/kiad021.

2. Runxuan Zhang, Richard Kuo, Max Coulter, ..., Xiao-Ning Zhang, et al. (2022) A high-resolution single-molecule sequencing-based Arabidopsis transcriptome using novel methods of Iso-seq analysis. Genome Biol. 23, 149. DOI:10.1186/s13059-022-02711-0. 

3. Samuel L. Chen*, Timothy J. Rooney*, Anna R. Hu*, Hunter S. Beard, Wesley M. Garrett, Leann M. Mangalath*, Jordan J. Powers*, Bret Cooper, Xiao-Ning Zhang. (2019) Quantitative proteomics reveals a role for SERINE/ARGININE-RICH 45 in regulating RNA metabolism and modulating transcriptional suppression via the ASAP complex in Arabidopsis thaliana. Frontiers in Plant Science. 10:1116. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01116. 

4. Nannan Zhang, Dandan Zhang, Samuel L. Chen*, Ben-Qiang Gong, Yanjun Guo, Lahong Xu, Xiano-Ning Zhang and Jian-Feng Li. (2018) Engineering artificial microRNAs for multiplex gene silencing and simplified transgenic screen. Plant Physiology. 178(3): 989-1001. DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.00828.

5. Xiao-Ning Zhang, Yifei Shi, Jordan Powers*, Nikhil Gowda*, Chong Zhang, Heba Ibrahim, Hannah Ball*, Samuel Chen*, Hua Lu, Stephen Mount. (2017) Transcriptome analyses reveal SR45 to be a neutral splicing regulator and a suppressor of innate immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. BMC Genomics. 18:722. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-4183-7.

6. Kevin Cilano*, Zachary Mazanek*, Mahmuda Khan*, Sarah Metcalfe*, Xiao-Ning Zhang. (2016) A new mutation, hap1-2, reveals a C terminal domain function in AtMago protein and its biological effects in male gametophyte development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plos One. 11(2):e0148200. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0148200.

7. Alexandra M. Paz*, Xiao-Ning Zhang. (2016 online, 2018 in print) The GMO Industry: A Neglected Earthly Frontier. Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition.13(2):277-288. DOI:10.1080/19320248.2016.1227755.

8. Padmini Srinivasan, Xiao-Ning Zhang, Roxane Bouten, Caren Chang. (2015) Ferret: A sentence-based literature scanning system. BMC Bioinformatics. 16:198. DOI 10.1186/s12859-015-0630-0.

9. Xiao-Ning Zhang, Cecilia Mo*, Wesley M. Garrett, Bret Cooper. (2014) Phosphothreonine 218 is required for the function of SR45.1 in regulating flower petal development in Arabidopsis. Plant Signaling & Behavior. 9:e29134. DOI: 10.4161/psb.29134.

10. Andreas Thor, Philip Anderson, Louiqa Raschid, Saket Navlakha, Barna Saha, Samir Khuller & Xiao-Ning Zhang. (2011) Link prediction for annotation graphs using graph summarization. Proceedings of the International Semantic Web Conference (ISWC2011). Bonn, Germany. October 23-27th, 2011. Also appeared in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springer, Vol.7031/2011, 714-729, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-25073-6_45. 

11. Barna Saha, Allison Hoch, Samir Khuller, Louiqa Raschid & Xiao-Ning Zhang. (2010) Dense subgraphs with restrictions and applications to gene annotation graphs. Fourteenth International Conference on Research in Computational Molecular Biology (RECOM 2010). Also appears in Research in Computational Molecular Biology, Springer, Vol.6044/2010: 456-472. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-12683-3_30. 

12. Xiao-Ning Zhang & Stephen Mount. (2009) Two alternatively spliced isoforms of the Arabidopsis thaliana SR45 protein have distinct roles during normal plant development. Plant Physiol. 150(3): 1-9. DOI:10.1104/pp.109.138180. 

13. Xiao-Ning Zhang, Y. Wu, J. W. Tobias, B. P. Brunk, G. Deitzer & D. Liu. (2008) HFR1 is crucial for transcriptome regulation in the cryptochrome 1-mediated early response to blue light in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plos One. 3(10): e3563. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0003563.

Meeting Presentations (Talks)

- Research Talks

1. Xiao-Ning Zhang. Serine/Arginine-rich 45-mediated transcriptional and splicing regulation in plant immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. 31st Plant and Animal Genome Conference. San Diego, CA. January 12-17, 2024 (Invited)

2. Xiao-Ning Zhang. Quantitative proteomics reveals tissue-specific preferences for a splicing regulator, SERINE/ARGININE-RICH 45, in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant and Animal Genome Conference XXVIII. San Diego, CA. January 11-15, 2020. (Invited)

3. Xiao-Ning Zhang, Chong Zhang, Jordan Powers, Hua Lu. A splicing activator, SR45, functions as a global suppressor of plant immunity. Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation in Plants Meeting. Austin, Texas. July 14-15, 2016. (Selected) 

4. Xiao-Ning Zhang. High quality RNAs for healthy pollen. 17th Plant Biology Minisymposium, May 26, 2016. (Invited)

5. Xiao-Ning Zhang. Phosphor-regulation induced pre-mRNA splicing via a splicing activator, SR45, during flower development. Plant and Animal Genome XXIII Conference. San Diego, CA. January 10-14th, 2015. (Invited)

6. Xiao-Ning Zhang. A splicing regulator, SR45, plays versatile roles in plant development and environmental responses. 31th Mid-Atlantic Plant Molecular Biology Society Conference. Laurel, MD. August 21st-22nd, 2014. (Invited) 

7. Xiao-Ning Zhang, Cecilia Mo, Steve Mount and Bret Cooper. A Phosphorylation on T218 is required for the distinct function of SR45.1 in the regulation of flower petal development. Plant Biology 2013 Meeting. Providence, RI. July 20th-24th, 2013. (Selected). 

8. Xiao-Ning Zhang, Kevin Cilano, Stephen Mount & Jill Remick. OPEN IMMATURE FLOWER (OIF), a genetic enhancer of SR45, is involved in the regulation of flower development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Rochester Academy of Science 37th Annual Paper Session. Rochester, NY. November 6th, 2010. (Contributed) 

9. Stephen M. Mount, Amishav Bresler, Kevin P. Cilano, Dionne Rebello & Xiao-Ning Zhang. The open immature flower phenotype in hybrids between the Landsberg erecta and Columbia strains of Arabidopsis thaliana. Mid-Atlantic Plant Molecular Biology Society Conference 2010. Laurel, MD. August 12th-13th, 2010. (Contributed)

- Education Talks

1. Xiao-Ning Zhang. Teaching DNA in our life from K through 12. WNY STEAM Conference. Buffalo, NY. August 6, 2018. (Selected)

2. Xiao-Ning Zhang and Jacqueline Philp. Teaching biotechnology and GMOs to non-science majors in college. STEM Institute. Alfred State College, NY. July 29-31, 2018. (Selected)

3. Rene Hauser, Jacqueline Philp and Xiao-Ning Zhang. No time lost: Integrated lessons. STEM Institute. Alfred State College, NY. July 29-31, 2018. (Selected)

Student Research Talks and Posters (Highlights, presenters are in bold)

1. Audrey Bui, Arden Bui, Hunter Beard, Wesley Garrett, Bret Cooper, Min Gao, Serena Fan, Iesh Gujral, Anthony Long, Hua Lu, Xiao-Ning Zhang. Serine/Arginine-rich 45-mediated transcriptional and splicing regulation in plant immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. The 33rd, International Conference on Arabidopsis Research. Chiba, Japan. June 5-9, 2023. Poster.

2. Arden Bui, Christopher Chin, Mário Santos, Chandra Shekhar Misra, Jorg Becker, Xiao-Ning Zhang. The effects of a splicing regulator, Serine/Arginine-rich 45, on Arabidopsis thaliana sperm transcriptome. Joint MAS-ASPB & UMD Plant Minisymposium. May 25 – 26, 2022. (Bui won Undergraduate Student Poster Presentation Award)

3. Christopher Chin, Anna Hu, Claire Schaef, Xiao-Ning Zhang. Crosstalk within the ASAP complex coordinates transcriptional and splicing control in Arabidopsis thaliana. Joint MAS-ASPB & UMD Plant Minisymposium. May 25 – 26, 2022. Poster.

4. Audrey Bui, Arden Bui, Christopher Chin, Hunter Beard, Wesley Garrett, Bret Cooper, Min Gao, Hua Lu, Xiao-Ning Zhang. Serine/Arginine-rich 45-mediated transcriptional and splicing regulation in plant immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. 23rd Penn State Symposium in Plant Biology: RNA Biology. May 18 – 20, 2022. Poster.

5. Anna Hu & Xiao-Ning Zhang. Development-dependent SR45-mediated differential gene regulation in plant development and innate immunity in Arabidopsis. 26th Annual RNA Meeting. May 25 – June 5, 2021. (online poster)

6. Anna Hu & Xiao-Ning Zhang. Looking into the internal coordination within the ASAP complex for gene regulation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Rustbelt RNA Meeting. October 23-24, 2020. (online, Hu won Excellent Undergraduate Student Poster Presentation Award). 

7. Audrey Bui, Anna Hu, Arden Bui, Xiao-Ning Zhang. The Role of Serine/Arginine-rich 45 Alternatively Spliced Isoforms in Innate Immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. Rustbelt RNA Meeting. October 23-24, 2020. (online, Bui won Excellent Undergraduate Student Poster Presentation Award)

8. Claire Schaef & Xiao-Ning Zhang. Discovering the role of SAP18 in transcriptional regulation by creating a SAP18 knockdown line. Rustbelt RNA Meeting. October 23-24, 2020. (online poster)

9. Audrey Bui, Anna Hu, Arden Bui, Xiao-Ning Zhang. The role of a splicing regulator, Serine/Arginine-rich 45, in innate immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Biology Worldwide Summit 2020 (online iPoster). July 27-31, 2020.

10. Audrey Bui, Arpitha Pamula, Jordan Powers, Joseph Hong, Claire Schaef, Xiao-Ning Zhang. The role of alternatively spliced Serine/Arginine-rich 45 isoforms in Arabidopsis thaliana innate immune response. Rustbelt RNA Meeting. Cleveland, OH. October 25-26, 2019. (Bui won Excellent Undergraduate Student Poster Presentation Award)

11. Anna Hu, Claire Schaef, Xiao-Ning Zhang. The kernel of truth: The role of ASAP complex in abscisic acid response regulation during seed germination and early seedling development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Rustbelt RNA Meeting. Cleveland, OH. October 25-26, 2019. (Hu's selected talk)

12. Xiao-Ning Zhang, Emily Ranseen, Hunter Beard, Wesley Garrett, Jordan Powers, Chong Zhang, Arthur Hunt, Bret Cooper & Hua Lu. A comparative analysis of transcriptome and proteome reveals roles for Serine/Arginine-Rich 45 in Arabidopsis innate immune response. FASEB Research Conference – The Mechanisms in Plant Development. Olean, NY. July 28-August 2, 2019.

13. Samuel Chen, Timothy Rooney, Yifei Shi, Steve Mount, Hunter Beard, Wesley Garrett, Bret Cooper, Xiao-Ning Zhang. Transcriptome and proteome changes in response to perturbation of pre-mRNA splicing during reproduction in Arabidopsis. Gordon Research Conference: Plant Molecular Biology. Holderness, NH. June 10-15, 2018.

14. Jordan Powers, Chong Zhang, Hua Lu, Xiao-Ning Zhang. A splicing regulator, serine/Arginine-rich 45, plays a novel role in suppressing innate immunity in Arabidopsis. Plant Biology Meeting. Honolulu, Hawaii. Jul. 24-28, 2017. (Powers received ASPB travel award.)

15. Jordan Powers, Nikhil Gowda, Xiao-Ning Zhang. RNA-seq data analysis reveals a novel role of SR45 in plant innate immunity. Rustbelt RNA Meeting. Cleveland, OH. October 14-15, 2016. (Powers’s selected talk. He won Outstanding Undergraduate Student Oral Presentation Award)

16. Vanya Aggarwal, Rijo Maracheril, Xiao-Ning Zhang. Mutations in AtKIN11 and AtKIN10 and their effects on protein structures and glucose sensing. Plant Biology Meeting. Minneapolis, MN. July 25-29, 2015.

17. Yeon Joo Hong, Vivian Lee, Xiao-Ning Zhang. An investigation of the interaction between two phosphorylation sites in a splicing activator SR45.1 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant and Animal Genome XXIII Conference. San Diego, CA. January 10-14, 2015.

18. Rijo Maracheril, Vanya Aggarwal, Xiao-Ning Zhang. A new mutation in AtKIN11 enhances phenotypic changes found in sr45-1 mutant. 31th Mid-Atlantic Plant Molecular Biology Society Conference. Laurel, MD. August 21-22, 2014. 

19. Timothy Quan & Xiao-Ning Zhang. Effect of hap1-2 mutation on centromere positioning in Arabidopsis flower development. 15th Plant Biology Minisymposium. College Park, MD. May 29, 2014. 

20. Zachary Mazanek, Meera Babu, Xiao-Ning Zhang. Interactions of core proteins within the exon junction complex of Arabidopsis thaliana. Rochester Academy of Science Annual Paper Session. Rochester, NY. November 9, 2013. 

21. Cecilia Mo & Xiao-Ning Zhang. Artificial microRNA knockdown of HAP1 disturbs pollen formation and sperm development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Rochester Academy of Science 39th Annual Fall Scientific Paper Session. Rochester, NY. November 10, 2012. 

22. Mahmuda Khan, Garima Agrawa, Jennifer Andrews, Grace Lewis, Michelle Mills, Cecilia Mo, Xiao-Ning Zhang. Functional exon-exon junction complex is essential for the success of male gametophyte development in Arabidopsis thaliana. Gorden Research Conference – Plant Molecular Biology 2012. Holderness, NH, July 15-20, 2012. 

23. David Samuel, Kun-Young Choi, Kevin Cilano, Sinead Coleman, Usman Jilani, Amanda Johnson, Sobudika Katukurunde, Mahmuda Khan, James Lee, Jill McAndrew, Christina Messner, David Pesci, Theiju Sebastian, Jarred Smithers, Shiyu Wang, Xiao-Ning Zhang. Characterization of the Arabidopsis sr45-1;oif-ler mutant in BIOL406: Plant Development and Physiology Laboratory. Plant Biology Meeting 2011. Minneapolis, MN. August 6-10, 2011. 

24. Kevin Cilano & Xiao-Ning Zhang. Characterization of open-immature-flower phenotype in Arabidopsis thaliana by scanning electron microscopy. Rochester Academy of Science 37th Annual Paper Session. Rochester, NY. November 6, 2010.