Professor in Rice Grain Developmental Biology
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement
National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan)
Email: liyibo@mail.hzau.edu.cn
Tel: 86-027-87281008
Research Interests: Regulation of Grain Shape & Chalkiness in Rice
Rice grain size or shape, having a very high heritability, is not only one of the most important target traits of grain yield, appearance quality, domestication and breeding, but also an ideal model of morphogenesis and development of organ shape in higher plants. Grain chalkiness in rice, a chalky texture of endosperm, which greatly and generally deteriorates many other quality traits, such as appearance quality, eating and cooking quality, head rice yield and market value, is a highly undesirable quality trait in marketing and consumption of rice grain, and is the most important quality trait. Both grain size and grain chalkiness are involved in important science questions of grain yield and quality, seed Initiation and development, and consistent with national strategic needs in China and other countries. So the research goals of our lab are:
➢ To discover the universal mechanisms regulating grain size/shape and chalkiness in rice;
➢ To define high-temperature mechanisms promoting grain chalkiness formation in rice.
Education:
2004.9–2011.12: PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
2000.9–2004.06: Bachelors in Biotechnology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
Professional Experiences:
2014.6–Present: Professor & PI, Huazhong Agricultural University
2012.1–2014.05: Research Associate (RA) & Research Associate Professor, Huazhong Agricultural University
Selected Publications:
1. Yawei Fan & Yibo Li*. Molecular, cellular and Yin-Yang regulation of grain size and number in rice. Mol Breeding, 2019, 39: 163-25 (Invited Review)
2. Yibo Li, Chuchuan Fan, Yongzhong Xing, Peng Yun, Lijun Luo, Bao Yan, Bo Peng, Weibo Xie, Gongwei Wang, Xianghua Li, Caiguo Xu & Yuqing He*. Chalk5 encodes a vacuolar H+-translocating pyrophosphatase influencing grain chalkiness in rice. Nat Genet, 2014, 46: 398–404
3. Yibo Li, Chuchuan Fan, Yongzhong Xing, Yunhe Jiang, Lijun Luo, Liang Sun, Di Shao, Chunjue Xu, Xianghua Li, Jinghua Xiao, Yuqing He* & Qifa Zhang*. Natural variation in GS5 plays an important role in regulating grain size and yield in rice. Nat Genet, 2011, 43: 1266–1269
4. Bo Peng*, Huili Kong*,Yibo Li, Lingqiang Wang, Ming Zhong, Liang Sun, Guanjun Gao, Qinglu Zhang, Lijun Luo, Gongwei Wang, Weibo Xie, Junxiao Chen, Wen Yao, Yong Peng, Lei Lei, Xingmin Lian, Jinghua Xiao, Caiguo Xu, Xianghua Li & Yuqing He*. OsAAP6 functions as an important regulator of grain protein content and nutritional quality in rice. Nat Commun, 2014, 5: 4847 doi: 10.1038/ncomms5847
5. Chunjue Xu, Yu Liu, Yibo Li, Xiaodong Xu, Caiguo Xu, Xianghua Li, Jinghua Xiao & Qifa Zhang*. Differential expression of GS5 regulates grain size in rice. J Exp Bot. 2015, 66:2611–2623
6. Yibo Li, Changjun Wu, Yongzhong Xing, Huilan Chen, Yuqing He*. Dynamic QTL analysis for rice blast resistance under natural infection conditions. Aust J Crop Sci, 2008, 2: 73–82
7. Yibo Li, Changjun Wu, Gonghao Jiang, Yuqing He*. Dynamic analysis of rice blast resistance for the assessment of genetic and environmental effects. Plant Breeding, 2007, 126: 541–547
Talks in International Conferences:
1. Yibo Li. Genetic Regulation of Rice Grain Size and Chalkiness. 2019 (Changsha) International Forum on Rice Development and Seminar on China-Africa Rice Development. Jun 25-30, 2019, Changsha, China (Invited Speaker)
2. Yibo Li. Genetic and molecular regulation of grain chalkiness in rice. The XIX International Botanical Congress (IBC 2017). July 23-29, 2017, Shenzhen, China (Invited Speaker)
3. Yibo Li. Regulation of grain chalkiness by Chalk5 in rice. The 7th Annual World Congress of Molecular & Cell Biology 2017 (CMCB 2017). April 25-27, 2017, AnXi, China (Invited Speaker)
4. Yibo Li. Genetic and molecular control of grain chalkiness in rice. 13th International Symposium on Rice Functional Genomics (ISRFG 13th). Sept. 21–24, 2015, Wuhan, China (Invited Speaker)
5. Yibo Li. Chalk5 regulates grain chalkiness, a trait affecting quality and head rice yield. International Plant & Animal Genome Congress XXII (PAG XXII). January 11–15, 2014, San Diego, CA, USA (Invited Speaker)
6. Yibo Li. Chalk5 regulates grain chalkiness, a trait affecting quality and head rice yield. International Symposium on Improving the Sensory Properties of Cereal Food: Structure, Function and Genetic relations. November 24–26, 2013, Wuhan, China (Invited Speaker)
7. Yibo Li. Cloning and functional analysis of GS5 controlling grain size/weight and yield, and Chalk5 controlling grain chalkiness and quality in rice. National Symposium on Life Science Frontiers and Agricultural Biotechnology. July 18–21, 2012, Wuhan, China (Abstract, Poster and Speaker, Best Speaker Award)
8. Yibo Li. Cloning and functional analysis of GS5 controlling grain size/weight and yield, and Chalk5 controlling grain chalkiness and quality in rice. The third International Symposium on Genomics and Crop Genetic Improvement (3rd GCGI), June 30–July 5, 2012, Wuhan, China (Abstract and Invited Speaker)
Honors and Awards:
Ten Thousand Talents Program-Leading talents in scientific and technological innovation (2019)
Ten Thousand Talents Program-National High Level Talents Special Support Program (2017)
Excellent Yong Science Funding in China (2014, NSFC)
Top Ten Progresses in Science and Technology of Universities in China (2011)
Excellent PhD Dissertation Awards from Hubei Province (2013)
Outstanding Papers from Hubei Province in Nature Science (2012)
Excellent PhD Dissertation Awards of Huazhong Agriculture University (2012)
New Star in Science named by Huazhong Agriculture University (2011)
Funds:
1. Ten Thousand Talents Program - National High Level Talents Special Support Plan (2017 and 2019), 2017–2022 (Host)
2. National Natural Science Foundation of China (31771368), 2018–2021 (Host)
3. National Natural Science Foundation of China (31300992), 2014–2016 (Host)
4. National Natural Science Foundation of China (31422039), 2015–2017 (Host)
5. National Natural Science Foundation of China (31471163), 2015–2018 (Host)
6. National Natural Science Foundation of China (31771368), 2018–2021 (Host)
7. National Natural Science Foundation of China (91635302), 2017–2018 (Host of Sub project)
8. National Program on the Development of Basic Research (2014CB943400), 2014–2018 (Sub project)
Services for journals:
1. Managing Editor for Molecular Breeding；
2. Services as a reviewer for PNAS, Molecular Plant, Plant Biotechnology Journal (PBJ), Theoretical and Applied Genetics (TAG), Molecular Breeding, Plant Science, Crop Science, Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, PLOS One, Crop & Pasture Science, Plant Genome, Plant Growth Regulation, Journal of Integrative Plant Biology (JIPB), Rice, International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology A & B (JAST), The Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, Journal of Genetics & Genomics (JGG) and so on.
