Wei wei Zhao | Soil Biology | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wei wei Zhao | Soil Biology | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wei wei Zhao | Minzu Normal University of Xingyi | China

Weiwei Zhao’s research exemplifies excellence in soil science through her innovative investigations into rhizosphere ecology and plant–soil interactions, particularly focusing on the endangered Paeonia ludlowii in the Tibetan Plateau. Her studies explore how diverse soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and microbial communities influence the metabolic pathways of medicinal plants across different habitats. Employing advanced tools such as high-throughput sequencing and GC-TOFMS metabolomic profiling, her work provides valuable insights into soil metabolites and their regulatory networks, linking soil health to plant bioactive compounds. Her comparative analyses of chloroplast genomes and genetic diversity using ISSR markers contribute significantly to understanding germplasm conservation, hybrid breeding, and adaptive evolution of peony species. Through extensive field investigations, data analysis, and collaboration with regional agricultural and horticultural institutes, she advances sustainable approaches for plateau ecosystem management, ornamental plant domestication, and genetic improvement. Her multidisciplinary contributions bridge soil chemistry, plant physiology, and molecular biology, establishing a scientific foundation for conserving endangered flora and enhancing medicinal resource utilization. Her impactful publications in indexed journals further highlight her commitment to advancing soil metabolomics, microbial ecology, and biodiversity conservation within complex high-altitude environments, reinforcing her status as a leading innovator in soil–plant interaction research.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Zhao, W., & Zhang, M. (2025). Microbial diversity of the rhizosphere in different habitats of Paeonia ludlowii in Xizang. Russian Journal of Plant Physiology, 72, 214.

Xiaobo Zhong | Soil Biology | Distinguished Soil Science Achievement

Dr. Xiaobo Zhong | Soil Biology | Distinguished Soil Science Achievement

Dr. Xiaobo Zhong | Institut Pasteur | France 

Dr. Xiaobo Zhong is a microbiologist whose research explores the structural and molecular mechanisms that govern bacterial morphogenesis and intercellular interactions. His work focuses on the bacterial cell wall, a multifunctional structure critical for maintaining shape, division, and environmental adaptability. Through advanced techniques such as cryo-electron tomography, he investigates how bacterial cell surface architectures enable microbial communication and phenomena like microbial hitchhiking, where non-motile species utilize motile counterparts for dispersal. His studies have revealed key molecular players in cell wall biosynthesis, including cellulose synthase complexes and stomatin-like proteins that organize membrane microdomains under stress conditions. His research contributions, published in leading journals such as Nature Communications, Trends in Microbiology, and mBio, have expanded understanding of cell envelope biology and stress adaptation in filamentous actinobacteria. His work bridges structural biology, microbiology, and biochemistry, advancing insight into microbial physiology and antibiotic resistance. In addition to research, he has supervised and mentored graduate and undergraduate students and contributed to several international conferences through oral and poster presentations. His ongoing investigations at the Pasteur Institute continue to advance integrative structural cell biology with applications in microbial biotechnology and antibiotic discovery.

Profile:  Orcid 

Featured Publications

Zhong, X., & Claessen, D. (2025). Cellulose biosynthesis and function in Streptomyces. Trends in Microbiology.

Zhong, X., Baur, S. S. M., Ongenae, V. M. A., Guerrero Egido, G., Shitut, S., Du, C., Vijgenboom, E., van Wezel, G. P., Carrion Bravo, V., Briegel, A., & Claessen, D. (2025). The stomatin-like protein StlP organizes membrane microdomains to govern polar growth in filamentous actinobacteria under hyperosmotic stress. Nature Communications.

Zhong, X., Nicolardi, S., Ouyang, R., Wuhrer, M., Du, C., van Wezel, G. P., Vijgenboom, E., Briegel, A., & Claessen, D. (2024). CslA and GlxA from Streptomyces lividans form a functional cellulose synthase complex. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 90(4), e02087-23.