My research experience and achievements while studying in Yunnan Agricultural University
It has always been my goal to become a lecturer alongside having a researcher career, thus the plan has been to acquire the knowledge and skill in ensuring that this career goal becomes a reality. As i contemplated my next move after my undergraduate study, a friend who was then a student in Yunnan Agricultural University (YNAU) informed me of the opportunity of enrolling which has has so far been a great privilege not only as a guide to attain my career goal but also to develop a strong research foundation that will help ensure my future success as a researcher. Studying in YNAU has been a lovely experience, i have made many supportive friends and participated in numerous activities that has made my stay in china one of a kind.
Over the last 4 years, i have gained graduate research experience under under the supervision of Professor Zichao Mao who assisted actively in my masters study. The first research project during this research period was metabolic engineering of carbon metabolism flux for increasing carotenoids production in Neurospora crassa. During this project most of the molecular genetic techniques were extensively used which in the long run resulted in my first ever published research article Metabolic engineering of Neurospora crassa for increasing carotenoids synthesis. 3 more publications have followed with collaborative research work over the years and i can confidently say that all these achievements are as a result of the training and research experience i have acquired during my study in YNAU.
In view of my experiences and continuous progress in my quest of attaining my future goals, i had no second thoughts when i applied for PhD program in Plant genetics and breeding still under the supervision of Professor Zichao Mao, who has been and continues to provide excellent training and advice through my stay and study here in YNAU.
Published research papers
1. Brown, S. E., Lin, C., Liu, Z., Wen, H., Cheng, Q., & Mao, Z. Metabolic engineering of Neurospora crassa for increasing carotenoids synthesis. African Journal of Biotechnology, 2022, 21(4): 156-166.
2. Xingyu Li, Mingyu Li, Zichao Mao, Yue Du, Sylvia Brown, Xiaoyu Min, Ruiqi Zhang, Yun Zhong, Yumei Dong, Zhengjie Liu, Chun Lin, "Identification of Bioactive Components of Stephania epigaea Lo and Their Potential Therapeutic Targets by UPLC-MS/MS and Network Pharmacology", Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2022, Article ID 3641586, 11 pages, 2022.
3. Lin, C., Huang, Q., Liu, Z., Brown, S. E., Chen, Q., Li, Y., Dong, Y., Wu, H., & Mao, Z. (2023). AoSAP8-P encoding A20 and/or AN1 type zinc finger protein in asparagus officinalis L. Improving stress tolerance in transgenic Nicotiana sylvestris. Gene, 862, 147284.
4. Cheng, Q., Zeng, L., Wen, H., Brown, S. E., Wu, H., Li, X., Lin, C., Liu, Z., & Mao, Z. (2023). Steroidal saponin profiles and their key genes for synthesis and regulation in Asparagus officinalis L. by joint analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics. BMC plant biology, 23(1), 207.
