Zhenglong Gu
Assistant Professor
2009
HENutrSci

Web Bio Page

Current Activities

Current Professional Activities
Genomics (minor field), 2009-present
Genetics & Development, 2008- present
Computational Biology, 2008-present
Nutritional Sciences, 2006-present



Current Research Activities
Genetic Robustness
Duplicate Gene Evolution
Genetic and Evolutionary Basis of Pathogenic Fungal Growth
Evolution of Aerobic Fermentation in Yeast and Its Implication in Cancer Physiology


Biography

Biographical Statement
Dr. Zhenglong Gu received his Bachelors of Science degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Peking University in 1998, and his PhD degree in Ecology and Evolution in 2003 from University of Chicago. He conducted his postdoctoral research at Stanford Genome and Technology Center from 2004 to 2006. He became an Assistant Professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University in 2006.

Dr. Gu's laboratory uses a combination of computational and experimental approaches to understand the structure of metabolic networks and how these have been shaped over evolutionary time by selective pressures, such as those imposed by nutrient constraints. Much of the effort is devoted to understanding these issues in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, because of its simplicity, rapid growth and the availability of robust experimental and computational tools. Specific interests include evolution of aerobic fermentation in yeast and its implication in ethanol production and cancer physiology, duplicate gene regulation and evolution of antagonistic pleiotropy, genetic and evolution of complex life traits in pathogenic fungi. His laboratory also has interests in using computational approach to address the relationship between nutrition and evolution of metabolic genes, particularly in different human populations.


Education
  • PhD 2003 - University of Chicago, Ecology & Evolution
  • BS 1998 - Peking University, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology


    • Administrative Responsibilities
    Seminar Committee, Field of Nutrition, 2007-present (Committee Chair, 2009-present)
    Lab Safety Committee Chair, 2006-present


    Keywords
    Evoluitonary Genomics
    Systems Biology


    Courses, Websites, Pubs

    Courses Taught
    NS2750 Human Biology and Evolution (with Dr. Jere Haas)
    NS4130 Nutritional Genomics-Evolution and Environment


    Selected Publications
    1. Jiang, H., Guan, W. & Gu, Z. Tinkering evolution of a posttranscriptional RNA regulon by Puf3p in yeast. In revision, PLoS Genetics
    2. Guan, W., Jiang, H., Xu, L., Li, Y., Steinmetz, L.M., Li, Y. & Gu, Z. Antagonistic changes in sensitivity to antifungal drugs by functional loss of an important ABC transporter gene. In revision, PLoSONE.
    3. Zanders, S., Ma, X., RoyChoudhury, A., Hernandez, R., Demogines, A., Barker, B., Indap, A., Gu, Z., Bustamante, C., & Alani, E. Identification of a mutational hotspot in yeast and humans by whole-genome sequencing. In revision, PLoS Biology
    4. Xu, L. & Gu, Z. Asynchronous regulation of backup circuits as a strategy for survival in the fluctuating environments. In revision, International Journal of Systems and Synthetic Biology
    5. Li, Y., Liang, H., Gu, Z., Lin, Z., Guan, L., Zhou, L., Li, Y. & Li, W.-H. Detecting positive selection in the budding yeast genome, J . Evol. Bio., in press
    6. Gu, Z. & Oliver, S.G. Yeasts as models in evolutionary biology. Genome Biology 10:304 (2009)
    7. Xu, L., Su, Z. Gu, Z. & Gu, X. Parallel adaptation vs. mutation hotspot for the evolution of RNases in leaf monkeys. Mol. Phyl. & Evol. 50:397-400 (2009)
    8. Jiang, H., Wang, W. & Gu, Z. Genetic diversities detected by translational efficiency between Ashbya gossypii and yeasts. BMC Evol Biol. 8:343 (2008)
    9. Chen, H., Xu, L. & Gu, Z. Regulation dynamics of the WGD genes during the yeast metabolic oscillation. Mol. Biol. & Evol 25:2513-2516 (2008)
    10. Jiang, H, Guan, W., Pinney, D., Wang, W. & Gu, Z. Functional relaxation of mitochondria after WGD in yeast. Genome Res. 18:1466-1471 (2008)
    11. Wu, W., McCusker, J.H. …Gu, Z. ... Genome sequencing and comparative analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YJM789. P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 104:12825-12830
    (2007)
    12. Jiang, H., Liu, D., Gu, Z. & Wang, W. Rapid evolution in a pair of recent duplicate segments of rice. Exp Zoolog B Mol Dev Evol. 308:50-57 (2007)
    13. Oakley, T. H., Gu, Z., Abouheif, E., Patel, N. H. & Li, W.-H. Comparative analyses of gene expression evolution using functional genomic data. Mol. Biol. & Evol. 22:40-50 (2005)
    14. Maltsev, N., Glass, E.M., Ovchinnikova, G., Gu, Z. Molecular mechanisms involved in robustness of yeast central metabolism against null mutations. J Biochem. (Tokyo) 137:177-187 (2005)
    15. Gu, Z., David, L., Petrov, D., Jones, T., Davis, R. W. & Steinmetz, L. M. Elevated evolutionary rates in the lab strain of S. cerevisiae. P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 102:1092-1097 (2005)
    16. Gu, Z., Rifkin, S.A., White, K. P. & Li, W.-H. Duplicate genes increase expression diversity within and between species. Nat. Genet. 36:577 - 579 (2004)
    17. Marland, E., Prachumwat, A., Maltsev, N., Gu, Z. & Li, W.-H. Higher gene duplicabilities for metabolic proteins than for nonmetabolic proteins in yeast and E. coli. J Mol Evol. 59:806-814 (2004)
    18. Zhang, P, Gu, Z. & Li, W-H. Different evolutionary patterns between young duplicate genes in the human genome. Genome Biology 4:R56 (2003)
    19. Yang, J., Gu, Z. & Li, W.-H. Rate of evolution vs. fitness effect of gene deletion. Mol. Biol. & Evol. 20:772-774 (2003)
    20. Cavalcanti, A., Ferreira, R., Gu, Z. & Li, W.-H. Patterns of gene duplication in yeast and C. elegans. J Mol. Evol. 56:28-37 (2003)
    21. Li, W.-H., Gu, Z., Cavalcanti, A.& Nekrutenko, A. Detection of gene duplications and block duplications in eukaryotic genomes. J Str. & Funct. Genom. 3:27-34 (2003)
    22. Gu, Z., Steinmetz, L. M., Gu, X., Scharfe, C., Davis, R. W., & Li, W.-H. Role of duplicate genes in genetic robustness against null mutations. Nature 421:63-66 (2003)
    23. Gu, Z., Nicolae, D., Lu, H.-S., & Li, W.-H. Rapid Divergence in expression between duplicate genes inferred from microarray gene expression data. Trends Genet. 18:609-613 (2002)
    24. Gu, Z., Cavalcanti, A., Chen, F.-C., Bouman, P. & Li, W.-H. Extent of gene duplication in the genomes of drosophila, nematode, and yeast. Mol. Biol. & Evol. 19:256-262 (2002)
    25. Li, W.-H., Gu, Z., Wang, H. & Nekrutenko, A. Evolutionary analyses of the human genome. Nature 409:847-849 (2001)
    26. Gu, Z., Wang, H., Nekrutenko, A. & Li, W.-H. Densities, length proportions, and other distributional features of repetitive sequences in the human genome estimated from 430 megabases of genomic sequence. Gene 259:81-88 (2000)
    27. Hao, L., Gu, Z., & Dai, Z. The frequency distribution and establishment of fruit fly strain of segregation distorter in Drosophila melanogaster in China. Acta Genetica Sinica 4:298-303 (2000)