Prof. YiboLi's Lab：https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6105-1969

Yibo Li is the Professor and PI focus on Regulation of Grain Size and Grain Chalkiness in Rice (Rice Seed Biology) for more than 18 years. After obtaining bachelors degree in Biotechnology, Dept. of Life Science, Henan Agricultural University in 2004, he started PhD work at Huazhong Agricultural University. During his time he continued his research in genetics, cell biology and obtained his Ph.D. in 2011. Dr. Li continued his focus work as a research associate in the same National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, and obtained a professor and PI position at College of Life science & Technology and National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement of the same university in 2014. In 2014 he was awarded Yong Yangtse Rive Scholar (2015), Excellent Yong Science Funding in China (2014, NSFC), Yong Yangtse Rive Scholar (2015), Top Ten Progresses in Science and Technology of Universities in China (2011), Ten Thousand Plan - National High Level Talents Special Support Plan (2018 and 2019). He published more than ten papers with more than 1500 citations, including 4 papers published in Nature Genetics and Nature Communications. He serves as a Managing Editor of Molecular Breeding.

Grain shape or size is a major and very stable determinant of grain yield, an important appearance and milling quality trait, a target trait of crop domestication and a wonderful system of pattern formation research in seed morphogenesis. 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 shape Initiation and Development, Domestication, and High-temperature mechanisms promoting grain chalkiness formation, which are 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.

Four research sub-directions we focus on are:

(1) Regulating mechanisms of eight directions of grain shape in rice;

(2) G protein signalling controlling grain size in rice;

(3) QTL Cloning of grain chalkiness i rice;

(4) Resistance mechanisms of natural high temperature regulating grain chalkiness formation in rice.

We are seeking young students or post-docs to join us to create great dreams!

Little Seeds, Great Dreams!