Education

Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology (1997), Peking University, Beijing, China 

Current position

Professor of Molecular Microbiology, Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, USA.

Publications

1. Xu, X., Gu, L., He, P. and Zhou, R. (2015). Characterization of five putative aspartate aminotransferase genes in the N2-fixing heterocystous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. Microbiology 161(6): 1219-1230.

2. Chen, K., Xu, X., Gu, L., Hildreth, M. and Zhou, R. (2015). Simultaneous gene inactivation and promoter reporting in cyanobacteria. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 99(4): 1779-1793.

3. Zhou, R., Gu, L., Gibbons, W. and Halfmann, C. (2015). On the Cyanofactory Floor: Next-generation biofuel. International Innovation, A renewable future V178:118-119.  An invited review by the editor. 

4. Chen, K., Xu, X., Gu, L., Hildreth, M. and Zhou, R. (2015). Simultaneous gene inactivation and promoter reporting in cyanobacteria. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 99(4): 1779-1793.

5. Johnson, T. J., Hildreth, M. B., Gu, L., Zhou, R. and Gibbons, W. R. (2015). Testing a dual-fluorescence assay to monitor the viability of filamentous cyanobacteria. J Microbiol Methods 113: 57-64.

6. Zhou, R. and Koksharova, O. A. (2014). HepK, a protein-histidine kinase from the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120, binds sequence-specifically to DNA. Trends in Bacteriology, 1:3. 

7. Halfmann, C., Gu, L., Gibbons, W. and Zhou, R. (2014). Genetically engineering cyanobacteria to convert CO(2), water, and light into the long-chain hydrocarbon farnesene. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 98(23): 9869-9877.

8. Halfmann, C., Gu, L. and Zhou, R. (2014). Engineering Cyanobacteria for Production of a Cyclic Hydrocarbon from CO2 and H2O. Green Chem. 16 (6), 3175 – 3185

9. Halfmann, C., Gu, L., Gibbons, W. and Zhou, R. (2014). Metabolic engineering of a cyanobacterium to convert CO2, water, and light into a long-chained alkene. ASABE/CSBE North Central Intersectional Meeting. Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan.

10. Johnson, T. J., Hildreth, M., Gu, L., Zhou, R. and Gibbons, W. (2014). Utilizing a Dual-Fluorescence Assay to Quantify Viability of Filamentous Cyanobacteria. ASABE/CSBE North Central Intersectional Meeting. Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan.

11. Zhou, R. and Gibbons, W. (2014). Patent on Genetically Engineered Cyanobacteria.

12. Zhang, Y., Luethy, P. M., Zhou, R. and Kroos, L. (2013). Residues in conserved loops of intramembrane metalloprotease SpoIVFB interact with residues near the cleavage site in pro-sigmaK. J Bacteriol 195(21): 4936-4946.

13. Zhou, R., Chen, K., Xiang, X., Gu, L. and Kroos, L. (2013). Features of Pro-sigmaK important for cleavage by SpoIVFB, an intramembrane metalloprotease. J Bacteriol 195(12): 2793-2806.

14. Gu, L., Xiang, X., Raynie, D., Gibbons, R. and Zhou, R. (2012). Biosolar Conversion of CO2 and H2O into Long-chain Alcohol. Proceedings from Sun Grant National Conference: Science for Biomass Feedstock Production and Utilization, 2:3.17.

15. Chen, K., Gu, L., Xiang, X., Lynch, M. and Zhou, R. (2012). Identification and characterization of five intramembrane metalloproteases in Anabaena variabilis. J Bacteriol 194(22): 6105-6115.

16. Zhou, R., Cusumano, C., Sui, D., Garavito, R. M. and Kroos, L. (2009). Intramembrane proteolytic cleavage of a membrane-tethered transcription factor by a metalloprotease depends on ATP. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106(38): 16174-16179.

17. Harry, K. H., Zhou, R., Kroos, L. and Melville, S. B. (2009). Sporulation and enterotoxin (CPE) synthesis are controlled by the sporulation-specific sigma factors SigE and SigK in Clostridium perfringens. J Bacteriol 191(8): 2728-2742.

18. Imamura, D., Zhou, R., Feig, M. and Kroos, L. (2008). Evidence that the Bacillus subtilis SpoIIGA protein is a novel type of signal-transducing aspartic protease. J Biol Chem 283(22): 15287-15299.

19. Wolk, C. P., Fan, Q., Zhou, R., Huang, G., Lechno-Yossef, S., Kuritz, T. and Wojciuch, E. (2007). Paired cloning vectors for complementation of mutations in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. Arch Microbiol 188(6): 551-563.

20. Zhou, R. and Kroos, L. (2005). Serine proteases from two cell types target different components of a complex that governs regulated intramembrane proteolysis of pro-sigmaK during Bacillus subtilis development. Mol Microbiol 58(3): 835-846.

21. Prince, H., Zhou, R. and Kroos, L. (2005). Substrate requirements for regulated intramembrane proteolysis of Bacillus subtilis pro-sigmaK. J Bacteriol 187(3): 961-971.