Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology (1997), Peking University, Beijing, China 
	Professor of Molecular Microbiology, Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, USA.
	- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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. 
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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. 
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			Zhou, R. and Gibbons, W. (2014). Patent on Genetically Engineered Cyanobacteria.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.
		 
- 
		
			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.