Cetacean conservation genetics and molecular ecology. Cetacean microbiota and pathogen. 

Ph.D Student, Sep. 2000 - Dec. 2005

Institution: Institute of Hydrobiology, CAS; Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing,China.

Doctoral dissertation: Studies on the Genetic Variation of the Yangtze Finless Porpoise and its Microsatellite DNA Isolation.

Specialty: Hydrobiology (Conservation genetics)

Supervisor: Professor Ding Wang

Undergraduate, Sep. 1995 - Jun. 1999.

Institution: College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan,China.

Specialty: Aquaculture

Jan. 2006 - Nov. 2013: Assistant Professor; Research Group on Conservation Biology of Aquatic Animals, Research Center for Aquatic Biodiversity & Resource Conservation, IHB, CAS.

Dec. 2013 - now: Associate Professor; Research Group on Conservation Biology of Aquatic Animals, Research Center for Aquatic Biodiversity & Resource Conservation, IHB, CAS.

Selected publications（*,corresponding author; #, co-first author）

1.     Chen MM^#, Fontaine MC^#*, Chehida YB^#, Zheng JS*, Labbé F, Mei ZG, Hao YJ, Wang KX, Wu M, Zhao QZ, Wang D*. 2017. Genetic footprint of population fragmentation and contemporary collapse in a freshwater cetacean. Scientific Reports, 7: 14449. (SCI)

2.     Wan XL, Zheng JS*, Li WX, Zeng XY, Yang JW, Hao YJ, Wang D. 2017. Parasitic infections in the East Asian finless porpoise Neophocaena asiaeorientalis sunameri living off Chinese Yellow/Bohai Sea coast. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 125(1): 63-71. (SCI)

3.     Stewart K*, Ma HJ, Zheng JS, Zhao JF. 2017. Using environmental DNA to assess population-wide spatiotemporal reserve use. Conservation Biology, 31(5): 1173-1182. (SCI)

4.     Chen MM, Zheng Y, Hao YJ, Mei ZG, Wang KX, Zhao QZ, Zheng JS*, Wang D*. 2016. Parentage-based group composition and dispersal pattern studies of the Yangtze finless porpoise population in Poyang Lake. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 17: 1268. (SCI)

5.     Wan XL, McLaughlin RW, Zhou JY, Hao YJ, Zheng JS*, Wang D*. 2016. Isolation of culturable aerobic bacteria and evidence of Kerstersia gyiorum from the blowhole of captive Yangtze finless porpoises. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Journal of Microbiology, 109(8): 1167-1175. (SCI)

6.     Wan XL, Ruan R, McLaughlin RW, Hao YJ, Zheng JS*, Wang D*. 2016. Fecal bacterial composition of the endangered Yangtze finless porpoises living under captive and semi-natural conditions. Current Microbiology, 72: 306-314. (SCI)

7.     Ruan R, Ruan J, Wan XL, Zheng Y, Chen MM, Zheng JS*, Wang D*. 2016. Organization and characteristics of the major histocompatibility complex classⅡ region in the Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis). Scientific Reports, 6: 22471. (SCI)

8.     Ruan R, Wan XL, Zheng Y, Zheng JS*, Wang D*. 2016. Assembly and characterization of the MHC class I region of the Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis). Immunogenetics, 68: 77-82. (SCI)

9.     Ruan R, Guo AH, Hao YJ, Zheng JS*, Wang D*. 2015. De Novo assembly and characterization of narrow-ridged finless porpoise renal transcriptome and identification of candidate genes involved in osmoregulation. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 16: 2220-2238. (SCI)

10.  Chen MM, Zheng JS*, Wu M, Ruan R, Zhao QZ, Wang D*. 2014. Genetic diversity and population structure of the critically endangered Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) as revealed by mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 15: 11307-11323. (SCI)

11.  Feng P^#, Zheng JS^#, Rossiter S, Wang D, Zhao HB*. 2014. Massive losses of taste receptor genes in toothed and baleen whales. Genome Biology and Evolution, 6: 1254-1265. (SCI)

12.  McLaughlin RW, Zheng JS*, Ruan R, Wang CQ, Zhao QZ, Wang D. 2013. Isolation of Robinsoniella peoriensis from the fecal material of the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise, Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis. Anaerobe, 20: 79-81. (SCI)

13.  McLaughlin RW, Chen MM, Zheng JS*, Zhao QZ, Wang D. 2012. Analysis of the bacterial diversity in the fecal material of the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise. Molecular Biology Reports, 39(5): 5669-5676. (SCI)

14.  McLaughlin RW, Zheng JS*, Chen MM, Zhao QZ, Wang D. 2011. Detection of Helicobacter in the fecal material of the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 95: 241-245. (SCI)

15.  Du HJ, Zheng JS*, Wu M, Zhao QZ, Wang D*. 2010. High MHC DQB variation and asymmetric allelic distribution in the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorentalis. Biochemical Genetics, 48(5-6): 433-449. (SCI)

16.  Zheng JS, Liao XL, Tong JG, Du HJ, Milinkovitch MC, Wang D*. 2008. Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis). Conservation Genetics, 9: 1007-1009. (SCI)

17.  Zheng JS, Xia JH, He SP, Wang D*. 2005. Population genetic structure of the Yangtze finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis: implications for management and conservation. Biochemical Genetics, 43: 307-320. (SCI)

18.  Xia JH, Zheng JS, Xu LM, Wang D*. 2005. Parentage determination of an isolated Yangtze finless porpoise population in the Tian-e-Zhou baiji National Natural Reserve based on molecular data. Progress in Natural Science, 15(2): 149-156. (SCI)

1, Conservation Genetics: For wild YFP populations living in the Yangtze main stream, Poyang Lake and Dongting Lake, systematic conservation genetics, such as estimating genetic diversity, unveiling genetic structure and demographic history, have been conducted. For these ex situ conserved YFP populations, besides long term genetic evaluating and monitoring, parentage identification and pedigree construction and population management, have also been carried out. All these studies will aid in preserving the YFP genetic diversity and in managing all ex situ conserved populations effectively in the future. 

2, Molecular Ecology: Focusing on the Tian-e-Zhou ex situ conserved YFP population and the Poyang wild YFP population,  molecular ecology studies are currently being conducted to explore the potential genetic-associated mate selection strategy. In addition, studies are ongoing to understand the genetic mechanisms involved in avoiding inbreeding, and the genetic mechanisms which govern the social behavior of group structure and the raising of calves et al. 

3, Molecular Evolution and Adaptation: To reveal population differentiation, molecular evolution and adaptation of the finless porpoise in Chinese waters, several molecular studies have been conducted at the level of functional genes, genomics and transcriptomics. 

4, Microbiome and pathogen identification: Systematic microbiological studies have been conducted on the microbiome and potential pathogens present in the intestinal tract and respiratory system of the YFP, by using both molecular and traditional culture methods. Such studies will aid in maintaining a healthy porpoise population, managing the population, and diagnosing diseases in both ex situ conserved and captive YFPs.

已指导学生

李佳  硕士研究生  085238-生物工程  

现指导学生

王仁勇  硕士研究生  071002-动物学  

孙晓冬  硕士研究生  071002-动物学  

何俊逸  硕士研究生  086000-生物与医药