Ying Huang

Biography

1987-1991   B.E. Department of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China 1991-1994   M.Sc. Department of Bioengineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China 1996-1999   Ph.D. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Health Science Center, Peking University, Beijing, China

Research Interest

Actinomycetes encompass a large group of Gram-positive bacteria with high genome GC content. The phylum Actinobacteria currently consists of 6 classes, 22 orders, >50 families and >300 genera. Actinomycetes are ubiquitous in nature, and well-known producers of bioactive compounds, notably antibiotics, making nearly half of the known antibiotics derived from microbial sources, and playing important roles in biodegradation and bioremediation. Notwithstanding these findings, it is predicted that less than 10% of actinomycete bioactive metabolites have been discovered. To establish the relationships between the species and genetic diversity and the functional diversity is essential to the resource exploitation, but also a big challenge. Our group is engaged in molecular systematics and ecology of actinomycetes, as well as in evaluation and bioprospecting of actinomycetes of potential commercial significance. The overall goal of our studies is to improve and apply actinomycete systematics to unravel their natural diversity and evolutionary history for facilitating exploitation and ecological research of these organisms. The following projects are currently ongoing in our lab: Molecular systematics and speciation of actinomycetes Community structures and ecological functions of marine actinomycetes Diversity and biosynthetic potential of acidophilic actinomycetes Bioprospecting and functional evolution of actinomycetes