Y (Yupeng) Zhou

I am deeply interested in how plants respond to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as how they regulate trade-offs between different traits under varying environmental conditions. While focusing on plant ecophysiology, I also explore molecular mechanisms—specifically, which genes orchestrate these adaptations and how targeted genetic modifications might alter them. Investigating these questions holds significant scientific value.

Yield and grain quality have long been central goals in breeding, yet they often exhibit trade-offs that make simultaneous improvement challenging. My research will focus on the trade-off between yield and grain protein content, utilizing two distinct populations to study this relationship. Through forward genetics approaches, I aim to identify potential candidate genes underlying this balance."