Research Interests
Xinnian Dong's lab is interested in studying host-microbe interactions with the focus on elucidating how plants defend against pathogen challenge under different environmental conditions. The current projects include (1) Studying the signal transduction mechanism leading to the establishment of systemic acquired resistance, which is a long-lasting broad-spectrum resistance mechanism in plants. (2) Understanding how plants reprogram their transcriptional and translational activities to mount immune responses. (3) Determining how plants use the circadian clock to control the immune responses based on their cellular metabolic activities as well as on environmental factors such as temperature and humidity. (4) Examining cellular processes, such as nuclear transport and formation of biomolecular condensates, in plant defense. (5) Developing new strategies in engineering broad-spectrum disease resistance for agricultural applications.
Selected Grants
Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2026Mechanistic Insights into the Plant Disease Resistance Mediated by NPR1
ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2022 - 2026Salicylic Acid in Immunity and Health: A Small Phytohormone with Big Physiological Impacts
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2016 - 2026Collaborative: RoL: Molecular Patterns and Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Redox Sensing and Signaling Networks
ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by Mississippi State University · 2021 - 2025Genetic and Genomics Training Grant
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2025Elucidation of Translational Regulatory Mechanisms of Plant Immune
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2017 - 2025Using auxin to understand context-dependent hormone response
FellowshipCo-Mentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2023 - 2023Genetics Training Grant
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1979 - 2020Organization and Function of Cellular Structure
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1975 - 2020Characterization of the Arabidopsis tRNAome in Pathogen Triggered Immunity
FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2019Innovation Corps - National Innovation Network Teams Program (I-CorpsTM Teams)
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2017 - 2019Dynamic regulation of salicylic acid biosynthesis and perception in plant immunity
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2004 - 2018Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation · 2011 - 2017The Interplay Between the Circadian Clock and Plant Immune Mechanisms
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2012 - 2017Intercellular signal transport in plant immune response
FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by US-Israel Binational Agricultural R&D Fund · 2014 - 2016Arabidopsis 2010: Global Analysis of Plant Disease Resistance Pathways
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2001 - 2015The 22nd International Conference on Arabidopsis Research
ConferencePrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2011 - 2012The Arabidopsis SNI1 complex regulate both gene transcription and DNA recombination during the defense response
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2008 - 2012A Systems Approach to Broad-Spectrum Disease Resistance Using NPR1-Mediated Gene Expression
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Agriculture · 2007 - 2010Chromosome Modification and Transcription Repression in Regulation of Systemic Acquired Resistance
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2005 - 2009Characterization of the direct-target genes of NPR1 in systemic acquired resistance
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Agriculture · 2003 - 2007Characterization of Negative Regulators of NPR1-Mediated Systemic Acquired Resistance
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 1998 - 2006Identification of Signaling Components in NPR1-independent Resistance
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Agriculture · 2000 - 2004Further Dissection of Signalling Pathways Leading To Disease Resistance
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Cooperative State Research Service (CSRS) · 1998 - 2001Function of NPR1 in Plant Disease Resistance
FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1998 - 2000Molecular and Genetic Studies of Mutants Insensitive to SAR-inducing Signals
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Agriculture · 1995 - 1998Molecular Genetic Analysis of Systemic Acquired Resistance in A. thaliana
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Cooperative State Research Service (CSRS) · 1993 - 1995External Relationships
- Aferna Inc.
- Inari
- Upstream Biotechnology
This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.