Professor/Executive Deputy Director
Education Background：
Ph.D. in Crop Physiology and Molecular Biology. Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China. 2007.
M.S. in Plant Genetic Engineering. Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China. 2003.
B.S. in Agronomy. Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, China. 1996.
Research Interests:
Dr. San-Ji Gao focuses on controlling and preventing sugarcane diseases by improving sugarcane resistance through the use of conventional hybrid breeding and molecular genetics tools. His major research focuses are interesting in: (1) molecular diagnosis of the main sugarcane pathogens in China and on the evaluation of disease-resistance of sugarcane; (2) Molecular biology on causal pathogens of sugarcane, such as molecular variation, genetic diversity and population genetic structure at gene or genomic levels; (3) function identification of genes/sites associated with stress tolerance, and analysis of molecular interaction networks and mechanisms between causal agents and sugarcane host; and (4) improving stress tolerance for sugarcane elite germplasms and cultivars (Saccharum spp. hybrids) through molecular genetic approaches such as gene editing, RNA interference (RNAi), and overexpression.
Overseas Experiences:
Visiting Scientist and Postdoc, Texas A&M AgriLife Research at Weslaco, Texas A&M University, U.S.A. March 2008 - February 2010.
Selection of Publications:
1.Wei Yao-Sheng, Javed Talha, Liu Tian-Tian, Ali Ahmad, Gao San-Ji. Mechanisms of Abscisic
acid (ABA)-mediated plant defense responses: An updated review. Plant Stress. 2025, 15: 100724.
Doi:10.1016/j.stress.2024.100724.
2.Sun SR, Wu XB, Chen JS, Huang MT, Fu HY, Wang QN, Rott P, Gao SJ. 2024. Identification of
a sugarcane bacilliform virus promoter that is activated by drought stress in plants.
Communications Biology, 26;7(1):368. Doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06075-y.
3.Hui-Li Zhang, Li-Lan Chen, Yao-Yao Duan, Zhe-Yang You, Jian-Sheng Chen, Run-Tian Bian,
San-Ji Gao. Genome-wide analysis of 14-3-3 genes in sugarcane and functional analysis of
SsGF2.1 in response to chilling stress. Industrial Crops and Products. 2024, 209 (2024): 118004.
Doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2023.118004.
4.Javed T, Gao SJ. WRKY transcription factors in plant defense. Trends in Genetics. 2023,
39(10):787-801. Doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.07.001.
5.Chu N, Zhou J-R, Rott P C., Li J, Fu H-Y, Huang M-T, Zhang H-L, Gao S-J. ScPR1 plays a
positive role in the regulation of resistance to diverse stresses in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) and
Arabidopsis thaliana. Industrial Crops and Products, 2022, 180:114736. Doi:
10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.114736.
Research Projects:
1.The National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFD1200700、
2023YFD1200703), 2023.11-2028.10
2.The Earmarked Fund of the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA (CARS-
170302), 2021.01-2025.12
3.The Earmarked Fund of the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA (CARS-
170302), 2016.01-2020.12
4.The Earmarked Fund of the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA (CARS-
170302), 2011.01-2015.12
Email:gaosanji@163.com