Biosynthesis & Varietal Evolution of Citrus Flavonoids

Focusing on citrus flavonoids (polymethoxyflavones and flavanones) and coumarins, we characterize key biosynthetic enzyme genes — elucidating substrate specificity and catalytic mechanisms — and construct complete pathway maps from gene to metabolite. Integrated genomic–metabolomic analyses further reveal the evolutionary basis of bioactive compound divergence shaped by long-term citrus domestication and varietal differentiation; representative work published in Molecular Plant (IF 32.7).

Health Effects & Molecular Targets of Polymethoxyflavones

Focusing on polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), we systematically investigate the molecular basis of their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor activities. A key discovery is that PMFs stabilize NRF2 by suppressing CUL3-mediated ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation, revealing a novel mechanism by which flavonoids activate antioxidant defense. Further work demonstrates that PMFs exert anti-inflammatory effects via JAK2/STAT3 and NLRP3 signaling, and induce tumor cell apoptosis by upregulating RARβ — with these mechanisms shown to operate broadly across diverse flavonoids.

Endophyte-Driven Nutritional & Flavor Quality of Citrus

Investigating how endophytic microbial communities regulate both citrus flavonoid accumulation (nutritional quality) and volatile organic compound (VOC) production (flavor quality), with nutrition and flavor as dual guiding objectives. We characterize endophyte diversity and host-interaction patterns, study oxidative stress responses during endophyte-mediated fermentation, establish standardized protocols for endophyte isolation, identification, and cryopreservation, and build a comprehensive citrus endophyte library as a resource foundation.

AI Databases & Intelligent Agents for Agricultural Research

Building structured databases and knowledge graphs tailored to plant metabolomics, genomics, and agricultural science. We explore large language model (LLM) applications for automated literature curation, multi-omics data mining, and research decision support, developing intelligent agent tools to advance AI-driven agricultural innovation.