Jianmin Zhong Ph.D.

• Postdoctoral, 2006, University of California, Irvine, Ph.D., 2001, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, MS, 1991, Shanghai Medical College Fudan University, BS, 1988, Shanghai Medical College Fudan University

• General Microbiology
• Genetics
• Principles of Biology
• Medical Microbiology
• Supervised Internship for Pre-Professional health

Tick-borne diseases continue to cause severe illness and death in otherwise healthy adults and children, thus tick control remains as a major challenge on a global basis. Our lab is to use microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetic approaches to uncover the nature of tick-bacteria symbiosis and tick-pathogen interactions. The outcomes of our studies will give insights on designing novel tick control measures with an ultimate goal of decreasing incidence of tick-borne diseases. View Jianmin's research page

# HSU undergraduate student * HSU graduate student 

• Bodnar, J*, Fitch, S#, Sanchez, J#, Lesser, M#, Baston, DS, and Zhong, J. 2020. GTP Cyclohydrolase I Activity from Rickettsia monacensis Strain Humboldt, a Rickettsial Endosymbiont of Ixodes pacificus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 4(4):280-287.
• Alowaysi M*, Chen J*, Stark S#, Teague K*, LaCourse M*, Proctor J#, Vigil K*, Corrigan J*, Harding A#, Li L#, Kurtti T, and Zhong J. 2019. Isolation and Characterization of a Rickettsia from the Ovary of a Western Blacklegged Tick, Ixodes pacificus. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 10(4):918-923.
• Bodnar JL*, Fitch S#, Rosati A#, Zhong J. 2018. The folA gene from the Rickettsia endosymbiont of Ixodes pacificus encodes a functional dihydrofolate reductase enzyme. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 9(3): 443-449.
• Bagheri G*, Lehner JD#, Zhong J. 2017. Enhanced detection of Rickettsia species in Ixodes pacificus using highly sensitive fluorescence in situ hybridization coupled with Tyramide Signal Amplification. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 8(6):915-921.
• Hunter DJ#, Torkelson JL*, Bodnar J*, Mortazavi JB, Laurent T#, Deason J#, Thephavongsa K#, and Zhong J. 2015. The rickettsia endosymbiont of Ixodes pacificus contains all the genes of de novo folate biosynthesis. PLOS ONE. 10(12):e0144552.
• Wu D., Kou J., Zhang H., Zhou H., Monagin C., Zhong J., Huang P., Ke C. and Lin J. 2015. Scrub typhus, a disease with increasing threat in Guangdong, China. PLOS One. 10(2):e0113968.
• Kurlovs AH*, Li J#, Cheng D#, Zhong J. 2014. Ixodes pacificus ticks maintain embryogenesis and egg hatching after antibiotic treatment of Rickettsia endosymbiont. PLoS One. 9(8):e104815.
• Cheng D#, Lane RS, Moore BD*, Zhong J. 2013. Host blood meal-dependent growth ensures transovarial transmission and transstadial passage of Rickettsia sp. phylotype G021 in the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus). Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 4(5):421-6.
• Cheng D#, Vigil K*, Schanes P#, Brown RN, Zhong J. 2013. Prevalence and burden of two rickettsial phylotypes (G021 and G022) in Ixodes pacificus from California by real-time quantitative PCR. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 4(4):280-7.
• Cheng D#, Lane RS, and Zhong J. 2012. Field and laboratory studies on the transmission of the spotted fever group Rickettsia sp. phylotype G021 by the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus). Proc Pap Annu Conf Calif Mosq Control Assoc. 80:123-127.
• Phan JN#, Lu CR, Bender WG#, Smoak RM 3rd#, Zhong J. 2011. Molecular detection and identification of Rickettsia species in Ixodes pacificus in California. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 11(7):957-61.
• Zhong J, Jasinskas A, and Barbour AG. 2007. Antibiotic Treatment of the Tick Vector Amblyomma americanum Reduced Reproductive Fitness. PLoS ONE. 2:e405.
• Jasinskas A, Zhong J, and Barbour AG. 2007. Highly prevalent Coxiella sp. bacterium in the tick vector Amblyomma americanum. Appl Environ Microbiol. 73(1): 334-336.
• Zhong J, Skouloubris S, Dai Q, Myllykallio H, and Barbour AG. 2006. Function and evolution of plasmid-borne genes for pyrimidine biosynthesis in Borrelia spp. J Bacteriol. 188(3):909-918.
• Zhong J and Barbour AG. 2004. Cross-species Hybridization of a Borrelia burgdorferi DNA Array Reveals Infection- and Culture-associated Genes of the Unsequenced Genome of the Relapsing Fever Agent Borrelia hermsii. Mol Microbiol. 51(3):729-748.
• Putteet-Driver AD, Zhong J, Barbour AG. 2004. Transgenic Expression of RecA of the Spirochetes Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia hermsii in Escherichia coli Revealed Differences in DNA Repair and Recombination Phenotypes. J Bacteriol. 186(8):2266-2274.
• Zhong J, Douglas AL, and Hatch TP. 2001. Characterization of Integration Host Factor (IHF) Binding Upstream of the Cysteine-Rich Protein operon (omcAB) Promoter of Chlamydia trachomatis LGV Serovar L2. Mol Microbiol. 41: 451-462.

Graduate Students

Current:

Erin Trent, Nicholas Woronchuk

Former:

Maryam Alowaysi, Ghazaleh Bagheri, Junyan Chen, James Bodnar, Jeremy Corrigan, Brandon Hill, Taylor Howe, Andre Kurlovs, Christina Porras, Jessica Torkelson, Katie Vigil