Scientists
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Professor
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Professor
Home ScientistsProfessor
ZHANG Limei
Title:
Highest Education: Ph.D
Phone: 010-62953251
Email: zhanglm@rcees.ac.cn
Homepage:
Education and Appointments：

Dr. Limei Zhang earned bachelor degree in microbiology from Yunan University in 1999, and master degree in plant nutrition from Zhejiang University in 2002, and PhD in microbiology from Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2005. Since 2005, she joined Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS, as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in Dec. 2010 and professor in Dec. 2015. Dr. Zhang’s research interests focus on microbial diversity and biogeochemical cycling of N in soil ecosystems, soil microbiome and soil sustainability. Her research employs DNA- and RNA-based molecular ecology, amplicon sequencing, metagenomics and stable isotope probing (SIP) techniques to understand the diversity and function of soil microbiome in different soil ecosystems, process and mechanisms of microbes-mediated N biogeochemical cycling, and the potential and mechanisms of microbiome manipulating to improve crop N use efficiency and soil health. She carried wide international collaboration with University of Aberdeen, University of Warwick, UK and National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland since 2008. 

Research Interest：

The processes and mechanisms of microbes-mediated nitrogen cycling in soil ecosystem, the roles and mechanisms of microbiome sustaining soil multifunctionality and soil health.

Selected Publications：
  1. Ge AH, Liang ZH, Han LL, Xiao JL, Zhang Y, Zeng Q, Xiang JF, Xiong C, Zhang LM*. Rootstock rescues watermelon from Fusarium wilt disease by shaping protective root-associated microbiomes and metabolites in continuous cropping soils. Plant and Soil. 2022. DOI:10.1007/s11104-022-05532-z. 
  2. Zhang LM*, Rihtman SE, Aguilo-Ferretjans B, Han B, Shi W, Chen Y*. Biochemical mechanism of phosphorus limitation impairing nitrogen fixation in diazotrophic bacterium Klebsiella variicola W12. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment. 2022, 1: 108-117.
  3. Peng JJ, Oladele O, Song XT, Ju XT, Jia ZJ, Hu HW, Liu XJ, Bei SK, Ge AH, Zhang LM*, Cui ZL. Opportunities and approaches for manipulating soil-plant microbiomes for effective crop nitrogen use in agroecosystems. Frontier of Agricultural Science and Engineering. 2022, 9(3): 333-343.
  4. Han B, Liu SY, Han LL, Song XT, Mo LY, Zhang LM*. The contribution of nirK gene-containing thaumarchaea to denitrification and N2O production across coastal sediment and terrestrial ecosystems. Journal of Soils and Sediments. 2022, 22: 2246-2261.
  5. Zhu YG*, Xiong C, Wei Z, Chen QL, Ma B, Zhou SYD, Tan JQ, Zhang LM, Cui HL, Duan GL. Impacts of global change on the phyllosphere microbiome. New Phytologist, 2022, 234:1977–1986.
  6. Xiong C, Singh BK, He JZ, Han YL, Li PP, Wan LH, Meng GZ, Liu SY, Wang JT, Wu CF, Ge AH, Zhang LM*. Plant developmental stage drives the differentiation in ecological role of the maize microbiome. Microbiome, 2021, 9: 171. 
  7. Xiong C, Zhu YG, Wang JT, Singh B, Han LL, Shen JP, Li PP, Wang GB, Wu CF, Ge AH, Zhang LM*, He JZ. Host selection shapes crop microbiome assembly and network complexity. New Phytologist. 2021, 229(2): 1091-1104. 
  8. Xiong C, He JZ, Singh B, Zhu YG, Wang JT, Li PP, Zhang QB, Han LL, Shen JP, Ge AH, Wu CF, Zhang LM*. Rare taxa maintain the stability of crop mycobiomes and ecosystem functions. Environmental Microbiology. 2021, 23(4): 1907-1924. 
  9. Shi W, Zhao HY, Chen Y, Wang JS, Han B, Li CP, Lu JY, Zhang LM*. Organic manure rather than phosphorus fertilization primarily determined asymbiotic nitrogen fixation rate and the stability of diazotrophic community in an upland red soil. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 2021, 319: 107535.
  10. Ge AH, Liang ZH*, Xiao JL, Zhang Y, Zeng Q, Xiong C, Han LL, Wang JT, Zhang LM*. Microbial assembly and association network in watermelon rhizosphere after soil fumigation for Fusarium wilt control. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 2021, 312: 107336. 
  11. Han B, Mo LY, Fang YT, Di HJ, Wang JT, Shen JP, Zhang LM*. Rates and microbial communities of denitrification and anammox across coastal tidal flat lands and inland paddy soils in East China. Applied Soil Ecology. 2021.157: 103768.
  12. Quan Z, Zhang X*, Davidson EA, Zhu FF, Li SL, Zhao XH, Chen X, Zhang LM, He JZ, Wei WX, and Fang YT*. Fates and use efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer in maize cropping systems and their responses to technologies and management practices: A global analysis on field 15N tracer studies. Earth’s Future. 2021, 9(5): e2020EF001514.
  13. Bai R, Fang YT, Mo LY, Shen JP, Song LL, Wang YQ, Zhang LM* He JZ. Greater promotion of DNRA rates and nrfA gene transcriptional activity by straw incorporation in alkaline than in acidic paddy soils. Soil Ecology Letters. 2020, 2(4): 255-267. 
  14. Zhao ZB, He JZ, Geisen S*, Han LL, Wang JT, Shen JP, Wei WX, Fang YT, Li PP, Zhang LM*. Protist communities are more sensitive to nitrogen fertilization than other microorganisms in diverse agricultural soils. Microbiome. 2019, 7:33. 
  15. Han LL, Wang Q, Shen JP, Di H J., Wang JT, Wei WX, Fang YT, Zhang LM*, He JZ. Multiple factors drive the diversity and community of diazotrophs in Chinese agricultural soils. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 2019, 95(8): fiz113.
  16. Li PP, Han YL, He JZ, Zhang SQ*, Zhang LM*. Soil aggregate size and long-term fertilization effects on the function and community of ammonia oxidizers. Geoderma. 2019, 338, 107-117.
  17. Zhang CJ, Yang ZL, Shen JP, Sun YF, Wang JT, Han HY, Wan SQ, Zhang LM*, He JZ. Impacts of long term nitrogen addition, watering and mowing on ammonia oxidizers, denitrifiers and plant communities in a temperate steppe. Applied Soil Ecology, 2018, 130: 241-250.
  18. Wang YQ, Bai R, Di HJ, Mo LY, Han B, Zhang LM*, He JZ. Differentiated mechanisms of biochar mitigating straw-induced greenhouse gas emissions in two contrasting paddy soils. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2018, 9: 2566. 
  19. Zhang LM, Duff AM, Smith CJ. Community and functional shifts in ammonia oxidizers across terrestrial and marine (soil/sediment) boundaries in two coastal Bay ecosystems, Environmental Microbiology, 2018, 20(8): 2834-2853.
  20. Bai R, Wang JT, Deng Y, He JZ, Feng K, Zhang LM*. Microbial community and functional structure significantly varied among distinct types of paddy soils but responded differently along gradients of soil depth layers. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2017, 8: 945.
  21. Zhang MM, Alves JE R, Zhang DD, Han LL, He JZ, Zhang LM*. Time-dependent shifts in populations and activity of bacterial and archaeal ammonia oxidizers in response to liming in acidic soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2017, 112: 77-89.
  22. Wang Q, Zhang LM*, Shen JP, Du S, Han LL, He JZ*. Nitrogen fertiliser-induced changes in N2O emissions are attributed more to ammonia-oxidising bacteria rather than archaea as revealed using 1-octyne and acetylene inhibitors in two arable soils. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 2016, 52: 1163-1171.
  23. Bai R, Xi D, He JZ, Hu HW, Fang YT*, Zhang LM*. Activity, abundance and community structure of anammox bacteria along depth profiles in three different paddy soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2015, 91: 212-221. 
  24. Zhang LM#, Hu HW#, Shen JP & He JZ. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea have more important role than ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in ammonia oxidation of strongly acidic soils. The ISME Journal, 2012, 6: 1032-1045.
  25. Shen JP#, Zhang LM#, Di HJ, He JZ. A review of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria and archaea in Chinese soils. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2012, 3: 296. 
  26. Zhang LM, Offre PR, He JZ, Verhamme DT, Nicol GW, Prosser JI. Autotrophic ammonia oxidation by soil thaumarchaea. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2010, 107(40): 17240-17245. 
Supported Projects：
NSFC General Program: The microbial mechanism of green manuring improving soil multifunctionality and agro-ecosystem productivity (2023-2026, PI).
The Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences: Soil health assessment for the Black Soil region (2021-2016, Co-I). 
The Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program: Soil quality change and its effect on ecosystem in the Tibetan Plateau area (2019-2024, Co-I).
RS-NSFC Newton Advanced Fellowship: The influence of P deficiency on the metabolism and function of N cycle-related microbes in Chinese red soils (2018-2021, PI).
National Key R&D Program: The mechanism of microbiome regulating the outbreak of soil borne pathogen in agriculture soils (2017-2020 Co-I).
NSFC General Program: The diversity of key functional genes involved in denitrification and their function in soil N cycle (2018-2021, PI).
The Strategic Priority Research Program, Chinese Academy of Sciences: China Soil Microbiome Initiative (2014-2018, Co-I). 
NSFC Excellent Young Scientist Program: Soil microbes and N cycling (2014-2016, PI).
NSFC General Program: Biodiversity and its ecological function of nitrifiers in acid soils (2012-2015, PI).
Honors：

2018 Newton Advanced Fellowship

2017 Soil Science Society of China Award (rank 3rd)

2016 Advanced Fellowship of Youth Innovation Promotion Association, CAS

2011 Youth Science and Technology Innovation Award, honored by Microbial Ecology Committee of China Ecology Association

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