Development Assistant

OBJECTIVE:

A highly motivated, young, skilled Ph.D., microbiology professional and strain development department leader of a startup biofuel company seeking a challenging career in biotech industry.

* US Green Card (permanent resident) holder and be able to work in US without sponsorship.

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATION:

• Ten years extensive experience of microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, metabolic engineering, fermentation, microbial physiology, strain development, enzymology, & biochemistry and biofuel research.

• Being 1st graduate student and senior scientist for both academic and industrial lab, extensively experienced in start up new research project and handling multiple projects simultaneously.

• Strong ability of supervisory experience (academic and industrial)- Supervised 4 Ph.D. graduates students, 2 research associates & 7 undergraduate student and interns.

• Extensive experienced in media development and strain isolation and screen for industrial application.

• Isolated more than 800 bacterial strains during Ph.D study including a published novel species and a high value strain sold to Sumitomo (A Japanese giant company) at the price $300,000.

• Being leader of strain development developed a serial of improved strains for biomass degradation.

• Invented novel technology to transform genes into a marine bacterium and made the strain GMO possible. This is also the key technology to start up the company for novel enzyme production.

• Solid publication record in peer-reviewed scientific journals of international reputation. Being invited as reviewer of three international journals. Co-inventor on one issued U.S. patents.

SKILLS

• Experienced in leading and managing academic and industrial research laboratory.

• Strong organization and communication (written and oral) skills.

• Experienced in isolation, screen and identification of novel microorganism.

• Experienced in culture of variety bacteria, actinobacteria, fungi and familiar with culture of microalgae.

• Extensive experienced in identification of novel genes and over-express in host for strain improvement.

• Experienced in metabolic engineering and modify pathway for products improvements.

• Highly experienced in molecular biology techniques such as PCR, RT-PCR, cloning, RNA work, deep sequencing, library construction, protein expression, purification, characterization, Western blot, electrophoresis et al.

• Highly experienced in biochemistry techniques – sugar assays, protein assays, TLC, HPLC.

• Experienced in providing presentations of work performed, resulting data, and discussion of problems and future goals

• Proficient in MS office and other related biological bioinformatics software and online tools.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Zymetis Inc., College Park, MD Aug. 2008 – Present

Senior Scientist

• Leading a small research group for Strain Development Department

• Working as principle scientist on DOE SBIR and other projects

• Conducted scientific research on strain development of bacteria with GMO, UV, chemical and direct revolution methods, developed a whole serial of strains. The best strains showed improved 200 times more activity than wild type.

• Developed qRT-PCR and deep sequencing method for the transcriptomics research of a bacterium metabolism.

• Skilled perform molecular biology techniques such as PCR Amplification, DNA and Plasmid Purification, Primer design, Restriction Digestion, Plasmid Ligation, Molecular Cloning, Gel Electrophoresis, Cell Transformation (heat shock, electroporation), etc.

• Generated laboratory supplies inventory list and re-ordered supplies as needed

University of Maryland, College Park, MD May 2006 – Aug. 2008

Postdoc Research Associate

• Working as principle scientist on NSF and other grants.

• Leading the academic research lab management and training for graduate & undergraduate students

• Participate in the genome sequence and analysis project of a bacterium. The result was published on PLOS Genetics.

• Conducted scientific research on the physiology of bacteria and developed of novel lab protocols for expression of its cellulase in E.coli

• Development the novel method of transmitting DNA into marine bacterium S. degradans

• Developed analytical methodology for gene expression and regulation by using qRT-PCR technology, developed several enzyme assay methods for cellulase and hemicellulase activity assay

Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academic of Sciences, Dalian, China. Sep. 2000 – Apr.2006

Ph.D. Research Assistant

• Leading the academic research lab and training for graduate & undergraduate students

• Developed a serial novel method of isolation novel actinobacteria from marine sponge and marine environment

• Isolated a novel species of rare actinobacteria and named it as Actinoalloteichus hymeniacidonis sp. nov.

• Screened more than 500 isolated strains for antibacterial, andtifungal, antitumor and other activities. One strain I isolated has been purchased by Sumitomo at the price $300,000.

• Prepared and analyzed isolated compounds using mass spectrometry, TLC, LC, HPLC, and NMR

Korea Ocean Research & Development Institute (KORDI), Seoul, Korea. Apr. 2004– Jul. 2004

Ph.D. Research Assistant

• Developed new HhaI based 16S rDNA-RFLP assay for the actinobacterial diversity study

EDUCATION

• Postdoc Research Associate. Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA. 8/2006-8/2008

• Ph.D. Biochemical Engineering, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academic of Sciences, Dalian, China. 4/2006

• B.E. Biological Chemistry, Yantai University, Yantai, China 7/2000

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• B. Watson, H. Zhang, Y Moon, A Longmire, and S. Hutcheson, 2009. Saccharophagus degradans 2-40 utilizes a novel group of processive endoglucanases to degrade cellulose. J. Bacteriol.191 (18) 5697-5705.

• H. Zhang, W. Zhang, Y. Jin, M. Jin, X. Yu (2008) Comparative study on the phylogenetic diversity of culturable actinobacteria isolated from five marine sponge species. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology 93:241-248

• R. M. Weiner, L. E. Taylor II, B. Henrissat, L. Hauser, M. Land, P. M. Coutinho, C. Rancurel, E. H. Saunders, A. G. Longmire, H. Zhang, E. A.Bayer, H. J. Gilbert, F.Larimer, I. B. Zhulin, N. A. Ekborg, R. Lamed, P. M.Richardson, I. Borovok, Steven Hutcheson (2008) Complete genome sequence of the complex carbohydrate-degrading marine bacterium, Saccharophagus degradans strain 2-40T PLOS Genetics 4(5): e1000087. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000087

• H. Zhang, Y. Lee, H. Lee, W. Zhang (2006) Marine sponge Hymeniacidon perleve possesses high diversity of culturable actinobacteria: Isolation and phylogenetic diversity by 16S rDNA-RFLP analysis. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology, 90:159–169

• H. Zhang, W. Zheng, J. Huang, H. Luo, Y. Jin, W. Zhang, Z. Liu, Y. Huang (2006) Actinoalloteichus hymeniacidon. sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from marine sponge Hymeniacidon perleve. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 56: 2309–2312.

• S. Xue, H. Zhang, P. Wu, W. Zhang, Q. Yuan (2004) Study on bioactivity of extracts from marine sponges in Chinese Sea, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 298: 71– 78.

PATENTS

• S. Hutcheson, R. Weiner and H. Zhang. (2008) Enzyme Systems for Saccharification of Plant Cell Wall Polysaccharides. (200********)

ORGANIZATIONS

• Sigma Xi

• Advancing Science Serving Society (AAAS)

• Society of Industrial Microbiology (SIM)

JOURNALS REVIEWERS

• Process Biochemistry

• Microbial Ecology

• Marine Biotechnology

Complete Publication List and References Provided on Request

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