Welcome to the Zhu Lab! We’re fascinated by how living organisms adjust their growth to the changing environments. We use crop roots to explore these amazing adaptations. Our work connects multiple scales, from molecules and cells to whole organs, to understand how roots grow and respond to environmental challenges. We grow roots and grow together!
A deep and ongoing commitment to advancing the field of plant development
BCBP Building，
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX USA
https://bcbp.tamu.edu/people/zhu-mingyuan/
Dr. Philip BENFEY’s laboratory, Duke University, HHMI, Durham, NC USA
Dr. Adrienne ROEDER’s laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
Dr. Arezki BOUDAOUD’s laboratory, ÉNS de Lyon, Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes France
Dr. Laura OLSEN’s Laboratory, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
Dr. Dong LIU’s Laboratory, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
“From molecules to organs: single-cell insights into root growth and response to physical stress”
“Single cell and spatial transcriptomics reveal how rice root tissues adapt to soil compaction”
“Single cell and spatial transcriptomics reveal how rice root tissues adapt to soil compaction”
“Single cell and spatial transcriptomics reveal how rice root tissues adapt to soil stress”
“Exploring genetic adaptation and single-cell-level responses to soil compaction in wheat and rice”
“Integrating single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to study rice root responses to soil compaction”
“Integrating single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to understand rice root development”
“Integrating single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to understand rice root development”
“Timing of organ initiation by hormone signaling is critical for robust organ size”
“A MYB domain protein controls organ size uniformity through affecting cell wall stiffness in Arabidopsis”
North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee (NAASC) Serve as a member of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Award committee.
Organize the “Exploring Career Opportunities in Academia & Industry Panel” workshop at ICAR 2024.
Co-chair the “Sustainable Crops/Food/Bioproducts, Improving Photosynthesis” plenary session at ICAR 2024.
Plant Cell Rubrics Committee - Plant Cell Atlas (PCA)Organize and nominate speakers for an online webinar series “What are plant cell states?”.
Founding Leader - Plant Method Exchange Platform (PMEX)
Officially launched: July 2024 at ICAR 2024
Official website: https://plant-methods.owlstown.net/
Organize online workshops:
June 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErHXIPcHW-U
October 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXklLc9tChg
Local Organizing Committee - New Phytologist, Next Generation Scientists Conference
Organize two breakout sessions: “Career transitions for PhD/Postdoc: Environment, PhysDev, and Biotech”.
Co-chair the plenary session: “Session 6”.
Plant Morphogenesis and Evolution Section, Frontiers in Plant Physiology
F1000Prime (now H1Connect Faculty Opinions)
Write more than 15 recommendations for published manuscripts.
Recommendation example: https://doi.org/10.3410/f.737763007.793577589
FEMMES+ Capstone program.
Designed and organized a one-day outreach program introducing students from Durham (4th through 6th grade) to plant biology concepts and techniques
Engaged 19 local elementary school students (18 Females) in hands-on experience with dissecting microscopes and confocal microscopes.
300 Olsen Blvd
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843
Zhu, M.*, Hsu, C-W.*, Lucas, O. P., Taylor, I. W., La Cavera, S., Oliveira, D.M., Verma, L., Mehra, P., Mijar, M., Sadanandom, A., Perez-Cota, F., Boerjan. W., Nolan, T. M., Bennett, M. J., Benfey, P. N., Pandey, B. K. (2025) Single-cell transcriptomics reveal how root tissues adapt to soil stress. Nature, 642, 721–729.
Zhang, J., Qu, Z., Liu, Z., Li, J., Farrar, E., Chara, O., Ogorek, L.P., Borges, A., Sakamoto, S., Mitsuda, N. and Zhu, X., Zhu, M., Shi, J., Liang, W., Bennett, M. J., Pandey, B. K., Zhang D., Persson, S. (2025). Ethylene modulates cell wall mechanics for root responses to compaction. Nature (2025).
Kong, S., Rusnak, B., Zhu, M., Roeder, A. H. (2025) Stochastic gene expression in auxin signaling in the floral meristem of Arabidopsis thaliana. Nature Communications 16 (1), 4682.
Kong, S. *, Zhu, M.*, Scarpin, M.R., Pan, D., Jia, L., Martinez, R.E., Alamos, S., Vadde, B.V., Garcia, H.G., Qian, SB., Brunkard, J.O. Roeder, A. H. (2024). DRMY1 promotes robust morphogenesis in Arabidopsis by sustaining the translation of cytokinin-signaling inhibitor proteins. Developmental Cell, 59(23), pp.3141-3160.
Kong, S., Zhu, M., Pan, D., Lane, B., Smith, R. S., & Roeder, A. H. (2024). Tradeoff Between Speed and Robustness in Primordium Initiation Mediated by Auxin-CUC1 Interaction. Nature Communications, 15(1), 5911.
Kong, S., Zhu, M., and Roeder, A. H. (2024). Self-organization underlies developmental robustness in plants. Cells & Development 203936. Invited review
Zhu, M., & Benfey, P. N. (2023). Plant physiology: The to-and-fro of hormone signals to respond to drought. Current Biology, 33(3), R114-R117.
Zhu, M.*, Taylor, I. W.*, & Benfey, P. N (2022). Single-cell genomics revolutionizes plant development studies across scales. Development, 149(6), dev200179. Invited review
Rajanala, A., Zhu, M., Taylor, I.W., Pierce, C. J., Hales, M., Benfey, P.N., & Goldman, D.I. (2022). Modeling plant root circumnutation using cellular simulation. Bulletin of the American Physical Society. (2024), Y03. 013
Shao, Y., Lehner, K. R., Zhou, H., Taylor, I., Zhu, M., Mao, C. ^, & Benfey, P. N. (2021). VAP-RELATED SUPPRESSORS OF TOO MANY MOUTHS (VST) family proteins are regulators of root system architecture. Plant Physiology, 185(2), 457-468.
Zhu, M., Chen, W., Mirabet, V., Hong, L., Bovio, S., Strauss, S., Schwarz, E., Tsugawa, S., Wang, Z., Smith, R.S., Li, C.-L., Hamant, O., Boudaoud, A.^, and Roeder, A.H.K. (2020) Robust organ size requires robust timing of initiation orchestrated by focused auxin and cytokinin signaling. Nature Plants, 6(6), 686-698.
Ripoll, J. J*., Zhu, M*., Brocke, S., Hon, C. T., Yanofsky, M. F., Boudaoud, A., & Roeder, A. H. (2019). Growth dynamics of the Arabidopsis fruit is mediated by cell expansion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(50), 25333-25342.
Zhu, M., & Roeder, A. H. (2020). Plants are better engineers: the complexity of plant organ morphogenesis. Current Opinion in Genetics & Development, 63, 16-23. Invited review
Hong, L., Dumond, M., Zhu, M., Tsugawa, S., Li, C.B., Boudaoud, A., Hamant, O. and Roeder, A.H., (2018). Heterogeneity and robustness in plant morphogenesis: from cells to organs. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 69, pp.469-495. Invited review
Hong, L.*, Dumond, M.*, Tsugawa, S.*, Sapala, A, Routier-Kierzkowska, A.-L., Zhou, Y., Chen C., Kiss, A., Zhu, M., Hamant, O., Smith, R.S., Komatsuzaki, T., Li, C.-L., Boudaoud, A, and Roeder, A.H.K. (2016) Variable cell growth yields reproducible organ development through spatiotemporal averaging. Developmental Cell, 38(1), 15-32.
Bachelor, Life Sciences
Tsinghua University
Ph.D. Plant Biology
Cornell University
Connect:
Email: mingyuan.zhu@ag.tamu.edu
GitHub:https://github.com/zhumy09
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mingyuan-zhu-3774b42a/
My research combines bioinformatics and experimental approaches to explore the molecular mechanisms and evolutionary history of root circumnutation, a key but understudied trait in plant development. Using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, I map cell-type-specific and spatially resolved regulatory networks that control circumnutation and stress responses. Through this work, I aim to uncover how complex traits arise, evolve, and enable plants to adapt to diverse environments.
Connect:
Email:li.feng@ag.tamu.edu GitHub: https://github.com/fionaliii/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionaliii/
Medha has MSc. in Microbiology from University of Pune, India. Her research interests focus on understanding plant responses to environmental stresses, with a particular emphasis on the submergence response of Oryza sativa (rice). She is passionate about exploring the molecular and physiological mechanisms that enable plants to adapt to challenging conditions.
Outside the lab, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking traditional Indian dishes, knitting and watching TV shows.
Contact : medhavinee.mijar@agnet.tamu.edu
linkedin: linkedin.com/in/medhavinee-mijar-900692307
Hi, I’m Elliott! I did my undergraduate training in Biotechnology at the University of Nevada, Reno. Currently, I am a first-year Ph.D. student in the Genetics and Genomics program (GGEN) and a HEEP Fellow. My research interests focus on understanding developmental plant genetics for crop improvement. Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn to discuss further!
Contact
Email: erunyan@tamu.edu
linkedin:http://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-runyan
Jace earned her Bsc in Medical and Molecular Biology, with minors in Chemistry and Pre-Med, at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science in Boston. As a post-grad, she served as a Research Technician for over two years in Dr. Eric Fischer’s lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. There, Jace supported the structural and biochemical characterization of E3 ligase complex interactions implicated in myeloid malignancies and Merkel cell carcinoma. In addition, she began efforts to identify novel therapeutic targets for AML using cell surface proteomics. Outside of the lab, Jace enjoys tasting menus, mountain biking, and a scenic trail.
Connect:
Email:donavellejace@tamu.edu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donavellejace/
I am currently a rotation student in Dr. Zhu’s lab. I grew up on a small farm in southeastern Indiana and got my undergraduate degree at the University of Dayton, where I majored in Biochemistry and minored in Health and Society. At UD, I performed research on fungal cells and induced the secretion of hydrolases.
Connect:
Email: kuntzt1@tamu.edu
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-kuntz-0670b3251/
I’m a native of College Station and a 3rd-generation Aggie. I did my undergraduate work at Texas A&M University, graduating with a double major B.S. Genetics and Biochemistry and a minor in Bioinformatics. I am continuing my studies at A&M as a PhD student in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics program. In my free time, I enjoy reading novels, playing video games, and listening to music
Connect:
Email: badger1289@tamu.edu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-hill-61327b227/