Qingpei Liu
Date of Birth: December 19th, 1988
Professional Title: Associate Professor/ Master Supervisor
Major: Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmaceutics
Research Interests: Fungal natural product biosynthesis and synthetic biology
E-mail: lqp_2019@scuec.edu.cn
● Education and Professional Experiences
2023.04-present: Associate Professor/Master Supervisor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central Minzu University
2019.08-2023.04: Lecturer/Master Supervisor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, South-Central Minzu University
2018.07-2019.08: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Arizona, Supervisor: Prof. István Molnár
2015.10-2017.10: Joint Ph.D. student, University of Arizona, Supervisor: Prof. István Molnár
2010.09-2018.06: Ph.D., College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Supervisor: Prof. Fusheng Chen, Prof. Xiaohong Wang
2006.09-2010.06: B.Eng., College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University
● Teaching courses
Several courses for undergraduates, including the theoretical and experimental courses of "Biochemistry", "Special English for Pharmacy", "Pharmaceutics Experiments", et al.
● Awards and honors
2023.06, Second Class Prize in the 14th "Challenge Cup" of Hubei Province, Supervisor
2023.05, "May Fourth Youth-Faculty Pioneer" in South-Central Minzu University
2022.08, National First Class Prize of China Undergraduate Life Sciences Contest (2022, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Category), Supervisor
2022.07, Second Class Prize of the "The First Tutor Theme Class Meeting Design Competition" in South-Central Minzu University
2021.11, Third Class Prize of the Fifth Science Popularization Contest in South-Central Minzu University
2020.12, Third Class Prize of "Teaching Assistant Lecture Competition" in South-Central Minzu University
And I have also been awarded the honorary titles of "Outstanding Supervisor for Innovation", "Outstanding Supervisor" of Challenge Cup National College Student Business Plan Competition, "Outstanding Bachelor's Thesis Supervisor", and so on.
● Research Interests
1. Research on the pathways and mechanisms of fungal natural product biosynthesis
2. Research on the mechanisms fungal polyketide synthases
3. Discovery of new functional elements in fungal natural product synthesis
4. Research on the combinatorial biosynthesis of fungal natural products
● Funding Supports
[1] National Natural Science Foundation of China: Biosynthesis and its key enzyme catalytic mechanism of (±)-preuisolactone A, a pair of new skeleton caged polyketide racemates with antibacterial activity (32471544), 500,000 RMB, 2025.01-2028.12, PI, under research.
[2] National Natural Science Foundation of China: Biosynthesis of emerones A-C, three novel polyketide-derived meroterpenoids with unprecedented skeletons from Emericella sp. XL029 (22007102), 240,000 RMB, 2021.01-2023.12, PI, completed.
[3] The Key project at central government level: the ability establishment of sustainable use for valuable Chinese medicine resources: Mechanism of biphenyls, derived from yeast-induced suspension cells of Catalpa, against clinical drug-resistant bacteria (2060302-2101-20), 200,000 RMB, 2021.09-2024.12, PI, under research.
[4] Natural Sciences Fundation of Hubei Province: Combinatorial biosynthesis of novel active molecules utilizing non-reducing polyketide synthase of benzenediol lactones and Monascus pigments (2020CFB157), 50,000 RMB, 2020.03-2022.03, PI, completed.
[5] The Knowledge Innovation Program of Wuhan-Shuguang Project: Mechanism of polyketide synthase PreuA controlling the formation and release of lecanoric acid in Preussia isomera (2022020801020406), 100,000 RMB, 2022.06-2024.06, PI, completed.
[6] The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, South-Central Minzu University: Mechanism of the specific 2'-hydroxylation of diphenyl ethers catalyzed by the dicopper central protein Orf6G (CZQ23045), 50,000 RMB, 2023.03-2025.03, PI, under research.
l Representative Publications
Until now, 24 of SCI papers have been published in popular journals in this field such as Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., Chem. Sci., Plant Physiol., Front Microbiol., et al. Five of invention patents have been declared in China and 4 of them have been authorized.
[1] Qingpei Liu#, Shuaibiao Gao#, Jin Fang#, Yifu Gong, Yiling Zheng, Yao Xu, Dan Zhang, Jiayuan Wei, Liangxiu Liao, Ming Yao, Wenjing Wang, Xiaole Han, Fusheng Chen, István Molnár*, Xiaolong Yang*. Novel fungal diphenyl ether biosynthetic gene clusters encode a promiscuous oxidase for elevated antibacterial activities. Chemical Science, 2024, 15:14248-14253. (The Nature Index journal, IF: 7.6)
[2] Qingpei Liu, Dan Zhang, Shuaibiao Gao, Xianhua Cai, Ming Yao, Yao Xu, Yifu Gong, Ke Zheng, Yigui Mao, Liyan Yang, Dengfeng Yang, István Molnár*, Xiaolong Yang*. Didepside formation by the nonreducing polyketide synthase Preu6 of Preussia isomera requires interaction of starter acyl transferase and thioesterase domains. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2023, 62(6): e202214379. (The Nature Index journal, IF: 16.823)
[3] Qingpei Liu#,*, Dan Zhang#, Yao Xu, Shuaibiao Gao, Yifu Gong, Xianhua Cai, Ming Yao*, Xiaolong Yang*. Cloning and functional characterization of the polyketide synthases based on genome mining of Preussia isomera XL-1326. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2022, 13:819086.
[4] Qingpei Liu, Siyu Zhong, Xinrui Wang, Shuaibiao Gao, Xiaolong Yang*, Fusheng Chen*, István Molnár*. An integrated approach to determine the boundaries of the azaphilone pigment biosynthetic gene cluster of Monascus ruber M7 grown on potato dextrose agar. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2021, 12: 680629.
[5] Yingjie Ning#, Qingpei Liu#, Chong Wang#, Erdai Qin, Zhihua Wu, Minghui Wang, Ke Yang, Ibrahim Eid Elesawi, Chunli Chen, Hong Liu, Rui Qin, Bing Liu*. Heat stress interferes with formation of double-strand breaks and homolog synapsis. Plant Physiology, 2021, 185(4):1783-1797.
[6] Wenting Zhao#, Qingpei Liu#, Hengye Chen, Wei Zhao*, Yuan Gao*, Xiaolong Yang*. Two novel eremophylane acetophenone conjugates from Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, an endophytic fungus in Salvia miltiorrhiza. Fitoterapia, 2020, 141: 104474.
[7] Wanping Chen#, Runfa Chen#, Qingpei Liu#, Yi He, Kun He, Xiaoli Ding, Lijing Kang, Xiaoxiao Guo, Nana Xie, Youxiang Zhou*, Yuanyuan Lu, Russell J. Cox, István Molnár*, Mu Li, Yanchun Shao, Fusheng Chen*. Orange, red, yellow: biosynthesis of azaphilone pigments in Monascus fungi. Chemical Science, 2017, 8 (7), 4917-4925. (The Nature Index journal, IF: 9.063)
[8] Qingpei Liu, Xiaolong Yang, Dan Zhang, Yao Xu. Polyketide synthase Preu3-ΔCMeT and its application in the preparation of Orsellinic acid. Authorized Patent No.: ZL202111047088.9, Grant Date: 2023.04.28, Invention Patent, China.
[9] Qingpei Liu, Xiaolong Yang, Yao Xu, Dan Zhang. Construction of polyketide synthase PreuA-TEPreu3 and its application in the preparation of Orsellinic acid. Authorized Patent No.: ZL202110989776.0, Grant Date: 2023.03.24, Invention Patent, China.
[10] Qingpei Liu, Xiaolong Yang, Dan Zhang, Yao Xu. Polyketide synthase Preu3 and its application in the preparation of 2,4-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethylbenzoic acid. Authorized Patent No.: ZL202110910678.3, Grant Date: 2022.11.29, Invention Patent, China.
[11] Xiaolong Yang, Qingpei Liu, Yao Xu, Dan Zhang. Polyketide synthase PreuA and its application in the preparation of lecanoric acid. Authorized Patent No.: ZL202110820221.3, Grant Date: 2022.11.29, Invention Patent, China.
