Welcome! This is Min-Yao's personal website!
I am a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Plant Biology Graduate Program at UC Davis. I have been doing research in the plant biology field for 10 years. My research interests are plant-parasite interactions, plant biotic stress, and plant-fungal or plant-bacterial symbiosis research. I am currently working in Sinha Lab and I am focusing on parasitic plant research, especially Cuscuta campestris. In my current research, I use bioinformatics, genetics, molecular biology, and histology techniques to study haustorium development and the interaction between parasitic plants and tomatoes.
University of California, Davis
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Ph.D. in Plant Biology
University of California, Davis, 2021 -
Master’s Degree in Plant Biology
National Taiwan University 2014 -
Bachelor’s Degree in Life Sciences
National Cheng Kung University 2012
Jhu, M.-Y., Sinha, N.R. (2022) Parasitic Plants: An Overview of Mechanisms by Which Plants Perceive and Respond to Parasites. Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2022 May 20;73:433-455. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-arplant-102820-100635. Epub 2022 Apr 1. PMID: 35363532.
Jhu, M.-Y., Farhi, M., Wang, L., Zumstein, K., Sinha, NR. (2022) Investigating Host and Parasitic Plant Interaction by Tissue-Specific Gene Analyses on Tomato and Cuscuta campestris Interface at Three Haustorial Developmental Stages. Front Plant Sci. 2022 Feb 10;12:764843. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.764843 PMID: 35222447; PMCID: PMC8866705.
Jhu, M.Y., Farhi, M., Wang, L., Philbrook, R.N., Belcher, M.S., Nakayama, H., Zumstein, K.S., Rowland, S.D., Ron, M., Shih, P.M., Sinha, N.R. (2022) Heinz-resistant tomato cultivars exhibit a lignin-based resistance to field dodder (Cuscuta campestris) parasitism. Plant Physiol. 2022 May 3;189(1):129-151. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiac024 PMID: 35099559; PMCID: PMC9070836.
Jhu, M.-Y., Ichihashi, Y., Farhi, M., Wong, C., Sinha, N.R. (2021) LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES DOMAIN 25 functions as a key regulator of haustorium development in dodders. Plant Physiol. 2021 Aug 3;186(4):2093-2110. https://doi.org/10.1093/plphys/kiab231 PMID: 34618110; PMCID: PMC8331169.
Kuo, Y.W., Lin, J.S., Li, Y.C., Jhu, M.Y., King, Y.C., and Jeng, S.T. (2018). MicroR408 regulates defense response in sweet potato upon wounding. Journal of Experimental Botany, ery381-ery381. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ery381
Jhu, M.Y., Chang, Y.H., Lin, B.J., Chen, H.Y., and Yang, H.C. (2013). Genetic Dissection of Diverse Disease Prevalence and Drug Response in Global Human Populations Using Ancestry Informative Markers. Proceedings of IASC satelllite conference for the 59th ISI WSC & the 8th conference of IASC-ARS.conference paper PDF
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, Oldroyd Group, Crop Science Centre, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Sep 2021 - present
- Graduate student researcher, Sinha Lab, Department of Plant Biology, UC Davis
Sep 2015 - Sep 2021
Research Topic 1: CcLBD25 functions as a key regulator of haustorium development in Cuscuta campestris
Research Topic 2: Lignin-based resistance to Cuscuta campestris in tomato
- Research Assistant, Li Lab, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica (Taipei, Taiwan)
Aug 2014 - Jul 2015
Research Topic: The regulatory mechanisms of Kranz anatomy development in C4 plants.
- Graduate student researcher, Jeng Lab, Institute of Plant Biology, National Taiwan University
Jul 2012 - Jul 2014
Research Topic: Identification and functional characterization of wounding-responsive miRNAs in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas cv. Tainung 57).
- Summer Research Intern, Lucas Lab, Department of Plant Biology, UC Davis
Jul 2013 - Sep 2013
Global Research Experience in Advanced Technologies (GREAT) summer research program 2013
Research Topic: How Do Plants Know? How do plants signal between their organs? A road for long-distance miRNA signaling through the phloem.
- Undergraduate Student Researcher, Liao Lab, Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng Kung University
Dec 2009 - Jun 2012
Research Topic: Distribution and microstructure and chromosome ploidy in cecidomyiid galls on leaves of Litsea acuminata (Lauraceae) in Taiwan.
- Summer Research Intern, Fang Lab, The Biotechnology Center in Southern Taiwan, Academia Sinica
Jul 2011 - Sep 2011
Research Topic: Defects in a Putative Sulfate Transporter and Cell Cycle Control in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
- Summer Research Intern, Cheng Lab, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology
Jul 2010 - Sep 2010
Research Topic: Identification of Drought Tolerance Determinants by a Genetic Screening at Genomic Scale.
- Teaching assistant, College of Biological Sciences, UC Davis
Jan 2021 - present
BIS 015L, Introduction to Data Science for Biologists (R programming), 1 quarter, 2 units, 2 lab sections and held four sessions of office hours per week. (Remote teaching via Zoom)
- Teaching assistant, Department of Plant Biology, UC Davis
Sep 2020 – Dec 2020
PLB111 Plant Physiology, 1 quarter, 3 units. PLB111D Plant Physiology Discussion, 1 quarter, 1 unit per section, leading 2 discussion sections and 1 office hours per week. (Remote teaching via Zoom)
- Teaching assistant, College of Biological Sciences, UC Davis
Aug 2020 – Sep 2020
BIS2C Introductory Biology, 1 quarter, 5 units, leading 2 lab sections (3 hours per section) and held two sessions of office hours per week. (Remote teaching for 2020 Summer II via Zoom)
- Teaching assistant, Department of Plant Biology, UC Davis
Mar 2020 – Jun 2020
PLB112 Plant Growth and Development, 1 quarter, 3 units. (Remote teaching) PLB112D Plant Growth and Development Discussion, 1 quarter, 1 unit per section, leading 4 discussion sections. (Remote teaching)
- Teaching assistant, College of Biological Sciences, UC Davis
Jan 2020 – Mar 2020
BIS2C Introductory Biology, 1 quarter, 5 units, leading 2 lab sections (3 hours per section) and one office hours per week.
- Teaching assistant, Department of Plant Biology, UC Davis
Sep 2019 – Dec 2019
PLB111 Plant Physiology, 1 quarter, 3 units. PLB111D Plant Physiology Discussion, 1 quarter, 1 unit per section, leading 3 discussion sections and 2 office hours per week.
- Teaching assistant, Department of Plant Biology, UC Davis
Mar 2019 – Jun 2019
PLB112 Plant Growth and Development, 1 quarter, 3 units. PLB112D Plant Growth and Development Discussion, 1 quarter, 1 unit per section, leading 4 discussion sections per week.
- Teaching assistant, College of Biological Sciences, UC Davis
Jan 2019 – Mar 2019
BIS2C Introductory Biology, 1 quarter, 5 units, leading 2 lab sections (3 hours per section) and one office hours per week.
- Teaching assistant, Department of Plant Biology, UC Davis
Sep 2018 – Dec 2018
PLB111 Plant Physiology, 1 quarter, 3 units. PLB111D Plant Physiology Discussion, 1 quarter, 1 unit per section, leading 2 discussion sections and 2 office hours per week.
- 2020 Graduate Student Association's Fall 2020 Travel Award
- 2020 Selected concurrent session Rapid Fire speaker at Plant Biology 2020
- 2020 Loomis, Robert S. and Lois Ann Graduate Award in Agronomy
- 2020 UCD Graduate Research Award for academic year 2020-2021
- 2019 UC Davis Plant Biology Colloquium Best Presentation Award
- 2019 Selected speaker at the 15th World Congress on Parasitic Plants (WCPP)
- 2019 Selected concurrent session speaker at Plant Biology 2019
- 2019 Katherine Esau Summer Graduate Fellowship
- 2018 Pitch Your Science Bronze Award at Plant Biology 2018
- 2018 UC Davis Graduate Student Travel Award
- 2018 Elsie Taylor Stocking Memorial Fellowship
- 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists Travel Award
- 2017 UC Davis Plant Biology Retreat Poster Award
- 2017 UC Davis Plant Biology Colloquium Best Presentation Award
- 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists Travel Award
- 2016 UC Davis Plant Biology Retreat Poster Award
- 2016 Taiwan Government Scholarship to Study Abroad (GSSA)
- 2016 Yen Chuang Taiwan Fellowship
- 2014 Taiwan Society of Plant Biologist Annual Conference Thesis Presentation Competition, First Prize
- 2014 Taiwan Society of Plant Biologist Annual Conference Poster Competition, Excellence Award
- 2014 National Taiwan University College of Life Science Poster Competition, Excellence Award
- 2013 Enci Social Welfare Foundation Elite Scholarship
- 2013 Outstanding Research Performance Award
- 2013, 2012 National Taiwan University Scholarship for Academic Diligence
- 2012, 2011, 2010 National Cheng Kung University Outstanding Student Award
- 2020-present Reviewer for New Phytologist
- 2017-present R and python club member
This is a programming learning group consisting of graduate students, postdocs, and faculty participants. All members are required to contribute to the weekly discussions. I also volunteered and led the group discussion several times. Topics included programming Raspberry Pi devices and advanced topics covered in:
- Statistical Rethinking: A Bayesian Course with Examples in R and STAN by Richard McElreath.
- Python for Data Analysis: Data Wrangling with Pandas, NumPy, and IPython (2nd Edition) by Wes McKinney.
- An introduction to statistical learning: with applications in R by Gareth James, Daniela Witten, Trevor Hastie, Robert Tibshirani.
- 2017-present Mentor for Undergraduate and Graduate Researchers
I taught and trained several undergraduate students and graduate students in the PBGG rotation program in Sinha lab in molecular biology and histology techniques. I helped my undergraduate trainees develop skills in scientific literature reading and critique.
- 2019 Seminar Host, UC Davis Plant Biology Graduate Group.
- Organized schedules and invited and hosted Professor Shelley Lumba from University of Toronto as our PBGG seminar speaker on 10/04/2019.
- Organized schedules and Invited and hosted Professor Michael Axtell from Pennsylvania State University as our PBGG seminar speaker on 10/18/2019.
- 2019-2020 Seminar Committee, UC Davis Plant Biology Graduate Student Association.
- Solicited suggestions from the PBGG students for speakers to invite for the Friday Plant Biology Graduate Seminar.
- Worked with the faculty seminar organizer to schedule and organize the seminar series.
An annual contest challenging scientists explain their Ph.D. research by dance.
Title: Lignin-based resistance to parasitic plants in tomato.
Contest category: Biology.
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