Dr.Wang Tian

Email: wtian@pku.edu.cn 

The research field: Plant ion channels and electrophysiology 

Education

2007-2013, Ph.D. School of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, China

2003-2007, B.S., School of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, China  

Professional Experience

2020-now Assistant Professor, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University

2018-2019, Visiting Scholar, School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong

2018-2020 Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Life Sciences, Northwest University (Xi’an)

2013-2018 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Plant & Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley  

Research Interests

Ion channels play critical roles in plant development and resilience. However, our knowledge of plant ion channels is still very limited. Our lab focuses on identifying novel ion channels and exploring their physiological functions by using combined approaches, such as electrophysiological recordings, calcium imaging, gene editing, and forward screening. In addition to the model plant Arabidopsis, we also work on soybean, an important economic legume crop, with a major emphasis on the process of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Our long-term goal is to discover novel ion channel genes that could be used as genetic targets for crop improvement.  

Selected Publications

1.  Zhijie Ren, Fenglin Bai, Jingwen Xu, Li Wang, Xiaohan Wang, Qian Zhang, Changxin Feng, Qi Niu, Liying Zhang, Jiali Song, Fang Bao, Liangyu Liu, Yikun He, Ligeng Ma, Wang Tian*, Congcong Hou*, Legong Li*. A chloride efflux transporter, BIG RICE GRAIN 1, is involved in mediating grain size and salt tolerance in rice. J. Integr. Plant Biol. 2021, 63(12):2150-2163. (*corresponding author)

2.  Wang Tian,* Congcong Hou,* Zhijie Ren,* Chao Wang,* Fugeng Zhao, Douglas Dahlbeck, Songping Hu, Liying Zhang, Qi Niu, Legong Li, Brian J. Staskawicz, Sheng Luan. A calmodulin-gated calcium channel links pathogen patterns to plant immunity. Nature 2019, 572: 131-135. (*co-first author) 

3.  Wang Tian*, Congcong Hou*, Zhijie Ren, Yajun Pan, Jinjin Jia, Haiwen Zhang, Fenglin Bai, Peng Zhang, Huifen Zhu, Yikun He, Shenglian Luo, Legong Li, Sheng Luan. A molecular pathway for CO₂ response in Arabidopsis guard cells. Nat. Commun. 2015, 20(6): 6057. (*co-first author)

4.  Wang Tian*, Chao Wang*, Qifei Gao, Legong Li, Sheng Luan. Calcium spikes, waves and oscillations in plant development and biotic interactions. Nat. Plants. 2020, 6(7): 750-759. (*co-first author)

5.  Congcong Hou*, Wang Tian*, Thomas Kleist*, Kai He, Veder Garcia, Fenglin Bai, Yanli Hao, Sheng Luan, Legong Li. DUF221 proteins are a family of osmosensitive calcium-permeable cation channels conserved across eukaryotes. Cell Res. 2014, 24(5): 632-635. (*co-first author)