To develop two genome-editing platforms : TALENs & CRISPR/Cas9 system, for applications across plant species and other eukaryotes.
To investigate the basis of epigenetic adaptation of plant to biotic and abiotic stress.
Selected Publications
Lixin Li, Tomoo Shimada, Hideyuki Takahashi, Yasuko Koumoto, Makoto Shirakawa, Junpei Takagi, Baoyu Tu, Hongmin Jin, Baoda Han, Meihui Jia, Maki Kondo, Mikio Nishimura and Ikuko Hara-Nishimura MAG2 and three MAG2 INTERACTING PROTEINs form an ER-localized complex to facilitate the storage protein transport in Arabidopsis thaliana. The Plant Journal (2013) 76, 781–791.
Lixin Li, Ahmed Atef, Agnieszka Piatek1, Zahir Ali, Marek Piatek, Altan Sharakou, Mustapha Aouida, Ali Mahjoub, Guangchao Wang, Suhail Khan, Nina V. Fedoroff and Magdy M. Mahfouz Characterization and DNA Binding Specificities of Ralstonia TAL-like Effectors Mol Plant. 2013 Jul;6(4):1318-1330.
Li L, Piatek MJ, Atef A, Piatek A, Wibowo A, Fang X, Sabir JS, Zhu JK, Mahfouz MM. Rapid and highly efficient construction of TALE-based transcriptional regulators and nucleases for genome modification. Plant Mol Biol. 2012 Mar;78(4-5):407-16.
Mahfouz MM, Li L, Piatek M, Fang X, Mansour H, Bangarusamy DK, Zhu JK. Targeted transcriptional repression using a chimeric TALE-SRDX repressor protein. Plant Mol Biol 2012 Feb;78(3):311-21.
Mahfouz MM, Li L, Shamimuzzaman M, Wibowo A, Fang X, Zhu JK De novo-engineered transcription activator-like effector (TALE) hybrid nuclease with novel DNA binding specificity creates double-strand breaks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2011 Feb 8;108(6):2623-8
