Education:
2011-2014 MSc. School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University
2014-2019 Ph.D. School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University
Professional Positions:
2019-2021 Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
2021-now Assistant Investigator, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Research Areas:
My research is focused on the molecular basis of mosquito-borne virus infection and transmission. Interactions between mosquitoes, viruses, and hosts are deciphered at the molecular, biochemical, cellular, and animal levels, thus leading to the development of novel approaches to control these viral diseases spreading in nature. My major contribution to this field has been the elucidation of the molecular basis underlying mosquito-borne virus transmission, including: discovering a commensal bacterium that blocks dengue viral transmission; elucidating the molecular mechanism by which viruses manipulate host skin microbiota to facilitate mosquito-borne virus transmission; and revealing the molecular basis of viruses hijacking host blood factors to facilitate viral infection in Aedes mosquitoes. To date, I have published more than 20 research or review articles in prestigious journals such as Science and Cell.
Honors and Awards:
➢ 2023 Young Science and Technology Award of the Entomological Society of China
➢ 2023 First prize of Natural Science Award of MOE
➢ 2021 Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program
➢ 2020 The First prize of Natural Science Award of Beijing
Selected Publications:
1.Zhang LM*, Wang DX*, Shi PB, Li JZ, Niu JC, Chen JL, Wang G, Wu LJ, Chen L, Yang ZX, Li SS, Meng JX, Ruan FC, He YW, Zhao HL, Ren ZR, Wang YB, Liu Y, Shi XL, Wang YF, Liu QY, Li JH, Wang PH, Wang JL#, Zhu YB#, Cheng G#. A naturally isolated symbiotic bacterium suppresses flavivirus transmission by Aedes mosquitoes. Science. 2024, 384: eadn9524. (*equal authorship, #co-corresponding author) News by Science, Research Highlighted by Nature Reviews Microbiology, Spotlight by Trends in Microbiology
2.Zhang H*, Zhu YB*, Liu ZW, Peng YM, Peng WY, Tong LQ, Wang JL, Liu QY, Wang PH, Cheng G #. (2022) A volatile from the skin microbiota of flavivirus-infected hosts promotes mosquito attractiveness. Cell. 185: 2510–2522. (*equal authorship, #co-corresponding author) Preview by Cell, News by Science and Nature, Research Highlighted by Nature Reviews Microbiology and Cell Research, Highlighted by TiWV919: Motivated by volatiles.
3.Zhu YB, Zhang C; Zhang LM; Yu X; Yang Y; Liu QY; Wang PH; Cheng G#. A human blood-derived microRNA facilitates flavivirus infection in fed mosquitoes. Cell Reports. 2021, 37: 110091. Spotlight by Trends in Parasitology.
4.Zhu YB, Tong LQ, Nie KX, Itsanun Wiwatanaratanabutr, Sun P, Li QQ, Yu X, Wu P, Wu TS, Yu C, Liu QY, Bian ZQ, Wang PH, Cheng G#. Host serum iron modulates dengue virus acquisition by mosquitoes. Nature Microbiology. 2019, 4: 2405-2415. Highlighted by TWiV 569: Smolt’in iron.
5.Zhu YB, Zhang RD, Zhang B, Zhao TY, Wang PH, Liang GD, Cheng G#. Blood meal acquisition enhances arbovirus replication in mosquitoes through activation of the GABAergic system. Nature Communications. 2017, 8: 1262
6.Zhu YB#, Cheng G#. Making hosts smell tastier: How mosquito-borne viruses take the initiative in viral transmission, Clinical and Translational Medicine, 2023, 13: e1168. (#co-corresponding author)
7.Zhu YB*, Liu JY*, Cheng G#. (2023) Progress towards research on mosquito-borne arboviral transmission and infection. Science Bulletin, 68, 2884-2888. (*equal authorship)
8.Zhu YB*#, Yu X*, Jiang LP, Wang Y, Shi XL, Cheng G#. (2023) Advances in research on arboviral acquisition from hosts to mosquitoes. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 61, 101141. (*equal authorship, #co-corresponding author)
9.Ma EH, Zhu YB, Liu ZW, Wei TY, Wang PH, Cheng G. Interaction of viruses with the insect intestine. Annu Rev Virol. 2021, 8: 115-131.
10.Yu X*, Zhu YB*, Xiao XP*, Wang PH, Cheng G#. Progress towards understanding the mosquito-borne virus life cycle. Trends in Parasitology. 2019, 35: 1009-1017 (*equal authorship.)
