Research focuses on the evaluation, exploration, and sustainable utilization of genetic resources in aquatic/wetland plants, with an emphasis on China's unique aquatic/wetland plant species possessing potential utilization value. During doctoral studies, molecular ecology methods were employed to elucidate population genetic dynamics and natural evolutionary processes in multiple aquatic/wetland plant species, specifically investigating the genetic structure and formation mechanisms of wild rice natural populations. Current research focuses on collecting and evaluating aquatic resource plants and studying adaptive evolution: establishing a germplasm resource nursery for native aquatic/wetland plants in the Yangtze River Basin; using the emergent plant Zizania latifolia as a model material, accelerating de novo domestication of Zizania as a novel perennial grain crop through phenotypic observation of wild resources and genomic resequencing; Employing omics and molecular biology approaches to uncover the genetic mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution in aquatic/wetland plants.

Publications:

1.        Zhao Y, Xing K, Zhou J, Dong X, Qin S, Xie H, Cheng L, Yang H, Xiao J, Zhang J, Rong J*. 2025. Woody oil crop domestication in the genus Camellia: Perspectives on future breeding. iScience, 28(12), 114205. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.114205.

2.        Liu J, You JL, Lin Z, He Z, Zhao Y, Liu W, Lu F, Qiong L, Zhang W, Wang Y, Yang J, Song ZP*. 2025. Spatial Distribution Patterns of Genetic Variation in Four Rhodiola Species: Testing the Centre-Periphery Hypothesis. Diversity and Distribution, 31(10), e70101. doi: 10.1111/ddi.70101

3.        He ZZ#, Shao WW#, Honnay O, Liao H, Chen H, Liu J, Dong SS, Li D, Fan GZ, Zhao Y, Rong J, Liu Y, Lu F, Cui XH, Zhang WJ, Wang YG, Li LF, Yang J, Song ZP*. 2025. Temporal dynamics of genetic diversity in protected and unprotected wild rice (Oryza rufipogon) populations: implications for conservation. Molecular Ecology, 34(9), e17750. doi: 10.1111/mec.17750.

4.        Lei XL#, Su XN#, Zhou CC, Jiang SL, Yuan XQ, Zhao Y*, Jiang SM*. 2025. Genetic structure and designing a preliminary core collection of Zizania latifolia in China based on 12 microsatellites markers. PeerJ, 13, e18909.

5.        Zhao Y, Liao LB, Zhu ZW, Zhang LD, Xiong ZD, Song ZP, Yan N, Zhong AW, Zhang J, Zhou CC*, Rong J*. 2024. De novo assembly of a near-complete genome of aquatic vegetable Zizania latifolia in the Yangtze River Basin. Scientific Data, 11, 1341.

6.        Xie H, Xing K, Zhou J, Zhao Y, Zhang J, Rong J*. 2024. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms and copy number variations drive adaptive evolution to freezing stress in a subtropical evergreen broadleaved tree: Hexaploid wild Camellia oleifera. Plant Diversity.

7.        Xing KF#, Zou YJ#, Xie H#, Cheng S, Zhou J, Luo XT. Chen G, Zhao Y, Deng ZY, Rong J, Li J*, Zhang J*. 2024. Variation in fruit traits and seed nutrient compositions of wild Camellia oleifera: Implications for Camellia oleifera domestication. Horticulturae, 10, 450.

8.        Tennakoon A, Sandamal S, Ge S, Melo A, Zhao Y, Marambe B, Ellstrand N, Song BK, Ratnasekera D*. 2023. Do the six types of Sri Lanka's Oryza comprise a domesticated-weed-wild complex? Authorea. DOI:10.22541/au.169579320.01488674/v1.

9.     Qin SY, Yu Zuo Z, Xu SX, Liu J, Yang FM, Luo YH, Ye JW, Zhao Y, Rong J, Liu B, Ma, PF, Li DZ*. 2023. Anthropogenic disturbance driving population decline of a dominant tree in East Asia evergreen broadleaved forests over the last 11, 000 years. Conservation Biology, 00, 00–00. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14180

10.     Xie H, Xing KF, Zhang J, Zhao Y, Rong J*. 2023. Genome survey and identification of key genes associated with freezing tolerance in genomic draft of hexaploid wild Camellia oleifera. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, DOI: 10.1080/14620316.2023.2272155

11.     Xie H, Zhang J, Cheng J, Zhao S, Wen Q, Kong P, Zhao Y, Xiang X, Rong J*. 2023. Field plus lab experiments help identify freezing tolerance and associated genes in subtropical evergreen broadleaf trees: A case study of Camellia oleifera. Frontiers in Plant Science, 22, 14, 1113125.

12.     Qin SY, Chen K, Zhang WJ, Xiang XG, Zuo ZY, Guo C, Zhao Y, Li LF, Wang YG, Song ZP, Yang J, Yang XQ, Zhang J, Jin WT, Wen Q, Zhao SZ, Chen JK, Li DZ, Rong J*. 2023. Phylogenomic insights into the reticulate evolution of Camellia sect. Paracamellia Sealy (Theaceae). Journal of Systemic Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1111/jse.12948

13.     Zhang LG, Li XQ, Jin WT, Liu YJ, Zhao Y, Rong J, Xiang XG*. 2022. Asymmetric migration dynamics of the tropical Asian and Australasian floras. Plant Diversity.

14.     You JL, Lougheed SC, Zhao Y, Zhang GJ, Liu WS, Lu F, Wang YG, Zhang WJ, Yang J, Qiong L, Song ZP. 2021. Comparative phylogeography study reveals introgression and incomplete lineage sorting during rapid diversification of Rhodiola. Annals of Botany, mcab133.

15.     Cui XY, Li CH, Qin SY, Huang ZB, Gan B, Jiang ZW, Huang XM, Yang XQ, Li Q, Xiang XG, Chen JK, Zhao Y*, Rong J*. 2022. High-throughput sequencing based microsatellite genotyping for polyploids to resolve allele dosage uncertainty and improve analyses of genetic diversity, structure and differentiation: a case study of the hexaploid Camellia oleifera. Molecular Ecology Resources. 22(1), 199-211. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13469