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RESEARCH INTERESTS:
The Lei Lab is working in two active areas: functional genomics of
mineral-dependent antioxidant enzymes and protein engineering of hydrolytic
enzymes. Single-gene and double-gene null mouse models have been used to
determine in vivo metabolic roles and the related signaling of
selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase and copper,zinc-superoxide dismutase
in oxidative stress, diabetes, and bone development. One of the most exciting
findings in our recent research is the development of insulin resistance and
obesity in mice overexpressing glutathione peroxidase, a widely-regarded
antioxidant enzyme. Using site-directed mutagenesis and directed evolution, we
are developing catalytically efficient and heat-stable phytase, an enzyme that
can be used to improve phosphorus, calcium, iron, and zinc nutrition in animals
and to protect against environmental pollution of animal waste. More recently, our Lab
has also joined a large international collaboration in using agriculture to
fight against global micronutrient deficiencies in humans. Young pigs are used
as a human model to study the impact of nutrient enhancers and bio-active compounds
on mineral nutrition-related gene and protein expression.
Education:
Postdoc University of Missouri, 1995
Ph.D Michigan State University, 1993
M.S. Sichuan Agricultural University, 1985
B.A./B.S.Hunan Agricultural University, 1982
MEMBERSHIP OF GRADUATE FIELDS:
Animal Science
Nutrition
Food Science
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
1. Functional genomics of mineral-dependent enzymes (Se-GPX1 and
Cu,Zn-SOD1) in antioxidation, cell death, signal transduction, glucose
metabolism (insulin sensitivity), and bone integrity in gene-knockout mice,
pigs, and primary cells.
2. Overexpression and protein engineering of phytases to improve
mineral (P, Ca, Fe, and Zn) nutrition in animals and humans, and to protect
environmental pollution of animal waste.
3. Pigs as a model to fight against global micro-nutrient
deficiencies in humans.
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
2000-present
Professor, Cornell University
2005-2008 Cheung Kong Scholar, Endowed
Professor, Ministry of Education, China
2005-2010 Director and Professor,
International Center of Future Agriculture for
Human Health, Sichuan Agricultural University , Yaan, China
2004-present Associate Director, Harvest-Plus China
Program
(Breeding crops for better nutrition), Beijing, China
2004-2007 Guest Professor, Institute of
Animal Science,
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Beijing, China
2004-2007 Guest Investigator and
Visiting Professor,
Institute of Nutritional Science, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, China
2003-2006 Guest Professor, Hunan
Agricultural University, Changsha, China
2002-2006 Visiting Professor of HuaZhong University of Science and Technology,
Wuhan, China
1995-2000 Assistant Professor, Cornell
University
1993-1995 Postdoctoral Fellow,
University of Missouri-Columbia
1988-1993 Graduate Research Assistant,
Michigan State University
1985-1987 Lecturer, Sichuan Agricultural
University
HONORS AND AWARDS:
- Mead Johnson Award,
National
Award in 2005 by American Society for Nutritional Sciences
- AFIA-Non-ruminant Nutrition Award,
National Award in 2005 by American Society of Animal Science
- Provost Award for Distinguished Scholarship
by Cornell
University in 2005
- Cheung Kong Scholar Professorship
in 2005 by
the Chinese Ministry of Education
- Cornell Biotechnology Business Award, 2003
- Outstanding Young Scientist Award
in 1999 by
Northeastern Section American Society of Animal Science
- Sigma Xi Graduate Student Award
in 1992 by
Michigan State University
- Graduate Student Special Recognition Award
in 1992 by
Michigan State University
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES:
- Member of American Society of Nutrition
- Member of American Society of Animal Science
- Member of American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Member of Experimental Biology and Medicine
- Member of Cornell Institute of Food Science
- Member of British Biochemical Society
- Member of Ray Wu¨s Society
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PROFESSIONAL HONORARIES:
- Phi Beta Delta Honor Society
- Sigma Xi
- Phi Kappa Phi
- Gamma Sigma Delta, Honor Society of Agriculture
EDITORIAL BOARDS:
- Editorial Board of Journal of Nutrition (2003- )
- Editorial Board of Experimental Biology and Medicine (2003- )
- Editorial Board of the Journal of Animal Science (1999-2002)
- Ad hoc reviewer of 15 biological journals.
INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL COMMITTEES:
- Member of International Parent Committee on Trace Elements in Man and
Animal (2005- )
- Member of Committee on Minerals and Toxic Substances in Diets and Water
for Animals,
National Research Council, National Academy of Science, USA (2003-2005)
- Chair, Task Force on Biotechnology and Animal Manure Nutrient Management,
Council for
Agricultural Science and Technology, Washington DC (2004-2006)
- Chair or co-Chair of Selenium Session, Experimental Biology ¨97, ¨01, 03¨
and 05¨
- co-Chair of Animal Nutrition Symposium, Experimental Biology ｀05
- Member of Pre-doctoral Fellowship Committee, American Society of
Nutritional Sciences
(ASNS) (2003-2005, Chair-2004)
- Member of Steering Committee of Nutrient-Gene Interaction RIS, ASNS
(2003-now)
- Vice-Chair of Experimental Animal Nutrition RIS, ASNS (2005-2006, chair,
2006-2007)
- Member of Minority and Women Committee, American Society of Animal
Science (2003-2006)
- Non-ruminant Nutrition Committee, American Society of Animal Science
(1999-2002).
- Chair of Non-ruminant Nutrition Committee, American Society of Animal
Science (2002)
- NCR-42 Swine Nutrition Committee (2005- )
- Panel of USDA-NRI, improving human nutrition program (2000-2002).
FUNDING SOURCES:
NIH (R01), USDA (NRI), HarvestPlus (foundation), and private industry
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Dr. Xingen Lei received the 2005 Mead Johnson Award for his pioneer research
on selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase-1 from the American Society of
Nutritional Sciences (renamed as American Society of Nutrition), at Experimental
Biology¨ 05 on April 3, 2005, San Diego, CA. This prestigious national award is
given to scientists for distinguished nutrition research within 10 years
post-graduation.
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Dr. Xingen Lei received the 2005 national award of animal
nutrition research (AFIA-non-ruminant nutrition) for his phytase and other
animal nutrition-related research from the American Society of Animal Science at
the annual national meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 25, 2005. This award
recognizes distinguished animal nutritionists for their career contribution,
including their research publications during the past 10 years, to animal
nutrition, science, and production.
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Dr. Xingen Lei visited his M.S. advisor,
Professor Feng Yang (center) at Sichuan Agricultural University. He has
been awarded the Cheung Kong Scholar Professorship of Animal Nutrition at
the University by the Chinese Ministry of Education. He has established
a research center of Future Agriculture for Human Health there and is
the director of the center. |
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Dr. Xingen Lei visited Professor Xu Lin (center) and Dr. Li
(left), Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science,
Shanghai, in May, 2004. Dr. Lei is a visiting professor and a guest investigator
of the institute.
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Dr. Xingen Lei visited Professor Norman Borlaug, (center)
Noble Laureate, and Dr. Howdy Bouis, Director of HarvestPlus Program in May,
2005. He represented China Harvest Plus Program and attended the Coordinatorsmeeting
and the Advisory Committee meeting for HarvestPlus Program at the Center for
International Maize and Wheat Research, Mexico. |
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Dr. Xingen Lei visited Professor Magdalena Araya,
University of Chile, Santiago, Chile at The 12th International
Symposium on Trace Elements In Man and Animals (TEMA 12) that was held
in in June, 2005, at the University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland. Dr.
Lei has been elected as a member of the International Parent Committee,
and will host TEMA 14 in 2011 in Wuhan, China, with Professor Huang Kaixun. Dr. Araya will host TEMA 13 in 2008. |
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Dr. Xingen Lei (back row center) attended the first
working group meeting of HarvestPlus China program with Professor Fan
Yunliu (Director, front row first left), other program Officers, and
advisory committee members in April, 2005, Kunming, Yunlan, China. Dr.
Lei has helped in establishing the Chinese program and is the Associate
Director of the program.
www.harvestplus-china.org. |
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Dr. Xingen Lei was invited to give a talk on inositol
phosphate and animal nutrition for the first International Symposium on
Inositol Phosphate, in August, 2005, Sun Valley, Idaho. |
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Dr. Xingen Lei visited Professor Robert Cousins, University
of Florida, a member of National Academy of Science and Editor-in-Chief of "Annual
Review of Nutrition". Dr. Lei was invited to give a seminar on his antioxidant
enzyme research to the Nutritional Program at the University of Florida in
September, 2005. He has also been invited to write a chapter on glutathione peroxidase for
"Annual Review of Nutrition" in 2006.
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RECENT PUBLICATIONS (2004-2005):
M. S. Scimeca, D. J. Lisk, T. Prolla, and X. G. Lei. 2005. Effects of
gpx4 haploid insufficiency on GPx4 activity, selenium concentration, and
paraquat-induced protein oxidation in murine tissues. Exp. Biol. Med.
230:709-714.
X. G. Lei, and W.-H. Cheng. 2005. New roles of an old
selenoenzyme: evidences from glutathione peroxidase-1 null and overexpressing
mice. J. Nutr. 135:2295-2298.
T. W. Kim and X. G. Lei. 2005. An improved method for
a rapid determination of phytase activity in animal feed. J. Anim. Sci.
83:1062-1067.
T. W. Kim and X. G. Lei. 2005. Expression and
characterization of a thermostable serine protease (TfpA) from Thermomonospora
fusca YX in Pichia pastoris. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 68: 355-359.
S. H. Lee, T. W. Kim, C. H. Stahl, and X. G. Lei.
2005. Expression of Escherichia coli AppA2 phytase in four yeast systems.
Biotechnol. Lett. 27:327-334.
J. P. McClung, C. A. Roneker, D. J. Lisk, P. Langlais, F.
Liu, and X. G. Lei. 2004. Development of insulin resistance and obesity
in mice overexpressing cellular glutathione peroxidase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
USA 101:8852-8857.
Q. Liu, Q. Q. Huang, X. G. Lei, and Q. Hao. 2004.
Crystallographic snapshots of Aspergillus fumigatus phytase revealing its
enzymatic dynamics. Structure 12:1575-1583.
X. G. Lei and T. W. Kim. 2004. Expression of improved
phytases in yeast and biochemical characterization. Methods in Biotechnology,
17:209-224, The Humana Press, Totowa, New Jersey.
X. G. Lei and J. M. Porres. 2004. Phytases. In:
Encyclopedia of Animal Science, W. G. Pond and A. W. Bell (eds.), page 704-707,
Marcel Dekker, New York, NY.
X. G. Lei, H. Yang, and K. L . Wang. 2004.
Bioavailability: Mineral Elements. In: Encyclopedia of Animal Science, W. G.
Pond and A. W. Bell (eds.), page 117-119, Marcel Dekker, New York, NY.
X. G. Lei and H. Yang. 2004. Mineral Elements: Micro
(trace). In: Encyclopedia of Animal Science, W. G. Pond and A. W. Bell (eds.),
page 638-641, Marcel Dekker, New York, NY.
C.H. Stahl, K.R. Roneker, W.G. Pond, and X. G. Lei.
2004. Singular and combined effects of three fungal phytases with a bacterial
phytase in corn-soy diets for young pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 82:1725-1731.
T. Xiang, Q. Liu, A. M. Deacon, M. Koshy, I. A. Kriksunov,
X. G. Lei, Q. Hao, and D. J. Thiel. 2004. Crystal structure of a
heat-resilient phytase from Aspergillus fumigatus, carrying a phosphorylated
histidine. J. Mol. Biol. 339:437-445.
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