The Research Group of Fish Functional Genomics is interested in the important economic traits of fish. Employing the methods of genomic analysis, they explore the genes related to important traits, illustrate the function and regulatory mechanism of these genes, and try to establish and complete the technical system of genome breeding. 

Their research objects include the important freshwater fishes and the classic model fishes, such as grass carp, common carp, mandarin fish, northern snakehead, blotched snakehead, zebra fish, and rare minnow. Their study focused on the disease-resistance mechanism of fish to viral disease and the sex determination mechanism of fish. 

Researchers from this group have obtained a series of progress in grass carp genome research. They established the basis platform for grass carp whole genome research, exploited the efficient and accurate detection technique for SNP genotyping, and proposed the new methods for genotype-phenotype association analysis. Furthermore, they constructed the genome breeding technical system for the GCRV-resistant strain of grass carp in preliminary. 

Their work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key Research and Development Program of China, and the Strategic Priority Program of Chinese Academy of Science. In recent years, this group has published more than 50 research papers. 

Recent Publications (2007-2009):  

1.　 Su J, Zhu Z, Wang Y, Jang S. Isolation and characterization of Argonaute 2: a key gene of the RNA interference pathway in the rare minnow, Gobiocypris rarus. Fish Shellfish Immunol, 2009, 26(1):164-170. 

2.　 Su J, Yang C, Zhu Z, Wang Y, Jang S, Liao L. Enhanced grass carp reovirus resistance of Mx-transgenic rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus). Fish Shellfish Immunol, 2009, 26(6):828-835.  

3.　 Huang R, Gao LY, Wang YP, Hu W, Guo QL. Structure, organization and expression of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) NKEF-B gene. Fish Shellfish Immunol, 2009, 26(2):220-9. 

4.　 Huang R, Sun XF, Hu W, Wang YP, Guo QL. Strcture, organization and expression of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) SLP-76 gene. Fish Shellfish Immunol, 2008, 24: 530-541. 

5.  Su Jianguo, Zhu Zuoyan, Wang Yaping, Zou Jun, Hu Wei. Toll-like receptor 3 regulates Mx expression in rare minnow Gobiocypris rarus after viral infection. Immunogenetics, 2008, 60:195-205. 

6.　 Su Jianguo, Zhu Zuoyan, Xiong Feng, Wang Yaping. Hybrid Cytomegalovirus-U6 Promoter-based Plasmid Vectors Improve Efficiency of RNA Interference in Zebrafish. Mar Biotechnol, 2008, 10:511-517. 

7.　  Su Jianguo, Zhu Zuoyan, Wang Yaping, Xiong Feng, Zou Jun. The Cytomegalovirus Promoter-Driven Short Hairpin RNA Constructs Mediate Effective RNA Interference in Zebrafish In Vivo. Mar Biotechnol, 2008, 10:262-269. 

8.　  Su J, Zhu Z, Wang Y. Molecular cloning, characterization and expression analysis of the PKZ gene in rare minnow Gobiocypris rarus. Fish Shellfish Immunol, 2008, 25(1-2):106-113. 

9.　　 Hu Wei, Li Shuangfei, Tang Bin, Wang Yaping, Lin Haoran，Liu Xiaochun, Zou Jun, Zhu Zuoyan. Antisense inhibition of two sGnRH genes expression suppresses GtH synthesis and gonad development in common carp Cyprinus carpio. Aquaculture, 2007, 271: 498-506. 

10.　 Liu Weiyi, Yun Wang,Yao Qin, Ya-ping Wang, Zhu Zuoyan. Site-Directed Gene Integration in Transgenic Zebrafish Mediated by Cre Recombinase Using a Combination of Mutant Lox Sites. Marine Biotechnology, 2007, 9(4): 420-428. 

11.　 Wang Yun, Hu Wei, Wang Yaping, Liu Weiyi, Zhu Zuoyan. Identification and characterization of a novel splice variant of gonadotropin a subunit in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Journal of Fish Biology, 2007, 71: 1082-1094. 

12.　 Liu Jing, Wang Na, Wang Yaping, Sun Yonghua, Zhu Zuoyan. Cloning, characterization and promoter analysis of common carp hairy/Enhancer-of-split-related gene, her6. Journal of Genetics, 2006, 85(3): 171-178. 

13.　 Wang Na, Liu Jing, Wu Gang, Su Jiangguo, Wang Yaping, Sun Yonghua, Zhu Zuoyan. Knock down of gfp and no tail expression in zebrafish embryo by in vivo-transcribed short hairpin RNA with T7 plasmid system. J Biomed Sci, 2007, 14: 767-776. 

14.　 Wang Na, Liu Jing, WangYaping, Sun Yonghua, Zhu Zuoyan. Molecular characterization of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) Sonic Hedgehog and discovery of its maternal expression. Dev Genes Evol, 2007, 217: 299-305. 

15.　  Hu Wei, Wang Yaping, Zhu Zuoyan. Progress in the evaluation of transgenic fish for possible ecological risks and its containment strategies. Science in China Series C, 2007, 50(5): 573-579.