The Biophysics Group is dedicated to advancing biological breeding through heavy-ion beam mutagenesis technology, encompassing areas such as plant mutation breeding, microbial germplasm innovation and functional development, and research on irradiation processing technologies for agricultural products. 

Our group leverages the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL) to systematically develop advanced mutagenesis technology platforms, investigate mutagenic patterns and underlying biological mechanisms, and promote large-scale mutagenesis breeding practices. To date, our group has successfully bred over thirty new plant varieties and microbial strains, with multiple achievements translated into practical applications.

To further extend the advantages of nuclear technology down the industrial chain, our group simultaneously advances biological product development and research on green irradiation processing technologies for agricultural products. This effort has established a diversified support system spanning from germplasm resources to end-use applications, significantly enhancing the germplasm foundation for biomanufacturing. 

Currently, our group focuses on innovating and integrating next-generation heavy-ion beam mutagenesis breeding technologies. By employing high-efficiency mutagenesis and targeted screening strategies, we are driving the transformation of mutation breeding from an experience-driven approach to one powered by big data and intelligent systems. 

1. Development of Heavy Ion Beam Breeding Technology

2. Research on the Mechanisms of Induced Mutation Breeding

3. Mutation Creation and Breeding of New Plant Varieties / Microbial Strains

4. Bioproduct Development and Agricultural Product Irradiation Processing

Publications:

1) Wang J.; Li X.; Wang J.; Wei W.; Jin W.; Zhou L. Comparative proteomics reveals energy and carbon metabolism changes in Scenedesmus quadricauda mutants induced by heavy-ion beam irradiation. Bioresource Technology 2024, 406: 130965.

2) Chen J.; Du Y.; Feng Z.; Long J.; Wang L.; Liu X.; Kang G.; Ding J.; Li Z.; Jin W.; Zhou L. Physiology, agronomic traits, and transcriptome jointly revealed the radiation toxicity effect and response mechanism of carbon ion beam irradiation on soybean. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 2025, 227: 109999.

3) Liu R.; Zhan Y.; Cui A.; Qu Y.; Jin W.; Du Y.; Yu L.; Zhou L. Dose-dependent mutagenic effects of carbon-ion beams in foxtail millet: from phenotypic screening to physiological and molecular mechanisms. Journal of Plant Physiology 2026, 316: 154673.

4) Liu X.; Wang M.; Wang Y.; Li X.; Wang F.; Xin Z.; Lu X.; Pan X.; Li L.; Du Y.; Zhou L. Carbon ion beam-induced radiation hormesis in Bupleurum chinense DC.: Insights from growth, physiological, and metabolomic analyses for increased bioactive substances. Plant Stress 2025, 18: 101037.

5) Li Z.; Mu J.; Du Y.; Liu X.; Yu L.; Ding J.; Long J.; Chen J.; Zhou L. Advancing radiation-induced mutant screening through high-throughput technology: a preliminary evaluation of mutant screening in Arabidopsis thaliana. Plant Methods 2025, 21(1): 50.

6) Long, J.; Zhao, J.; Chen, J.; Ding, J.; Liu, X.; Li, Z.; Bian, P.; Wang, T.; Jin, W.; Lu, X.; Zhang, Y.; Zhou L.; Du Y. Manipulating alternative end-joining alters carbon-ion beam-induced genome mutation profiles in Arabidopsis thaliana. DNA Research 2025, 32 (4), dsaf014.

7) Wang Y.; Liu X.; Wang L.; Li X.; Chen F.; Li P.; Ma X.; Wang F.; Li L.; Xin Z.; Lu X.; Jin L.; Zhou L. Radiation-specific metabolic reprogramming drives yield-quality balance in Astragalus mongholicus: Comparative insights from gamma-ray and heavy-ion beam irradiation. Plant Stress 2025, 18: 101027.

8) Hu Y.; Wang H.; Xin Z.; Gou W.; Wang Z.; Liu X.; Lu X.; Yang A.; Li X.; Zhou L. Effects of electron beam irradiation on microbial loads, physicochemical properties, stability of active ingredients, and antioxidant activity in Angelica sinensis Radix. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research 2025, 23: 102168.

9) Wang Y.; Li F.; Yu J.; Wang Y.; Chen F.; Xin Z.; Kang L.; Liu X.; Li X.; Zhou L. Intervention mechanisms of X-ray irradiation pretreatment on the quality and antioxidants of fresh Gastrodia elata Blume during storage. Scientia Horticulturae 2025, 344: 114110.

10) Liu, X.; Du, Y.; Xu, C.; Wang, F.; Li, X.; Liu, L.; Ma, X.; Wang, Y.; Ge, L.; Ren, W.; Jin, L.; Zhou, L. Comparative analysis of the molecular response characteristics in Platycodon grandiflorus irradiated with heavy ion beams and X-rays. Life Sciences in Space Research 2023, 38, 87-100.

11) Ren W.; Wang H.; Du Y.; Li Y.; Feng Z.; Zhou X.; Kang G.; Shu Q.; Guo T.; Guo H.; Yu L.; Jin W.; Yang F.; Li J.; Ma J.; Li W.; Xu C.; Chen X.; Liu X.; Yang C.; Liu L.; Zhou L. Multi-generation study of heavy ion beam-induced mutations and agronomic trait variations to accelerate rice breeding. Frontiers in Plant Science 2023, 14:1213807.

12) Liu, X.; Du, Y.; Na, X.; Wang, M.; Qu, Y.; Ge, L.; Wang, Y.; Gao, L.; Bai, W.; Bi, Y.; Zhou, L. Integrative transcriptome and metabolome revealed the molecular mechanism of Bacillus megaterium BT22-mediated growth promotion in Arabidopsis thaliana. Journal of Plant Physiology 2023, 285, 153995.

13) Liu, R.; Dong, X.; Zhang, M.; Qu, Y.; Jin, W.; Li, X.; Zhou, L.; Yu, L.; Li, W. Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals candidate genes for leaf color formation in a thermo-sensitive leaf-color mutant generated by carbon-ion beam in green wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis). Scientia Horticulturae 2021, 288, 110300.

14) Du, Y.; Luo, S.; Zhao, J.; Feng, Z.; Chen, X.; Ren, W.; Liu, X.; Wang, Z.; Yu, L.; Li, W.; Qu, Y.; Liu, J.; Zhou, L. Genome and transcriptome-based characterization of high energy carbon-ion beam irradiation induced delayed flower senescence mutant in Lotus japonicus. BMC Plant Biology 2021, 21 (1), 510.

15) Li, X.; Jin, W. J.; Du, Y.; Tan, Z. L.; Liu, R. Y.; Xiao, R. Q.; Wang, J. F.; Wang, J.; Zhou, L. B. Electron beam irradiation effect on the physicochemical characteristics of municipal excess sludge. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 2021, 180.

16) Yan, Y.; Shan, W.; Wu, Y.; Zhang, C; Zhang, G.; Liu, G.; Chen, J.; Hu, W. Engineering Bacillus coagulans with high osmotic tolerance for enhancing L-lactic acid production using sweet sorghum juice coupled with acid-pretreated soybean meal under unsterile conditions. Industrial Crops & Products, 2025,224,120323.

17) Yan, Y.; Shan, W.; Zhang, C; Wu, Y.; Xing, X.; Chen, J.; Hu, W. Strain engineering of Bacillus coagulans with high osmotic pressure tolerance for effective L-lactic acid production from sweet sorghum juice under unsterile conditions. Bioresource Technology, 2024,400,130648.

18) Lei, C.; Guo, X.; Zhang, M.; Zhou, X.; Ding, N.; Ren, J.; Liu, M.; Jia, C.; Wang, Y.; Zhao, J.; Dong, Z.; Lu, D.; Regulating the Metabolic Flux of Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Bypass to Enhance Lipid Production in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Communications Biology, 2024, 7:1399.

19) Liu, MH.; Zhou, X.;Zhang, MM.; Wang, YJ.; Zhou, B.; Ding, N.; Wu, QF.; Lei, CR.; Dong, ZY.; Ren, JL.; Zhao, JR.; Lu, D. Integration of food raw materials, food microbiology, and food additives: systematic research and comprehensive insights into sweet sorghum juice, Clostridium tyrobutyricum TGL-A236 and bio-butyric acid. Frontiers in Microbiology,2024,15,1410968.

20) Guo, X.; Ren, J.; Zhou, X.; Zhang, M.; Lei, C.; Chai, R.; Zhang, L.; Lu, D.; Strategies to improve the efficiency and quality of mutant breeding using heavy-ion beam irradiation, Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 2024, 44(5):735-752.

21) Dong M; Wang S; Xu F; Xiao G; Bai J; Wang J; Sun X; Integrative transcriptome and proteome analyses of Trichoderma longibrachiatum LC and its cellulase hyper-producing mutants generated by heavy ion mutagenesis reveal the key genes involved in cellulolytic enzymes regulation, Biotechnology for Biofuels and Bioproducts, 2022, 1 13.

22) Wu J.; Chen T.; Wan F.; Wang J.; Li X.; Li W.; Ma L. Structural characterization of a polysaccharide from Lycium barbarum and its Neuroprotective effect against β-amyloid peptide neurotoxicity. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 2021,176:352-363.

Patents：

1) Automatic sample-changing device and method for particle beam radiation samples, 2024年，美国发明专利

2) 一种用于粒子束辐射样品的自动换样装置及方法，2020年

3) 一种重离子束辐射水稻幼苗突变创制的方法，2023年

4) 植物微束辐照实验准直器以及自动换样装置，2023年

5) 一种肠道益生菌及其在治疗肿瘤和替代抗生素中的应用，2023年

6) 一种副蕈状芽孢杆菌及其在污水处理中的应用，2024年

7) 一种利用糖用型甜高粱茎杆汁液制备果葡糖浆的方法，2023年

8) 一种荞麦低聚木糖、黄酮提取及保健荞麦香醋制备方法，2024年

9) 一种高纤维素酶活的复配酶制剂及其制备方法和应用，2021年

10) 一种提高木质纤维素的酶水解效率的方法，2020年

Cultivars：

1) Sunflower, 'Jinshangkui 1', 2023

2) Sunflower, 'Jinkui 1', 2019

3) Sorghum, 'Jintian 1', 2013

4) Rice, 'Shaoxiang 100', 2024

5) Rice, 'Dongdao 862', 2022

6) Wheat, 'Longfu 1', 2003

7) Medicinal plant (Artemisia annua), 'Kehao 1', 2018

8) Medicinal plant (Isatis indigotica), 'Zhongqing 1', 2016

9) Medicinal plant (Codonopsis pilosula), 'Weidang 3', 2013

10) Medicinal plant (Angelica sinensis), 'Mingui 3', 2009

11) Medicinal plant (Astragalus membranaceus), 'Longqi 2', 2009

12) Horticultural plant, 'Dong Hua Xia Cao', 2012

Awards：

1) 甘肃省科技进步二等奖，规模化高效饲草套种及绿色养殖微生态制剂关键技术研发应用，2024年

2) 甘肃省专利发明人奖，2024年

3) 甘肃省科学技术进步三等奖，优质黄芪新品种陇芪2号选育及推广，2014年

4) 甘肃省科学技术进步三等奖，甘肃当归新品系90-02选育及研究，2008年

5) 甘肃省科学技术进步三等奖，重离子束小麦诱变育种，2004年