Director, Bioinformatics Research Center
Type: Faculty
Education:
PhD, University of Edinburgh
Postdoctoral, North Carolina State University
Contact Info
Office: 1521 Partners II, Centennial Campus, 919-515-1942
Email: Zeng@Statgen.ncsu.edu
Website: Visit our Lab Home Page
Research Areas: Computation / Bioinformatics | Population / Quantitative
Theoretical and Statistical Quantitative Genetics
My research is on theoretical and statistical quantitative genetics. This includes research to develop theoretical models and statistical methods to map QTLs and to estimate basic genetic parameters of quantitative trait variation, such as number, genomic positions, effects, interaction, and pleiotropy of genes responsible for the variation. Currently, this research is concentrated on developing statistical methods for analyzing genetic architecture of quantitative traits as a whole using multiple interval mapping approach. Research topics include efficient and robust model selection, analysis of epistasis, multiple trait analysis, QTL by environment interaction analysis, mixed and mixture models, general plant breeding population QTL analysis, full-sib family analysis, gene expression QTL analysis, linkage disequilibrium mapping.
I also develop QTL Cartographer for QTL mapping data analysis. The long-term goal of the research is to develop quantitative genetic theories and statistical methods for characterizing and analyzing variation of quantitative traits and to learn genetic and evolutionary bases of the variation within and between natural and experimental populations.
Aylor DL, and Zeng Z-B. (2008). From classic genetics to quantitative genetics to systems biology: the role of epistasis. PLoS Genetics. 4(3).
Garcia AAF, Wang S, Melchinger AE, and Zeng Z-B. (2007). QTL mapping and the genetic basis of heterosis in maize and rice. Genetics. 180:1707–1724.
Kim Y, Feng S, and Zeng Z-B. (2007). Measuring and partitioning the high order linkage disequilibrium by multiple order Markov chains. Genetic Epidemiology. 32: 301–312.
Lai C-Q, Leips J, Zou W, Roberts JM, Wollenberg KR, Parnell LD, Zeng Z-B, Ordovas JM, and Mackay TFC. (2007). Speed-mapping quantitative trait loci using microarrays. Nature Methods. 4(10): 839–841.
Melchinger AE, Utz HF, Piepho HP, Zeng Z-B, and Schon CC. (2007). Quantitative genetic theory to elucidate the role of epistatsis in the manifestation of heterosis. Genetics. 177: 1815–1825.
