Tiancong QI     Ph.D.

Associate Professor

2003 – 2007       B.S.A., China Agricultural University

2007 – 2012       Ph.D., Tsinghua University

2012 – 2016       Postdoctoral Scholar, Tsinghua University

2016 – 2019       Tang Distinguished Scholar, Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California, Berkeley

2019 – 2022       Assistant Professor, Principal Investigator, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University

2023 – now        Associate Professor, Principal Investigator, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University

 

Research interest

Plant diseases affect plant yield and quality, and have caused serious agricultural economic losses. The goal of our laboratory is to study the molecular mechanisms of plant pathogenic bacteria, and plant resistance to diseases, especially the immune pathways triggered by pathogenic effectors.

 

Selected publications

1. Liu C, Yu Q, Jin Y, Ma W, Li J, Song T, Han M, Qian Y, Xue Q, Ke L, Dong Y, Hou C, Wu X, Liu Y, Wang J, Jiang L, Gong Z, Deng H, Xie D, He S, Lu ZJ, Song S*, Qi T*. An uORF-encoded mobile peptide sparks systemic stomatal immunity. Cell. 2026, 27:S0092-8674(25)01437-0.

2. Yu Q, Wu J, Jin Y, Song T, Wang W, Zeng Y, Huang H, Deng H, Wang W, Xie J, Lu ZJ, Fang X, Song S*, Qi T*. Pathogen-induced condensation of the guard cell RNA-binding protein SAIR1 fine-tunes translation for immunity. Nat Plants. 2025,11(12):2548-2564.

3. Wang H, Song S, Gao S, Yu Q, Zhang H, Cui X, Fan J, Xin X, Liu Y, Staskawicz B, Qi T*. The NLR immune receptor ADR1 and lipase-like proteins EDS1 and PAD4 mediate stomatal immunity in Nicotiana benthamiana and Arabidopsis. Plant Cell. 2024, 36(2):427-446.

4. Xie J, Yang Y, Wang H, Song T, Yu Q, Zeng Y, Liu C, Song S, Qi T*. NbWRKY57 activates helper nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptor transcription to promote TNL-mediated effector-triggered immunity in Nicotiana benthamiana. Plant Physiol. 2025, 31;199(3):kiaf534.

5. Xiao Y, Sun G, Yu Q, Gao T, Zhu Q, Wang R, Huang S, Han Z, Cervone F, Yin H, Qi T, Wang Y, Chai J. A plant mechanism of hijacking pathogen virulence factors to trigger innate immunity. Science. 2024, 383(6684):732-739.

6. Song S*, Liu B, Song J, Pang S, Song T, Gao S, Zhang Y, Huang H, Qi T*. A molecular framework for signaling crosstalk between jasmonate and ethylene in anthocyanin biosynthesis, trichome development, and defenses against insect herbivores in Arabidopsis. J Integr Plant Biol. 2022,64(9):1770-1788.

7. Liu B, Seong K, Pang S, Song J, Gao H, Wang C, Zhai J, Zhang Y, Gao S, Li X, Qi T*, Song S*. Functional specificity, diversity and redundancy of Arabidopsis JAZ family repressors in jasmonate and COI1-regulated growth, development and defense. New Phytologist, 2021, 231(4):1525-1545.

8. Song S*, Liu B, Zhai J, Zhang Y, Wang K, Qi T*. The intragenic suppressor mutation Leu59Phe compensates for the effect of detrimental mutations in the jasmonate receptor COI1. Plant Journal, 2021, 108(3):690-704.

9. Martin R#, Qi T#, Zhang H, Liu F, King M, Toth C, Nogales E, Staskawicz BJ. Structure of the activated ROQ1 resistosome directly recognizing the pathogen effector XopQ. Science, 2020, 370(6521):eabd9993.

10. Qi T, Seong K, ThomazellaD, Kim JR, Pham J, Seo E, Cho MJ, Schultink A and Staskawicz B. NRG1 functions downstream of EDS1 to regulate TIR-NLR-mediated plant immunity in Nicotiana benthamiana. PNAS, 2018, 115(46): E10979–E10987.

11. Wu D#, Qi T#, Li WX, Tian H, Gao H, Wang J, Ge J, Yao R, Ren C, Wang XB, Liu Y, Kang L, Ding SW, Xie D. Viral effector protein manipulates host hormone signaling to attract insect vectors. Cell Research, 2017, 27(3): 402–415.

12. Qi T, Huang H, Song S, Xie D. Regulation of jasmonate-mediated stamen development and seed production by a bHLH-MYB complex in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell, 2015, 27(6): 1620–1633.

13. Qi T, Wang J, Huang H, Liu B, Gao H, Liu Y, Song S, Xie D. Regulation of jasmonate-induced leaf senescence by antagonism between bHLH subgroup IIIe and IIId factors in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell, 2015, 27(6): 1634–1649.

14. Qi T, Huang H, Wu D, Yan J, Qi Y, Song S, Xie D. Arabidopsis DELLA and JAZ proteins bind the WD-repeat/bHLH/MYB complex to modulate gibberellin and jasmonate signaling synergy. Plant Cell, 2014, 26(3): 1118–33.

15. Song S, Huang H, Gao H, Wang J, Wu D, Liu X, Yang S, Zhai Q, Li C, Qi T#, Xie D#. Interaction between MYC2 and ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 modulates antagonism between jasmonate and ethylene signaling in Arabidopsis. Plant Cell, 2014, 26(1): 263–279.

^#:Co-first author; *: Corresponding authors

 

Contact information

E-mail：qitiancong@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn