Welcome to Bo Group!

The Bo Group aims to elucidate the interactions between environment and diseases (Eco-Gene) underlying human health. Current research in our group focuses on three fields as following:

1. The role of complement in human diseases. Specifically, we are interested in revealing the functions and mechanisms of the newly characterized gene Colec11 in infection and inflammation. Further studies are expected to demonstrate how the expression of immune related genes (complement genes) are affected by environment changes.

2. The epidemiology of human infectious diseases in a changing environment. Our current projects focus on how pathogens (animals, bacteria, viruses) of infectious diseases transmit responding to environment condition under global climate change.

3. The macroscopic and microscopic mechanisms and pharmacological functions of active ingredients in medicinal plants. This project is collaborated with Professor Chengke Bai at Shaanxi Normal University to investigate the macroscopic (environmental) and microscopic (gene-level) mechanisms of formation of active ingredients in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) plants.

2023

• Cao, B., Bai, C. K., Wu, K. Y., La, T., Su, Y. Y., Che, L. Y., et al. (2023). Tracing the future of epidemics: Coincident niche distribution of host animals and disease incidence revealed climate-correlated risk shifts of main zoonotic diseases in China. Global Change Biology, 29(13), 3723-3746. doi:10.1111/gcb.16708
• Wang, J. X., Cao, B., Ma, N., Wu, K. Y., Chen, W. B., Wu, W. J., et al. (2023). Collectin-11 promotes cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. JCI Insight, 8(5). doi:10.1172/jci.insight.159452
• Zhang, M., Cao, B., Che, L. Y., Liu, L. J., Su, Y. Y., Zhou, X. F., et al. (2023). Post-harvest freezing injury reduces exterior quality of medicinal material and promotes transformation from glycosides to aglycones in Scutellaria baicalensis. Industrial Crops and Products, 201. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2023.116915

2022

• Zhao, S. J., Wu, K. Y., Min, X. Y., Wang, C. X., Cao, B., Ma, N., et al. (2022). Protective role for C3aR in experimental chronic pyelonephritis. FASEB Journal, 36(11). doi:10.1096/fj.202201007R
• Wu, K. Y., Cao, B., Wang, C. X., Yang, X. L., Zhao, S. J., Diao, T. Y., et al. (2022). The C5a/C5aR1 axis contributes to the pathogenesis of acute cystitis through enhancement of adhesion and colonization of uropathogenic E. coli. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 12. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2022.824505
• Lu, Y. M., Cao, B., Su, Y. Y., Yang, J. J., Xue, Y., Zhang, M., et al. (2022). Inter-specific differences of medicinal bioactive products are correlated with differential expressions of key enzyme genes in Scutellaria baicalensis and Scutellaria viscidula. Industrial Crops and Products, 189. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.115758
• Cao, B. (2022). Rules all PIs should follow. Science, 376(6588), 24-26. doi:10.1126/science.abp9887
• Cao, B., Bai, C. K., Zhang, M., Lu, Y. M., Gao, P. F., Yang, J. J., et al. (2022). Future landscape of renewable fuel resources: Current and future conservation and utilization of main biofuel crops in China. Science of The Total Environment, 806. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150946

2021

• Xue, Y., Cao, B., Liang, H., Yang, J. J., Gao, P. F., Mao, M. C., et al. (2021). Environmental shifts have important impacts on the functional traits and bioactive products of medicinal crop Cornus officinalis. Industrial Crops and Products, 162. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113304
• Min, X. Y., Liu, C. F., Cao, B., Zhang, T., Yang, X., Ma, N., et al. (2021). Human CD3(+)CD56(+)NKT-like cells express a range of complement receptors and C3 activation has negative effects on these cell activity and effector function. Human Immunology, 82(9), 625-633. doi:10.1016/j.humimm.2021.06.001
• Bai, C. K., Gao, P. F., Cao, B., Zhao, N. I., Zhang, M., Lu, Y. M., et al. (2021). Development and optimization of novel processing methods of fruit extracts of medicinal crop Cornus officinalis. Industrial Crops and Products, 174. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.114177

2020

• Cao, B., Bai, C. K., Xue, Y., Yang, J. J., Gao, P. F., Liang, H., et al. (2020). Wetlands rise and fall: Six endangered wetland species showed different patterns of habitat shift under future climate change. Science of The Total Environment, 731. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138518
• Cao, B., Bai, C. K., Wu, K. Y., Xue, Y., Yang, J. J., Gao, P. F., et al. (2020). Concentrated conservation and utilization: Four medicinal crops for diabetes treatment showed similar habitat distribution patterns in China. Industrial Crops and Products, 152. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112478
• Bai, C. K., Yang, J. J., Cao, B., Xue, Y., Gao, P. F., Liang, H., & Li, G. S. (2020). Growth years and post-harvest processing methods have critical roles on the contents of medicinal active ingredients of Scutellaria baicalensis. Industrial Crops and Products, 158. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112985

2019

• Yang, J. J., Cao, B., Xue, Y., Liang, H., Wu, Y. M., Zhao, N. P., et al. (2019). The medicinal active ingredients and their associated key enzyme genes are differentially regulated at different growth stages in Cornus officinalis and Cornus controversa. Industrial Crops and Products, 142. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.111858
• Peng, Q., Wu, W. J., Wu, K. Y., Cao, B., Qiang, C., Li, K., et al. (2019). The C5a/C5aR1 axis promotes progression of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis in a mouse model of renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. Kidney International, 96(1), 117-128. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2019.01.039
• Cao, B. (2019). NextGen Voices: Science-inspired sustainable behavior. Science, 364(6443), 822-822. doi:10.1126/science.aax8945

Before 2018

• Cao, B., Bai, C. K., Zhang, L. L., Li, G. S., & Mao, M. C. (2016). Modeling habitat distribution of Cornus officinalis with Maxent modeling and fuzzy logics in China. Journal of Plant Ecology, 9(6), 742-751. doi:10.1093/jpe/rtw009
• Zhang, L. L., Cao, B., Bai, C. K., Li, G. S., & Mao, M. C. (2016). Predicting suitable cultivation regions of medicinal plants with Maxent modeling and fuzzy logics: a case study of Scutellaria baicalensis in China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75(5). doi:10.1007/s12665-015-5133-9

Reviewers:

• Global Change Biology
• Ecological Indicators
• Global Ecology and Conservation
• Biodiversity Data Journal
• Community Ecology
• Metallomics
• BioMed Research International