People

Full Professor at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology. He is a recipient of the national key R&D programs, Talents Program of Hubei Province.

He obtained his doctoral degree from the School of Life Sciences, Peking University in 2004. Subsequently, he continues to engage in researches in plant physiology, development, and ecology at the University of Toronto, the Research Center of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.He pioneered the discovery that auxin determines the development of leaf vein through canalization in the model plantArabidopsis thalianaand deciphered the mechanism of action of the cytokinin receptor family in nitrogen-fixing nodule formation in the model legumeLotus japonicus. He also established multiple research models of aquatic plants, such as duckweeds,Hygrophila difformis,revealed their unique mechanisms in photosynthesis, carbon assimilation, and environmental adaptation, demonstrated the significant potential of aquatic plants in biomass production and protein substitution.

Hongwei Hou has authored over 60 SCI-indexed papers in prestigious journals such as Plant Cell, Plant Physiology, New Phytologist, Plant Journal, Current Biology, Plant, Cell & Environment, Bioresource Technology, and PNAS Nexus with more than 2000 citations.

He focuses on the mechanisms of biomass production, photosynthetic carbon assimilation, and vertical farming in specific plants such as duckweed. By analyzing pathways related to photosynthesis, metabolism and development regulation, and combining multi-omics approaches, he explores key genetic resources that enable duckweed’s rapid growth and efficient protein accumulation, uses synthetic biology methods to create elite duckweed germplasm with combined traits of high yield and high protein, and promotes the research and utilization of high-protein feed derived from duckweed. He studies the relationship between light, temperature, carbon sources, microorganisms and duckweed yield, introduce the developed germplasm, technologies and equipment into the production system to meet the growth needs of duckweed, and establish a low-cost and high-yield duckweed production system.

1.YangJJ;IshizawaH;Hou H*.Re-attachingimportance toduckweed:meritingdesignation asmodelorganisms.J Exp Bot,2025. Accepted.

2.LiGJ;Hou H*.Standing on theshoulder ofgiants:developmentalregulators (DRs)arepastgifts forfutureplantengineering.Plant Cell Environ.2025

3. Li GJ；Wei N*；Hou H*. Uncovering the secrets of how plants adapt to water stress.Plant Cell Environ.2025

4. Li GJ; Zhao XY; Yang JJ; Hu SQ; Ponnu J; Kimura S; Hwang I; Torii KU; Hou HW*. Water wisteria genome reveals environmental adaptation and heterophylly regulation in amphibious plants. Plant Cell Environ,2024

5. Sun ZL; Zhao XY; Li GJ; Yang JJ; Chen Y; Xia ML; Hwang I; Hou HW*, Metabolic flexibility during a trophic transition reveals the phenotypic plasticity of greater duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza 7498), New Phytol. 2023

6. Ikematsu S；Umase T; Shiozaki M; Nakayama S; Noguchi F; Sakamoto T; Hou HW; Gohari G; Kimura S; Torii KU. Rewiring of hormones and light response pathways underlies the inhibition of stomatal development in an amphibious plant Rorippa aquatica underwater. Curr Biol. 2023

7. Li GJ; Yang, JJ; Chen YM; Zhao, XY; Chen Y; Kimura S; Hu SQ; Hou HW*, SHOOT MERISTEMLESS participates in the heterophylly of Hygrophila difformis (Acanthaceae). Plant Physiol, 2022

8. Sun ZL; Guo WJ; Zhao XY; Chen Y; Yang JJ; Xu SQ; Hou HW*, Sulfur limitation boosts more starch accumulation than nitrogen or phosphorus limitation in duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza). Ind Crop Prod, 2022

9. Yang JJ; Li GJ; Xia ML; Chen YM; Chen Y; Kumar S; Sun ZL; Li XZ; Zhao XY*; Hou HW*,  Combined effects of temperature and nutrients on the toxicity of cadmium in duckweed (Lemna aequinoctialis). J Hazard Mater, 2022

10. Zhao XY; Li GJ; Sun ZL; Chen Y; Guo WJ; Li YX; Chen YM; Yang JJ*; Hou HW*, Identification, structure analysis, and transcript profiling of phosphate transporters under Pi deficiency in duckweeds. Int J Biol Macromol. 2021

11. Zhao XY; Yang JJ; Li GJ; Sun ZL; Hu SQ; Chen Y; Guo WJ; Hou HW*, Genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of the WRKY gene family in aquatic plants and their response to abiotic stresses in giant duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza). Genomics. 2021

12. Sun ZL;  Guo WJ;  Yang JJ;  Zhao XY; Chen Y; Yao LG; Hou HW*. Enhanced biomass production and pollutant removal by duckweed in mixotrophic conditions. Bioresour Technol. 2020

13. Mariyamma NP; Hou HW; Carland FM; Nelson T; Schultz EA*, Localization of Arabidopsis FORKED1 to a RABA positive compartment suggests a role in secretion. J Exp Bot, 2017

14. Mariyamma N; Clarke K; Yu H; Hou HW; Wilton E; Dyk J; Schultz E*, Members of the Arabidopsis FORKED1-LIKE gene family act to localize PIN1 in developing veins. J Exp Bot, 2018

15. Held M^#; Hou HW^#; Miri M^#; Huynh C; Ross L; Hossain S; Sato S; Tabata S; Perry J; Wang T; Szczyglowski K*, Lotus japonicus cytokinin receptors work partially redundantly to mediate nodule formation. Plant Cell, 2014

16. Yoon H^#; Hossain M^#; Held M; Hou HW; Kehl M; Tromas A; Sato S; Tabata T; Andersen S; Stougaard J; Ross L; Szczyglowski K*, Lotus japonicus SUNERGOS1 encodes apredicted subunit A of a DNA topoisomerase VI and is required for nodule differentiationand accommodation of rhizobial infection. Plant J, 2014

17. Garrett J^#; Meents M; Blackshaw M; Blackshaw L; Hou HW; Styranko D; Kohalmi S; Schultz E*, A novel, semi-dominant allele ofMONOPTEROSprovides insight into leaf initiation and vein pattern formation. Planta,2012

18. Hou HW; Erickson J; Meservy J; Schultz E*, FORKED1 encodes a PH domain proteinthat is required for PIN1 canalization in developing leaf veins. Plant J,2010

19. Hou HW; Zhou Y; He X; Mwange K; Li W; Cui K*, The ABP1 expression regulated by IAA and ABA is associated with the cambial activity periodicity in Eucommia ulmoides. J Exp Bot, 2006