Ningyi Zhou

Distinguished Professor

  • Tel: +86-21-34204135
  • Email: ningyi.zhou@sjtu.edu.cn

Education and Research Experience

  • Professor Ning-Yi Zhou received his Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Wuhan University and PhD in Microbiology from Imperial College London （with Prof. David Leak）.
  • Following postdoctoral training at Imperial College （with Prof. David Leak）and University of Wales, Bangor（ with Prof. Peter Williams）, Prof. Zhou established his own laboratory in Wuhan Institute of Virology of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
  • He then joined Shanghai Jiao Tong University as a distinguished professor.
  • Over the last two decades, his research has been focusing on the genetics and biochemistry of microbial catabolism of aromatics (more recently of pharmaceuticals and plant toxins)，as well as the application of synthetic biology in pollutants control, publishing more than 80 papers in this field.
  • Currently, he serves an editor for “Applied and Environmental Microbiology”（https://journals.asm.org/journal/aem） (2016-2026). （updated on 17th June，2025）

Research Interests

Microbial degradation pathways of natural and synthetic chemicals as well as...

Microbial degradation pathways of natural and synthetic chemicals as well as 
their molecular evolution 

 

Selected Publications

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    Wu Y, Xu X, Yin CF, Shen Z, Wang L, Zhou NY*, Zhou J*. 2025. Structural Basis for the Enzyme-Polymer Binding Mechanism of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Esterase.  ACS Catal. 15, 11194−11203  doi/10.1021/acscatal.5c01764

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    Yin CF, Pan PP, Li T, Song X, Xu Y*, Zhou NY*. 2025. The universal accumulation of p-aminophenol during the microbial degradation of analgesic and antipyretic acetaminophen in WWTPs: a novel metagenomic perspective, Microbiome. 13(1): 68.  https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-025-02065-2 Video abstract： https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6198527/latest

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    Li T, Xu ZJ, Zhang ST, Xu J, Pan P, Zhou NY*. 2024.  Discovery of a Ni2+-dependent heterohexameric metformin hydrolase.  Nat Commun 15, 6121. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50409-7

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    Zhang ST, Deng SK, Li T, Maloney ME, Li DF, Spain JC*, Zhou NY*. 2024.  Discovery of the 1-naphthylamine biodegradation pathway reveals a broad-substrate-spectrum enzyme catalyzing 1-naphthylamine glutamylation. eLife 2024;0:e95555. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.95555

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    Qi X, Wu Y, Zhang ST, Yin CF ,Ji M, Liu Y, Xu Y, Zhou NY*. 2024. The unique salt bridge network in GlacPETase: a key to its stability. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.  90（3）e02242-23. doi:10.1128/aem.02242-23

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    Xu J, Li T, Huang WE*, Zhou NY*. 2024.  Semi-rational design of nitroarene dioxygenase for catalytic ability toward 2,4-dichloronitrobenzene. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.  90(6)：e01436-23. doi:10.1128/aem.01436-23

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    Yin CF, Nie Y, Li T, Zhou NY*. 2024. AlmA involved in the long-chain n-alkane degradation pathway in Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 is a Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.  90(1):e0162523. doi: 10.1128/aem.01625-23. 

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    Li  T, Xu J, Brower  AL, Xu ZJ, Xu Y, Spain JC*, Zhou NY*. 2023. Molecular Basis and Evolutionary Origin of 1-Nitronaphthalene Catabolism in Sphingobium sp. strain JS3065. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 89:e01728-22

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    Li T, Xu ZJ, and Zhou NY*. 2023. Aerobic Degradation of the Antidiabetic Drug Metformin by Aminobacter sp. Strain NyZ550. Environ. Sci. Technol.  57 (3), 1510-1519  DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c07669

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    Gu Y, Li T, Zhou NY*. 2023. Redundant and scattered genetic determinants for coumarin biodegradation in Pseudomonas sp. strain NyZ480.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 89(10):e0110923. doi: 10.1128/aem.01109-23.

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