Wei Zhou, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Wei has a strong background in host-microbe interaction and evolution of microbial pathogens. He is interested in developing computational tools to more efficiently characterize the microbiome using metagenomic data.

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About Wei Zhou, Ph.D.

Wei is broadly interested in evolution and ecology of microbes in complex communities using genomic methods. Before joining the Oh Lab, he worked with Dr. Dustin Brisson in the University of Pennsylvania to study host-microbe interaction and evolution of microbial pathogens. Presently he is developing computational tools that characterize microbes and microbial interactions more effectively and with less necessary domain expertise.

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Education and Experience

2011-2016 PhD candidate in biology, University of Pennsylvania

Advisor: Dr. Dustin Brisson

2009-2011 MS in Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Advisor: Dr. Jun Lin

2005-2009 BS in biology, Fudan University, China

Advisor: Dr. Weida Huang

Selected Publications

Highlighted Abstract

Lyme disease spirochetes possess complex genomes, consisting of a main chromosome and 20 or more smaller replicons. Among those small DNAs are the cp32 elements, a family of prophages that replicate as circular episomes. All complete cp32s contain an erp locus, which encodes surface-exposed proteins. Sequences were compared for all 193 erp alleles carried by 22 different strains of Lyme disease-causing spirochete to investigate their natural diversity and evolutionary histories. These included multiple isolates from a focus where Lyme disease is endemic in the northeastern United States and isolates from across North America and Europe. Bacteria were derived from diseased humans and from vector ticks and included members of 5 different Borrelia genospecies. All erp operon 5'-noncoding regions were found to be highly conserved, as were the initial 70 to 80 bp of all erp open reading frames, traits indicative of a common evolutionary origin. However, the majority of the protein-coding regions are highly diverse, due to numerous intra- and intergenic recombination events. Most erp alleles are chimeras derived from sequences of closely related and distantly related erp sequences and from unknown origins. Since known functions of Erp surface proteins involve interactions with various host tissue components, this diversity may reflect both their multiple functions and the abilities of Lyme disease-causing spirochetes to successfully infect a wide variety of vertebrate host species.

Search MagazineJune 19, 2019
The Microbiome Revolution
Miguel Ilzarbe, Director of Operations and Administration, and Professor George Weinstock, Ph.D., discuss how to harness the health benefits of the microbiome. Photo by Charles Camarda.
Tech CornerJune 17, 2019
The genome of Eve (the mouse)
C57BL/6—aka Black 6—is the most widely used mouse strain in research. Its reference genome was published in 2003 and has been carefully curated over the years since.
Featured ArticleMay 29, 2019
Making a community impact beyond the bench
A JAX postdoctoral associate was recently awarded a fellowship in Science Policy from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics that will allow him to advocate for support of science research with federal officials and congressional staff.
Research HighlightMay 20, 2019
Revealing cellular traits, one cell at a time
Scientists have developed an expanded toolkit that enables investigations of cellular traits at the single cell level at an unprecedented level of detail.

Search MagazineJune 18, 2019
Connected through Science
When Isabelle Chen, a senior at The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Conn., met Ann Bresnahan ‘69 during a science alumnae panel discussion at Bresnahan’s 50-year high school reunion, the two knew that they shared a passion for science.
Press ReleaseMay 30, 2019
Investigating the details of type 2 diabetes onset
A new study published in Nature sets a new precedent for understanding the development of type 2 diabetes, and it provides a trove of data for ongoing research.
Search MagazineMay 22, 2019
JAX scientists speak out on the crisis of opioid addiction
JAX scientists are intensifying their efforts to shed light on the genetic and neurobiological causes of addiction, along with the impact of environmental influences.
Research HighlightMay 02, 2019
How can we take full advantage of EHR Data?
There has been an explosion of digital medical data in recent years, taking many forms. Much of the most valuable data—clinical patient data—is currently stored in electronic health record (EHR) systems, providing a theoretical gold mine for large-scale integration and analyses of patient traits, diseases, treatments, progression over time, outcomes and more.