Professional Experience

2008-    Professor and GRA Eminent Scholar, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and Department of Genetics, University of Georgia

2005-    Ad Hoc Graduate Faculty, Dept of Forestry & Natural Resources, Purdue University

2006-2008    Professor, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University

2006    Visiting Professor, ChaoYang University of Technology, Taiwan

2003-2007    Director, Biotechnology Research Center, Michigan Technological University

2002-2006    Associate Professor, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University

1997-2002    Assistant Professor, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University

1995-1997    Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Plant Biotechnology Research Center, Institute of Wood Research, Michigan Technological University

1991-1992    Research Associate, Division of Silviculture, Taiwan Forestry Research Institute

Neale DB, Tsai C-J, Davis MF, Stanton BJ, Discovery of genes for improved cellulose and cellulose-extractability from poplar secondary xylem (06/07-06/08). Chevron-UC Davis Research Program, $446,942.

Tsai C-J, Acquisition of an infrared fluorescence imaging system for life sciences research (05/07-05/08). State of Michigan Research Excellence Fund, $34,125.

Tsai C-J, NSF Plant Genome Program REU and SYP Supplement (05/06-12/08). NSF, $24,678.

Tsai C-J, Harding SA, Protein engineering for manipulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism (09/06-08/09). DOE-CPBR and ArborGen, $188,000.

Tsai C-J, UVB-induced secondary metabolism (07/06-06/08). Utah State University, $10,000.

Tsai C-J, NSF Plant Genome Research Program REU Supplement (05/06-12/09). NSF, $24,596.

Harding SA, Tsai C-J, Lindroth RL, A genomics investigation of partitioning into and among flavonoid-derived condensed tannins for carbon sequestration in Populus (09/05-09/09). DOE, $1,386,389.

Tsai C-J, Harding SA, Protein engineering for manipulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism (09/05-08/06). DOE-CPBR Fellowship, $40,000.

Predebon B, Tsai C-J, Biotechnology research center technician support to enhance inter-disciplinary molecular research (08/05-08/06). State of Michigan Research Excellence Fund, $40,000.

Tsai C-J, Harding SA, Zhang S, Davis MF (DOE-NREL), A functional genomics approach to investigate regulation of phenolic glycoside metabolism in Populus (11/04-12/08). NSF Plant Genome Research Program, $2,114,091.

Tsai C-J, Acquisition of a real-time PCR system for quantitative gene expression analysis in forest genomics and biotechnology research (11/04-11/05). USDA-NRI Equipment Grant, $12,500.

Karnosky DF, Taylor G, Podila GK, Tsai C-J, Riemenschneider D, Rogers A, An integrated functional genomics consortium to increase carbon sequestration in poplars: Optimizing aboveground carbon gain (03/04-02/07). DOE, $916,231.

Harding SA, Tsai C-J, Designing promoters for precision targeting of gene expression (01/03-12/05). DOE-CPBR, $126,001.

Tsai C-J, Harding SA, Molecular dissection of alpha-tubulins during microfibril deposition in wood forming tissues of aspen (11/02-11/07). USDA-NRI, $220,000.

Tsai C-J, Joshi CP, Harding SA, Acquisition of a CEQ8000 genetic analyzer for high throughput DNA sequencing and fragment analysis (04/03-06/04). State of Michigan Research Excellence Fund, $50,000.

Tsai C-J, Toward a long-term transgenic tree germplasm preservation program: Cryostorage of value-added transgenic trees (04/02-06/03). State of Michigan Research Excellence Fund, $20,000.

Tsai C-J, Harding SA, Joshi CP, Chiang VL, Functional genomics of fast-growing transgenic aspen (03/01-12/04). Michigan Life Sciences Corridor, $2,013,729.

Tsai C-J, Chiang VL, Davis MF, Genetic augmentation of syringyl lignin in low-lignin aspen trees (03/01-08/04). DOE Agenda 2020, $504,903.

Tsai C-J, Vucetich JA, Waite TA, Richter DL, Assessing ecological consequences of low-lignin and fast-growth transgenic aspen (09/00-09/04). USDA-CSREES, $260,000.

Tsai C-J, Chiang VL, Designing promoters for precision targeting of gene expression (01/01-12/03). DOE-CPBR Fellowship Grant, $80,042.

Tsai C-J, Harding SA, Acquisition of a vibratome for microscopy study of fresh plant tissues (01/01-05/01). MTU C2E2 Equipment Grant, $4,800.

Tsai C-J, Chiang VL, Genetic engineering of Finnish forest tree species with reduced lignin and enhanced growth (Finnish PIs: Häggman HM, Aronen T, 07/00-05/01). Finnish Forest Research Institute, $26,130.

Tsai C-J, Joshi CP, Popko JL, Chiang VL, Wood Biotechnology (12/98-11/01). State of Michigan Research Excellence Fund, $75,000.

Tsai C-J, Molecular characterization of genes involved in cambium differentiation in aspen (09/98-09/01). USDA-NRI, $50,000.

Journal Publications

Qin H, Feng T, Harding SA, Tsai C-J, Zhang S (2008) An efficient method to identify differentially expressed genes in microarray experiments. Bioinformatics 24: 1583-1589.

Luo K, Harding SA, Tsai C-J (2008) A modified T-vector for simplified assembly of hairpin RNAi constructs. Biotechnology Letters 30: 1271-1274.

Oakley RV, Wang Y-S, Ramakrishna W, Harding SA, Tsai C-J (2007) Differential expansion and expression of alpha- and beta-tubulin gene families in Populus. Plant Physiology 145: 961-973.

Busov V and Tsai C-J (2007) Perennial challenges and opportunities. New Phytologist 176: 3-6.

Lin J, Gunter LE, Harding SA, Kopp RF, McCord RP, Tsai C-J, Tuskan GA, Smart LB (2007) Development of AFLP and RAPD markers linked to a locus associated with twisted growth in corkscrew willow (Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’). Tree Physiology 27: 1575-1583.

Tiimonen H, Häggman H, Tsai C-J, Chiang VL, Aronen T (2007) The seasonal activity and the effect of mechanical bending and wounding on the PtCOMT promoter in Betula pendula Roth. Plant Cell Reports 26: 1205-1214.

Rajinikanth M, Harding SA, Tsai C-J (2007) The glycine decarboxylase complex multienzyme family in Populus. Journal of Experimental Botany 58: 1761-1770.

Tsai C-J, El Kayal W, Harding SA (2006) Populus, the new model system for investigating phenylpropanoid complexity (invited review). International Journal of Applied Science and Engineering 4: 221-233.

Brodeur-Campbell SE, Vucetich JA, Richter DL, Waite TA, Rosemier JN, Tsai C-J (2006) Insect herbivory on low-lignin transgenic aspen. Environmental Entomology 35: 1696-1701.

Tuskan GA, DiFazio S et al. (107 authors including Tsai C-J), Rokhsar D (2006) The genome of black cottonwood, Populus trichocarpa (Torr. & Gray). Science 313: 1596-1604.

Tsai C-J, Harding SA, Tschaplinski TJ, Lindroth RL, Yuan Y (2006) Genome-wide analysis of the structural genes regulating defense phenylpropanoid metabolism in Populus. New Phytologist 172: 47-62.

Harding SA, Jiang H, Jeong ML, Casado FL, Lin H-W, Tsai C-J (2005) Functional genomics analysis of foliar condensed tannin and phenolic glycoside regulation in natural cottonwood hybrids. Tree Physiology 25: 1475-1486.

Ho C-K, Chang S-H, Lung J, Tsai C-J, Chen K-P (2005) The strategies to increase taxol production by using Taxus mairei cells transformed with TS and DBAT genes. International Journal of Applied Science and Engineering 3: 179-185.

Jeong ML, Jiang H, Chen H-S, Tsai C-J, Harding SA (2004) Metabolic profiling the sink to source transition in developing leaves of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). Plant Physiology 136: 3364-3375.

Tsai C-J, Hubscher SL (2004) Cryopreservation in Populus functional genomics. New Phytologist 164: 73-81.

Ranjan P, Kao Y-Y, Jiang H, Joshi CP, Harding SA, Tsai C-J (2004) Suppression subtractive hybridization-mediated transcriptome analysis from multiple tissues of aspen (Populus tremuloides) trees altered in phenylpropanoid metabolism. Planta 219: 694-704.

Jiang H, Deng Y, Chen H-S, Tao L, Sha Q, Chen J, Tsai C-J, Zhang S (2004) Joint analysis of two microarray gene-expression data sets to select lung adenocarcinoma marker genes. BMC Bioinformatics 5: 81.

Wang Y-S, Harding SA, Tsai C-J (2004) Expression of a glycine decarboxylase complex H-protein in non-photosynthetic tissues of Populus tremuloides. Biochimica Biophysica Acta 1676: 267-273.

Touchell DH, Chiang VL, Tsai C-J (2002) Cryopreservation of embryonic cultures of Picea mariana (black spruce) using a vitrification protocol. Plant Cell Reports 21: 118-124.

Kao Y-Y, Harding SA, Tsai C-J (2002) Differential expression of two distinct phenylalanine ammonia-lyase genes in condensed tannin-accumulating and lignifying cells of quaking aspen. Plant Physiology 130: 796-807.

Harding SA, Leshkevich J, Chiang VL, Tsai C-J (2002) Differential substrate inhibition couples kinetically distinct 4-coumarate:CoA ligases with spatially distinct structural and metabolic roles in quaking aspen. Plant Physiology 128: 428-438.

Hu W-J, Harding SA, Lung J, Popko JL, Ralph J, Stokke DD, Tsai C-J, Chiang VL (1999) Repression of lignin biosynthesis promotes cellulose accumulation and growth in transgenic trees. Nature Biotechnology 17: 808-812.

Tsai C-J, Popko JL, Mielke MR, Hu W-J, Podila GK, Chiang VL (1998) Suppression of O-methyltransferase gene by homologous sense transgene in quaking aspen cause red-brown wood phenotypes. Plant Physiology 117: 101-112.

Ho C-K, Chang S-H, Tsay J-Y, Tsai C-J, Chiang VL, Chen Z-Z (1998) Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and production of transgenic plants. Plant Cell Reports 17 (9): 675-680.

Hu W-J, Kawaoka A, Tsai C-J, Lung J, Osakabe K, Ebinuma H, Chiang VL (1998) Compartmentalized expression of two structurally and functionally distinct 4-coumaric acid:coenzyme A ligase (4CL) genes in aspen (Populus tremuloides). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 95: 5407-5412.

Li L, Popko JL, Zhang X-H, Osakabe K, Tsai C-J, Joshi CP, Chiang VL (1997) A novel multifunctional O-methyltransferase implicated in a dual methylation pathway associated with lignin biosynthesis in loblolly pine. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 94: 5461-5466.

Tsai C-J, Mielke MR, Podila GK, Chiang VL (1996) 3' cycle-labeled oligonucleotides with predictable length and their application in primer extension and transgene analysis. Nucleic Acids Research 24: 5060-5061.

Tsai C-J, Podila GK, Chiang VL (1995) Nucleotide sequence of a Populus tremuloides gene encoding bispecific caffeic acid/5-hydroxyferulic acid O-methyltransferase. Plant Physiology 107: 1459.

Tsai C-J, Podila GK, Chiang VL (1994) Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and regeneration of transgenic plants. Plant Cell Reports 14: 94-97.

Book Editorship

Cseke LJ, Kaufman PB, Podila GK, Tsai C-J (eds) 2003 Handbook of Molecular and Cellular Methods in Biology and Medicine. 2nd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. 580p.

Book Chapters

Joshi CP, Brunner A, Busov V, Meilan R, Thammanagowda S, Tsai C-J (2008) Poplars. In: Kole C and Hall TC (eds) Compendium of Transgenic Crop Plants, Vol. IX. Blackwell Publishing. pp. 1-33.

Donahue SW, McGee ME, Bradford RM, Tsai C-J, Nelsen MP, Simoni K (2008) American black bear parathyroid hormone as therapy for osteoporosis. In: Lovegrove BG and Mckechnie AE (eds) Hypometabolism In Animals: Hibernation, Torpor And Cryobiology. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg. pp. 25-36.

Cseke LJ, Wu W, Tsai C-J (2003) Isolation and purification of DNA. In: Cseke LJ, Kaufman PB, Podila GK, Tsai C-J (eds) Handbook of Molecular and Cellular Methods in Biology and Medicine. 2nd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. pp. 1-24.

Tsai C-J, Cseke LJ, Harding SA (2003) Isolation and purification of RNA. In: Cseke LJ, Kaufman PB, Podila GK, Tsai C-J (eds) Handbook of Molecular and Cellular Methods in Biology and Medicine. 2nd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. pp. 25-44.

Tsai C-J, Cseke LJ (2003) Southern hybridization. In: Cseke LJ, Kaufman PB, Podila GK, Tsai C-J (eds) Handbook of Molecular and Cellular Methods in Biology and Medicine. 2nd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. pp. 85-104.

Touchell DH, Wang Y-S, Harding SA, Tsai C-J (2003) Differential display. In: Cseke LJ, Kaufman PB, Podila GK, Tsai C-J (eds) Handbook of Molecular and Cellular Methods in Biology and Medicine, 2nd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. pp. 305-317

Harding SA, Tsai C-J, Cseke LJ, Chang SC, Chen F (2003) In situ hybridization. In: Cseke LJ, Kaufman PB, Podila GK, Tsai C-J (eds) Handbook of Molecular and Cellular Methods in Biology and Medicine. 2nd ed. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. pp. 487-508.

Aronen T, Tiimonen H, Tsai C-J, Jokipii S, Chen X, Chiang VL, Häggman H (2003) Altered lignin in transgenic silver birch (Betula pendula) expressing PtCOMT gene. In: Espinel S, Barredo Y, Ritter E (eds) Sustainable Forestry, Wood Products & Biotechnology. DFA-AFA Press. Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, pp. 149-161.

Harding SA, Kao Y-Y, Tsai C-J (2003) Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene expression in condensed tannin-accumulating and lignifying cells of quaking aspen. In: Plant Biotechnology 2002 and beyond, Vasil IK (ed), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands, pp. 457-459.

Boerjan W, Baucher M, Chabbert B, Petit-Conil M, Leple JC, Pilate G, Cornu D, Monties B, Van Montagu M, Van Doorsselaere J, Inze D, Jouanin L, Tsai C-J, Podila GP, Chiang VL (1997) Genetic modification of lignin biosynthesis in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) and poplar (Populus tremula × Populus alba). In: Klopfenstein NB et al. (eds), Micropropagation, Genetic Engineering, and Molecular Biology of Populus. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. Fort Collins, Colorado, pp. 193-205.

Other Publications and Reports

Godin LM, McCabe LR, Tsai C-J, Donahue SW (2005) The time course of shear stress induced changes in bone protein and transcription factor mRNA levels in osteocyte-like MLO-Y4 cells. Proceedings of the 2005 Summer Bioengineering Conference, Paper 0360120, Vail, CO, June 22-26, 2005 (refereed paper).

Harding SA, Casado FL, Jiang H, Jeong ML, Lin H-W, Tsai C-J (2004) Linking functional genomics to tree improvement: Growth and fitness tradeoffs in Populus and Salix. In Li B, and McKeand S (eds), Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding in the Age of Genomics: Progress and Future, IUFRO Joint Conference of Division 2, Conference Proceedings. Charleston, SC, November 3, 2004, pp. 247-248.

Aronen T, Tiimonen H, Ylioja T, Niemi K, Tsai CJ, Laakso T, Saranpää P, Roininen H, Chiang V, Häggman H (2004) Lignin modification in silver birch – Characterisation of transgenic lines containing PtCOMT- or asPt4CL1 and their ecological interactions. In Li B, and McKeand S (eds), Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding in the Age of Genomics: Progress and Future, IUFRO Joint Conference of Division 2, Conference Proceedings. Charleston, SC, November 3, 2004, pp. 344-346.

Tsai C-J, Davis MF, Zhang D, Chiang VL (2004) Genetic augmentation of syringyl lignin in low-lignin aspen trees. In: 2004 TAPPI Paper Summit and Spring Technical and International Environmental Conference. Atlanta, GA. Paper no. PS0438.

Davis J, Bohlmann J, Jansson S, Pearson L, Thomas B, Tsai CJ, Villar M (2004) The Populus Genome Science Plan 2004-2009: Genetic Resources. pp. 13-16. PDF

Tsai C-J (2001) Summary of Breakout 4A – Wood Modification. Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Ecological and Societal Aspects of Transgenic Plantations. Strauss S.H. and Bradshaw, H.D. (eds) College of Forestry, Oregon State University, 2001, pp. 208-209.

Tsai C-J, Harding SA, Hu W-J, Lung J, Popko JL, Chiang VL (2000) Enhanced growth and cellulose accumulation in lignin-reduced transgenic aspen trees. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Environmentally Friendly and Emerging Technologies for a Sustainable Pulp and paper Industry. Taipei, Taiwan. pp. 263-266.

Chen Z-Z, Chang S-H, Ho C-K, Tsay J-Y, Tsai J-B, Tsai C-J, Chiang VL (2000) Current advances on tree improvement of Eucalyptus camaldulensis at molecular level in Taiwan. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Environmentally Friendly and Emerging Technologies for a Sustainable Pulp and Paper Industry. Taipei, Taiwan. pp. 255-257.

Hu W-J, Harding SA, Lung J, Popko JL, Tsai C-J, Chiang VL, Ralph J, Stokke DD (1999) Repression of lignin biosynthesis in transgenic trees results in high-cellulose and accelerated growth phenotypes. Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Wood and Pulping Chemistry. Yokohama, Japan. pp. 516-519.

Tsai C-J, Mielke MR, Popko JL, Monosso JM, Hu W-J, Podila GK, Chiang VL (1999) Altered lignin composition in quaking aspen through manipulation of caffeic acid/5-hydroxy ferulic acid O-methyltransferase gene expression. In: A. Jamieson, ed. Proceedings of the Second International Wood Biotechnology Symposium. North Forest Products Limited, Ridgley, Australia. pp. 89-95.

Ho C-K, Chang S-H, Tsay J-Y, Tsai C-J, Chiang VL, Chen Z-Z (1997) Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and its association with conventional tree improvement programs.1997 TAPPI Biological Sciences Symposium. San Francisco, CA, October 19-23, TAPPI press, Technology Park, Atlanta. pp. 525-528.

Tsai C-J, Yu J, Ge L, Hu W-J, Kawaoka A, Kumar S, Podila GK, Chiang VL (1995) Transgenic aspen harboring antisense OMT gene and characterization of regulatory sequences of aspen OMT gene. In: Srebotnik, E., and Messner, K., eds., Biotechnology in the Pulp and Paper Industry: Recent Advances in Applied and Fundamental Research. Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Biotechnology in the Pulp and Paper Industry. Facultas-Universitatsverlay, Vienna, Austria. pp. 301-309.

Chiang VL, Tsai C-J, Kumar AS, Yu J, Podila, GK (1994) Regulation of lignin biosynthesis in transgenic quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). TAPPI Biological Sciences Symposium. TAPPI press, Technology Park, Atlanta. pp.161-171.

Karnosky DF, Podila GK, Shin DI, Tsai C-J, Chiang VL (1994) Progress in production of transgenic trees with value-added genes: Results with larch and aspen. TAPPI Biological Sciences Symposium. TAPPI press, Technology Park, Atlanta. pp. 157-160.

Chiang VL, Chen Z-Z, Podila GK, Wang W-Y, Bugos RC, Campbell WH, Dwivedi UN, Yu J, Tsai C-J, Tsay J-Y, Yang J-C (1993) Genetic manipulation of lignification in Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum) by introduction of a chimeric sense or antisense O-methyltransferase gene cloned from Populus tremuloides (aspen). International conference on Emerging Technologies for Pulp and Paper Industry, May18-20, Taipei, Taiwan. pp. 26-29.

Patents

Chiang VL, Tsai C-J, Podila GK (1999) Genetic engineering of wood color in plants. US Patent Number 5886243, March 1999.

Chiang VL, Tsai C-J, Podila GK (1999) Genetic transformation and regeneration of plants. US Patent Number 5,922,928, July 1999.

Chiang VL, Tsai C-J, Hu W-J (2002) Methods of modifying lignin in plants by transformation with a 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase nucleic acid. US Patent Number 6455762, September 2002.

Chiang VL, Tsai C-J, Hu W-J (2004) 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase promoter. US Patent Number 6831208, December 2004.

Chiang VL, Tsai C-J, Hu W-J (2005) genetic engineering of plants through manipulation of lignin biosynthesis. US Patent Number 6969784, November 2005.

Recent Invited Seminars and Presentations

The effects of GE trees on wildlife and their natural habitats: What have we learned, and where do we go from here? National Research Council Workshop on Genetically Engineered Organisms, Wildlife, and Habitats, Irvine, CA, November 5-6, 2007

Plant-wide phenylpropanoid defense network in Populus. IUFRO Forestry Biotechnology 2007 Meeting, Azores, Portugal, June 3-8, 2007

Phenylpropanoid networking in Populus: coordinating wood formation with growth and defense. School of Forestry and Natural Resources Seminar, University of Georgia, April 12, 2007

A functional genomics view of phenylpropanoid metabolism in poplars: from wood formation to tree growth and ecosystem fitness. Plant Biology Seminar Series, Pennsylvania State University, March 19, 2007

Microarray and metabolite profiling of phenylpropanoid metabolism in Populus. Institute of BioAgricultural Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, December 22, 2006

Functional genomics of carbon allocation for growth and fitness in Populus. Fourth International Poplar Symposium. Nanjing, China, June 5-9, 2006

Functional genomics of secondary metabolism in Populus. MTU Department of Chemistry Seminar Series. March 31, 2006

Forest functional genomics: from tree improvement to ecosystem investigation. Taiwan Forestry Research Institute. Taipei, Taiwan, March 9, 2006

Microarray and metabolite profiling of secondary metabolism in Populus. National Taiwan University. Taipei, Taiwan, March 8, 2006

Microarray and metabolite profiling of secondary metabolism in Populus. The molecular aspects of plant secondary metabolism in response to UV-B radiation UV-B Workshop. San Antonio, TX, February 2-3, 2006 A functional genomics investigation of carbon partitioning among secondary metabolite pools in Populus. IUFRO Tree Biotechnology 2005 Meeting. Pretoria, South Africa, November 7-11, 2005

Linking functional genomics to tree improvement: growth and fitness tradeoffs in Populus. Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China, August 12, 2005

Lignin Biotechnology. Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China, August 12, 2005

Tradeoffs between growth and defense in Populus: A functional genomics perspective. Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, April 26, 2005