The Zhang Research Laboratory

Zhang Lab group image

Welcome to the Zhang Geomicrobiology and Biogeochemistry Lab

The Zhang laboratory seeks to understand microbial nutrient and energy transfer in past and present environments.  Our interdisciplinary approach, which draws inspiration from culture-based microbiology, molecular microbial ecology, and stable isotope geochemistry, is imbued by strong consideration of microbial metabolism at cellular and community scales and involves research in both laboratory and field settings.

Metalloproteins are a central theme in our research as they catalyze nearly all energy transfers in biology. Despite their importance, much remains to be understood about what controls metalloprotein activity in the environment. This fundamentally limits our ability to address changes in climate, elemental cycling, and the energy landscape. We believe that viewing metalloprotein activity in the context of broader metabolic fluxes within and between cells will aid in resolving long-standing questions in microbial biogeochemistry.

Opportunities for microbe lovers at both graduate and post-doc levels are available!  Postdoc positions are available for benthic N2 fixation, methane,and alternative nitrogenase related projects.  Undergrads interested in gaining research experience should take a look at summer internships in the Zhang lab funded by the The High Meadows Environmental Institute (see https://environment.princeton.edu/education/internships/ )

Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Contact Information:

Princeton University, Department of Geosciences, M47 Guyot Hall, Princeton NJ 08544
Phone:  (609) 258-2489
E-mail:   [email protected]

Publications Links:

 

Laboratory News

Princeton geoscientists propose an unexpected new screening tool for cancer
Feb. 12, 2025

Princeton geoscientists Xinning Zhang and Ashley Maloney have discovered that a geology technique shows promise in detecting cancer-like cells. If their preliminary results bear out, they may have identified a new signature for cancer, which could mean earlier diagnosis and better outcomes. Their work appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Scientists Reveal Cancer's Atomic Secrets — 'Whole New Layer to Medicine'
May 7, 2024

Prof. Xinning Zhang and former research fellow Ashley Maloney, along with other scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder, for the first time, uncovered the atomic fingerprints of cancer. The discovery offers an exciting opportunity for early cancer diagnosis, potentially improving survival outcomes for thousands of patients. 

Katja's publication receives international press
Aug. 23, 2021

Katja's recent publication, "Carbon substrate re-orders relative growth of a bacterium using Mo-, V-, or Fe-nitrogenase for nitrogen fixation" just received international press from a group of grad students…

A Soil-Science Revolution Upends Plans to Fight Climate Change
July 27, 2021
Before soil science settles on a new theory, there will doubtless be more surprises. One may have been delivered recently by a group of researchers at Princeton University including Xinning Zhang, Professor of Geosciences (related article), who constructed a simplified artificial soil using microfluidic devices — essentially, tiny plastic channels for moving around bits of fluid and cells.
The ComPOSTer: Interview with Professor Zhang
Feb. 26, 2021
Our faculty Q&A series wraps up with an update from Professor Xinning Zhang, an environmental microbiologist jointly appointed in the Department of Geosciences and the High Meadows Environmental Institute. This month, the ComPOSTer interviewed Dr. Zhang to learn more about how her lab is extending its research in microbial metabolism and biogeochemcical cycling on the Princeton campus, and how it relates to environmental justice.

Recent Publications

4 Publications
Soil absorbs about 20% of anthropogenic carbon emissions annually, and clay is one of the key carbon-capture materials. Although sorption to clay is widely assumed to strongly retard the microbial decomposition of soil organic matter, enhanced degradation of clay-associated organic carbon has been observed under certain conditions. The conditions…
Biological nitrogen fixation, the main natural input of fixed nitrogen into the biosphere, is catalyzed by Mo-, V-, or Fe-only nitrogenase metalloenzymes. Although “alternative” V- and Fe-only nitrogenase genes are found in many environments, the contribution of these isoenzymes to N2 fixation is unknown. Here we present a new method (ISARA,…

New bioavailable nitrogen (N) from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is critical for the N budget and productivity of marine ecosystems. Nitrogen-fixing organisms typically inactivate BNF when less metabolically costly N sources, like ammonium (NH 4 +), are available. Yet, several studies have observed BNF in benthic…

Hydrogen (H2) gas is an obligatory byproduct of nitrogen (N2) reduction during biological nitrogen fixation by the metalloenzyme nitrogenase. Despite significant efforts, diazo- trophic H2 production rates remain too low to compete with fossil fuel-derived H2. Here, we investigate the role of temperature (14, 19, 30 C), carbon metabolism …