Feng Zhang 

Dr. Zhang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on plant transformation, genome engineering, DNA repair, and synthetic biology, with an emphasis on developing precise and efficient genome editing technologies for crop improvement. His work advances the understanding of DNA repair mechanisms to enable predictable gene editing and supports the engineering of disease-resistant and climate-resilient crops. Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Dr. Zhang co-founded Calyxt, Inc. and served as Chief Operating Officer, where he worked on developing gene-edited crops with enhanced nutritional and agronomic traits. He received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University and completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Sue Wessler at the University of Georgia and Dr. Dan Voytas at the University of Minnesota.