Yi Li

Professor of Horticultural Plant Biotechnology and Breeding

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Education

• Ph.D. (1989): Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, New York, USA
• B.S. (1982): Forestry, Department of Forestry, Beijing Forestry College (now Beijing Forestry University), Beijing, China

Current Research Interests

• Development of climate-smart turfgrasses requiring reduced mowing, fertilizer, and irrigation inputs
• Development of plant biotechnologies for crop improvement

Currently Teaching Courses

• SPSS3245 / PLSC5245: Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
• SPSS3255 / PLSC5255: Modern and Traditional Plant Breeding Techniques

Selected Scholarly Activities and Achievements

• Demonstrated that 9-cis-violaxanthin is a key precursor of abscisic acid (ABA), with a stoichiometric conversion ratio of 1:1 between 9-cis-violaxanthin and ABA (Plant Physiology, 1987; 1990). These discoveries established a critical step in ABA biosynthesis and have been incorporated into major textbooks on plant physiology and plant hormones.
• Pioneered molecular assays for monitoring plant hormone concentrations in planta using a reporter gene driven by an auxin-regulated promoter to track auxin levels (The Plant Cell, 1991). The editor of Plant Molecular Biology Reporter later described this work as having “exceptional historic significance” (Plant Molecular Biology Reporter, 1992). This concept led to the development of molecular assays for auxin and other plant hormones and has become an indispensable tool in plant biology research over the past three decades.
• Proposed and provided bioinformatic and experimental evidence that IPT and CKX gene families contain ancient and non-ancient members, with ancient genes primarily performing housekeeping functions and non-ancient members mainly serving regulatory roles (Horticulture Research, 2020a; 2020b).
• Developed innovative plant gene technologies, including:
  1. High-quality seedless fruits (US Patent No. 6,268,552)
  2. The gene-deletor technology, enabling removal of transgenes from pollen, seeds, or fruits once their functions are no longer required, thereby improving the biosafety of GMO crops (Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2007)
  3. Male and female sterility systems for plant breeding and biotechnology applications (Plant Biotechnology Journal, 2016)
  4. A genetic system for suppression of sucker shoot formation (Plant Physiology, 2019)
  5. Enhanced herbivore resistance in plants (US Patent No. 10,316,327)
  6. Improved horticultural rootstocks with enhanced graft performance and growth characteristics (US Patent No. 11,008,581)
  7. Improved transformation and genome editing systems in citrus (Plants, 2022) and perennial ryegrass (Frontiers in Genome Editing, 2022)
  8. Nanoparticle-based delivery systems for double-stranded RNA, enabling long-distance transport and systemic gene silencing in plants (Horticulture Research, 2024)
  9. Agrobacterium-mediated transgene-free genome editing systems for crop improvement (Horticulture Research, 2018; 2025)
• Published more than 130 peer-reviewed scientific papers, generating over 6,500 citations, with several discoveries incorporated into plant biology textbooks and highlighted by Faculty of 1000
• Developed environmentally sustainable ornamental plant varieties, including:
  1. Sterile, non-invasive cultivars of burning bush (Euonymus alatus) (Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, 2011; US Plant Patent No. USPP36718P2; additional unpublished data)
  2. Climate-smart dwarf turfgrass lines requiring fewer mowings and reduced fertilizer and irrigation inputs (numerous publications and unpublished data; plant protection patent applications in preparation)
• Secured approximately $16 million in research funding
• Delivered more than 180 invited presentations, including keynote and plenary lectures at international conferences
• Served as Editor-in-Chief of Fruit Research and as Associate Editor for several journals, including Horticulture Research, Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, and Frontiers in Plant Science
• Served as a grant panel member for major funding agencies including NIH, DOE, NASA, and USDA
• Served as an external reviewer for tenure and promotion packages at major universities, including Cornell University, the University of Minnesota, Texas A&M University, North Carolina State University, Clemson University, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
• Received extensive media coverage for research discoveries and technological innovations

Honors and Awards

• Excellent Research Award, College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut (2008)
• Elected Fellow, American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) (2017)
• Elected Member, Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (2024)
• Biotechnology Distinguished Scholar Award, Plant Biotechnology Interest Group, American Society for Horticultural Science (2025)

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No longer accepting new graduate students.