Zheren Zhang

Profile

Dr Zheren Zhang is a Lecturer in Biotechnology at Queen Mary University of London. His research focuses on applying synthetic biology and evolutionary biology to address fundamental and applied challenges in microbial systems. In particular, his work explores the evolution of division of labour in natural microbial populations and how these principles can be harnessed for applications such as pollutant degradation and the production of valuable compounds.

Education:

2020, PhD, Leiden University (The Netherlands)

Professional Experience:

2025–Present, Lecturer in Biotechnology, Queen Mary University of London (UK)

2025, Postdoctoral Researcher, Imperial College London (UK)

2021–2024, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford (UK)

Undergraduate Teaching

• BIO231 Microbial Physiology and Growth

Postgraduate Teaching

• BIO751P Principles of Synthetic Biology

Research

Research Interests:

Dr Zheren Zhang is a Lecturer in Biotechnology at Queen Mary University of London. His research focuses on applying synthetic biology and evolutionary biology to address fundamental and applied challenges in microbial systems. In particular, his work explores the evolution of division of labour in natural microbial populations and how these principles can be harnessed for applications such as pollutant degradation and the production of valuable compounds.

https://www.seresearch.qmul.ac.uk/cmcb/people/zzhang/