Xiang-Jin Meng

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Xiang-Jin Meng, also known as X.J. Meng, [1] is a Chinese-born American virologist. He is a university distinguished professor at Virginia Tech. [2] [3] He studies emerging, re-emerging and zoonotic viruses of veterinary and human public health significance. [4] He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2016, [4] a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2014, [4] a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2012, [4] and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. [5]

Contents

Xiang-Jin Meng
Born
Shandong Province, China
Alma materBinzhou Medical College

Wuhan University College of Medicine (Hubei Medica College)

Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Occupation(s)University Distinguished Professor, Virginia Tech
AwardsRecipient, NIH Merit Award (2024)

Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2022)

Member, National Academy of Sciences (2016)

Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (2014)

Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology (2012)
Website https://research.vetmed.vt.edu/labs/faculty-labs/meng-lab.html

Early life and education

Meng grew up in Gaomi, Shandong Province, China. [6] He originally planned to pursue a career in chemical engineering, [6] but instead he enrolled in Binzhou Medical College in 1980 as a medical student. [6]

Receiving his medical degree in 1985, Meng studied at the Wuhan University College of Medicine (formerly Hubei Medical College) and earned a Master's degree in Microbiology and Immunology. [6] There, he discovered his passion and curiosity for virology, under the supervision of his graduate advisor, Yu Sun, who was an experimental virologist and pathologist. [6] Earning his Master's in 1988, Meng worked as a research fellow for three years at the Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences in Jinan.

In 1991, he was admitted to the interdepartmental Immunobiology graduate program at the Iowa State University. [6] His PhD dissertation focused on an emerging virus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, in the laboratory of Prem S. Paul. [7] After receiving his PhD in Immunobiology, he joined the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases as a John E. Fogarty Visiting Scientist and later as a Senior Staff Fellow [2] [4] in the labs of Suzanne U. Emerson and Robert H. Purcell at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at NIH in Bethesda, Maryland.

Career and research

Meng joined the faculty at Virginia Tech in 1999 as an Assistant Professor of Molecular Virology, and rose to the rank of full professor in 2007. [2] [8] He was named a university distinguished professor in 2013. [2] In July 2020, Meng was appointed as the founding director of the Virginia Tech Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens (CeZAP). [9] From November 2021 to November 2022, Meng served as Interim Executive Director of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute at Virginia Tech. [10]

His research mainly focuses on understanding the mechanism of virus replication and pathogenesis, defining the mechanisms of cross-species virus infection, and developing effective vaccines against emerging and zoonotic viruses. [4] Meng's group discovered the swine hepatitis E virus from pigs and avian hepatitis E virus from chickens, which eventually lead to the recognition of human hepatitis E as a zoonotic disease. [4] Meng's research also led to the invention of the first U.S. Department of Agriculture fully-license commercial vaccine, currently on the global market, against porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and its associated diseases. [6] [11] Additionally, Meng works on a number of other important viruses including Hepatitis E virus, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus, Torque Teno Sus Virus, and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus. [12] [13]

Meng has authored and co-authored more than 362 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, [12] which have been cited for more than 38,685 times with a h-index of 103. [1] He is ranked in the top 1% highly cited scientists in the field of microbiology (1997–2007) by Thomson Scientific's Essential Science Indicators. [14] Meng is an inventor of more than 20 U.S. patent awards on viral vaccines and diagnostics. [15]

Awards and honors

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronavirus</span> Subfamily of viruses in the family Coronaviridae

Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the common cold, while more lethal varieties can cause SARS, MERS and COVID-19. In cows and pigs they cause diarrhea, while in mice they cause hepatitis and encephalomyelitis.

Porcine circoviral disease (PCVD), also known as porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD), is a disease seen in domestic pigs. This disease causes illness in piglets, with clinical signs including progressive loss of body condition, visibly enlarged lymph nodes, difficulty in breathing, and sometimes diarrhea, pale skin, and jaundice. PCVD is very damaging to the pig-producing industry and has been reported worldwide. PCVD is caused by Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2).

Betaarterivirus suid 1, commonly Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), is a virus that causes a disease of pigs, called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), also known as blue-ear pig disease. This economically important, panzootic disease causes reproductive failure in breeding stock and respiratory tract illness in young pigs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porcine circovirus</span> Species of virus

Porcine circovirus (PCV) is a group of four single-stranded DNA viruses that are non-enveloped with an unsegmented circular genome. They are members of the genus Circovirus that can infect pigs. The viral capsid is icosahedral and approximately 17 nm in diameter.

<i>Murine coronavirus</i> Species of virus

Murine coronavirus (M-CoV) is a virus in the genus Betacoronavirus that infects mice. Belonging to the subgenus Embecovirus, murine coronavirus strains are enterotropic or polytropic. Enterotropic strains include mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) strains D, Y, RI, and DVIM, whereas polytropic strains, such as JHM and A59, primarily cause hepatitis, enteritis, and encephalitis. Murine coronavirus is an important pathogen in the laboratory mouse and the laboratory rat. It is the most studied coronavirus in animals other than humans, and has been used as an animal disease model for many virological and clinical studies.

Kobuvirus is a genus of viruses in the order Picornavirales, in the family Picornaviridae. Humans and cattle serve as natural hosts. There are six species in this genus. Diseases associated with this genus include: gastroenteritis. The genus was named because of the virus particles' lumpy appearance by electron microscopy; "kobu" means "knob" in Japanese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Racaniello</span> American biologist

Vincent R. Racaniello is a Higgins Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is a co-author of a textbook on virology, Principles of Virology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia Hinshaw</span> American microbiologist

Virginia S. Hinshaw is a scientist with expertise in microbiology, virology and influenza resulting in numerous publications. She served as Vice-Chancellor at U of Wisconsin Madison and Chancellor at University of Hawai'i Manoa campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human coronavirus OC43</span> Species of virus

Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) is a member of the species Betacoronavirus 1, which infects humans and cattle. The infecting coronavirus is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that enters its host cell by binding to the N-acetyl-9-O-acetylneuraminic acid receptor. OC43 is one of seven coronaviruses known to infect humans. It is one of the viruses responsible for the common cold and may have been responsible for the 1889–1890 pandemic. It has, like other coronaviruses from genus Betacoronavirus, subgenus Embecovirus, an additional shorter spike protein called hemagglutinin-esterase (HE).

Ann C. Palmenberg is a professor of virology and biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received her B.S. from St. Lawrence University and her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Palmenberg has been given numerous awards for her research and involvement within the scientific community, such as Fellow for the American Academy of Microbiology. News articles have been published about her work within virology, including an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on her findings on the common cold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles M. Rice</span> American virologist

Charles Moen Rice is an American virologist and Nobel Prize laureate whose main area of research is the hepatitis C virus. He is a professor of virology at the Rockefeller University in New York City and an adjunct professor at Cornell University and Washington University School of Medicine. At the time of the award he was a faculty at Rockefeller.

Saumitra Das is an Indian microbiologist and a professor at the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology of the Indian Institute of Science. Known for his studies in the fields of molecular virology and molecular biology, Das is an elected fellow of all the three major Indian science academies namely, the Indian Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, India and the Indian National Science Academy. The Department of Biotechnology of the Government of India awarded him the National Bioscience Award for Career Development, one of the highest Indian science awards, for his contributions to biosciences in 2005.

Torque teno sus virus, belonging to the family Anelloviridae, is a group of virus strains that are non-enveloped, with a single-stranded circular DNA genome ranging from 2.6 to 2.8 kb in size. These swine infecting anelloviruses are divided into two genera: Iotatorquevirus and Kappatorquevirus. Torque teno sus virus has been found in pigs worldwide. TTSuVs are mainly transmitted by fecal-oral route. The prevalence of these viruses is relatively high. For now, there is not known disease caused exclusively by TTSuV. There is the possibility that TTSuV may worsen the progression of other diseases and therefore increase the economic losses for pig industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronavirus diseases</span> List of Coronavirus diseases

Coronavirus diseases are caused by viruses in the coronavirus subfamily, a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, the group of viruses cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the common cold, while more lethal varieties can cause SARS, MERS and COVID-19. As of 2021, 45 species are registered as coronaviruses, whilst 11 diseases have been identified, as listed below.

<i>Redondoviridae</i> Family of viruses

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Susan R. Weiss is an American microbiologist who is a Professor of Microbiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She holds vice chair positions for the Department of Microbiology and for Faculty Development. Her research considers the biology of coronaviruses, including SARS, MERS and SARS-CoV-2. As of March 2020, Weiss serves as Co-Director of the University of Pennsylvania/Penn Medicine Center for Research on Coronavirus and Other Emerging Pathogens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of coronavirus</span> History of the virus group

The history of coronaviruses is an account of the discovery of the diseases caused by coronaviruses and the diseases they cause. It starts with the first report of a new type of upper-respiratory tract disease among chickens in North Dakota, U.S., in 1931. The causative agent was identified as a virus in 1933. By 1936, the disease and the virus were recognised as unique from other viral disease. They became known as infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), but later officially renamed as Avian coronavirus.

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References

  1. 1 2 "X.J. Meng - Google Scholar Citations". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology". Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine (www.vetmed.vt.edu). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  3. ↑ "University Distinguished Professors". Virginia Tech Office of the President. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Xiang-Jin Meng". National Academy of Sciences (www.nasonline.org). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  5. 1 2 "American Association for the Advancement of Science honors X.J. Meng as Lifetime Fellow". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Viegas, Jennifer (2017-07-03). "Profile of Xiang-Jin Meng". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 114 (28): 7188–7190. Bibcode:2017PNAS..114.7188V. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1710342114 . ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   5514775 . PMID   28673980.
  7. ↑ "University Distinguished Professor of Molecular Virology X.J. Meng recognized by Iowa State University". Virginia Tech News. February 19, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Tech professor searches for hepatitis vaccine". Roanoke Times. Mar 12, 2008. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  9. ↑ "Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens to tackle infectious diseases". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  10. ↑ "X.J. Meng named interim executive director of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  11. ↑ "Professor develops vaccine for pigs". USA Today. 2006-07-18. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  12. 1 2 "Meng Laboratory". Virginia Tech College of Veterinary Medicine (www.vetmed.vt.edu). Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  13. ↑ "TWiV 285: Hokies go viral". This Week in Virology Podcast. December 2015. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  14. ↑ "X.J. Meng". ScienceWatch - Tracking Trends & Performance in Basic Research. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  15. 1 2 "Veterinary college's X.J. Meng elected to the National Academy of Inventors". Virginia Tech. December 17, 2014. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  16. ↑ "X.J. Meng receives prestigious MERIT Award to study hepatitis E virus". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  17. ↑ "Innovating around complex problems". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2023-12-29.
  18. ↑ "2021 AAAS Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)". www.aaas.org. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  19. ↑ "Virginia Tech Daily". Virginia Tech News. February 19, 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  20. ↑ "Virginia Tech's X.J. Meng earns SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award". Virginia Tech News. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  21. ↑ "State Council of Higher Education for Virginia". Dec 16, 2016. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  22. ↑ "Virginia Tech's X.J. Meng elected to the National Academy of Sciences". Virginia Tech. May 4, 2016. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  23. ↑ "National Academy of Inventors Names 170 New Fellows". National Academy of Inventors. Dec 16, 2014. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  24. ↑ "Veterinary college's X.J. Meng honored as University Distinguished Professor". Virginia Tech. June 4, 2013. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  25. ↑ "X.J. Meng elected to the American Academy of Microbiology". Virginia Tech. March 20, 2012. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  26. ↑ "X. J. Meng accorded Honorary Diplomate status in American College of Veterinary Microbiology". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  27. ↑ "X.J Meng receives Alumni Award for Research Excellence". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
  28. ↑ "X. J. Meng honored with Pfizer Award for Research Excellence". news.vt.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
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