Zheng Chen Ph.D.

Senior Associate Professor

The environment is fascinating because living organisms are powered by redox-active elements, namely C, N, Fe, S, P, and As.

Most of our work focuses on the soil-water interface and plant rhizosphere in wetlands (especially rice fields) because they are where the changes, of the redox-active elements' forms, happened. The changes are catalyzed by groups of tiny transformers (microorganisms with special functions), usually, their secret lives are not visible unless special tools are used to observe them. Thus, we must work as scientists and engineers, to develop new techniques to study them at small scales, like microsensors and in-situ samplers, even robots.

We expect the knowledge from our studies could be applied to provide soil-based solutions for better environments and sustainable methods to remediate polluted soils.

更多信息,请在微信搜“西浦陈正研究组”

Please contact me by email if you are interested in joining our group.


  • Ph.D. , Agricultural Chemistry, Hokkaido University, - 2008
  • M.Sc. , Environmental Sciences, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS, China, - 2005
  • B.Sc. , Peking University, China, - 2002


  • Senior associate Professor, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University - 2022 to now
  • Associate Professor, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University - 2017 to 2022
  • Lecturer, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University - 2014 to 2017
  • Visiting scholar, Aquatic Chemistry Research Group, Lancaster University - 2010 to 2011
  • Research Scientist/Assistant Professor, Department of Soil Environment, Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS - 2009 to 2014
  • Scientific freelance writer, The Sicence News Magazine - 2008 to 2008
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, CAS - 2008 to 2009
  • Internship, Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology - 2005 to 2005


  • Nutrient recycling from agricultural waste by using microbial fuel cells
  • Biogeochemical processes of redox-active elements across narrow soil-water interface and rhizosphere in wetlands.
  • Analytical tools for elements measurement
  • Remediation of wetlands contaminated by heavy metals and petroleum


  • Please find my updated publication list on GoogleScholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=zh-CN&user=Pa33R5gAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate
  • Chen, Zheng 2016 'Arsenic modulates the composition of anode-respiring bacterial community during dry-wet cycles in paddy soils', Journal of Soils & Sediments, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Zheng 2016 'Distribution of soil selenium in China is potentially controlled by deposition and volatilization?', Scientific Reports, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Zheng 2015 'Mitigating heavy metal accumulation into rice (Oryza sativa L.) using biochar amendment--a field experiment in Hunan, China', Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Zheng 2015 'Antibiotic resistance genes in manure-amended soil and vegetables at harvest', Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Zheng 2015 'Can electrokinetic removal of metals from contaminated paddy soils be powered by microbial fuel cells?', Environmental Technology & Innovation, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Zheng 2015 'Bacterial community composition at anodes of microbial fuel cells for paddy soils: the effects of soil properties', Journal of Soils & Sediments, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Zheng 2015 'Pyrosequencing reveals a core community of anodic bacterial biofilms in bioelectrochemical systems from China', Frontiers in microbiology, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Zheng 2015 'Selenite-induced toxicity in cancer cells is mediated by metabolic generation of endogenous selenium nanoparticles', Journal of proteome research, vol. , no. , p.
  • Jia, Y., Huang, H., Chen, Z. & Zhu, Y.G. 2014 'Arsenic uptake by rice is influenced by microbe-mediated arsenic redox changes in the rhizosphere', Environmental Science Technology, vol. , no. , p.
  • Deng, H., Wu, Y.C., Zhang, F., Huang, Z.C. & Chen, Z. 2014 'Factors affecting the performance of single-chamber soil microbial fuel cells for power generation', Pedosphere, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Zheng 2014 'The fate of arsenic in contaminated paddy soil with gypsum and ferrihydrite amendments', International Journal of Environment and Pollution, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Zheng 2014 'High throughput profiling of antibiotic resistance genes in urban park soils with reclaimed water irrigation', Environmental Science Technology, vol. , no. , p.
  • Zhu, Y.G., Duan, G.L., Chen, B.D., Peng, X.H. & Chen, Zheng 2014 'Mineral weathering and element cycling in soil-microorganism-plant system', Science China Earth Sciences, vol. , no. , p.
  • Bao, Q.L., Xiao, K.Q., Chen, Z., Yao, H.Y. & Zhu, Y.G. 2014 'Methane production and methanogenic archaeal communities in two types of paddy soil amended with different amounts of rice straw', FEMS Microbiol. Ecology, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Z., Williams, P.N. & Zhang, H. 2013 'Rapid and nondestructive measurement of labile Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb and As in DGT by using field portable-XRF', Environmental Science, vol. , no. , p.
  • Zheng, R., Chen, Z., Cai, C., Wang, X. & Huang, Y. 2013 'Accumulation of As, Cd, Zn, and Pb in wheat seedlings grown in a historically contaminated soil amended with rice residue-derived biochars', BioResource, vol. , no. , p.
  • Deng, H., Chen, Z. & Zhao, F. 2012 'Energy from plants and microorganisms: progress in plant-microbial fuel cells', ChemSusChem, vol. , no. , p.
  • Huang, H., Zhu, Y., Chen, Zheng, Yin, X. & Sun, G. 2012 'Arsenic mobilization and speciation during iron plaque decomposition in a paddy soil', Journal of Soils & Sediments, vol. , no. , p.
  • Zheng, R.L., Cai, C., Liang, J.H., Huang, Q. & Chen, Z. 2012 'The effects of biochars from rice residue on the formation of iron plaque and the accumulation of Cd, Zn, Pb, As in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings', Chemosphere, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Z., Huang, Y.C., Liang, J.H., Zhao, F. & Zhu, Y.G. 2012 'A novel sediment microbial fuel cell with a biocathode in the rice rhizosphere', BioResource Technology, vol. , no. , p.
  • Huang, Y., Chen, Zheng & Liu, W. 2011 'Influence of iron plaque and cultivars on antimony uptake by and translocation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings exposed to Sb(III) or Sb(V)', Plant and Soil, vol. , no. , p.
  • Quadir, Q.F., Watanabe, T., Chen, Z., Okazaki, M. & Shinano, T. 2011 'Ionomic response of Lotus japonicus to different root-zone temperatures', Soil Science & Plant Nutrition, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Z., Watanabe, T., Shinano, T., Okazaki, K. & Mitsuru, O. 2009 'Rapid characterization of plant mutants with an altered ion-profile: a case study using Lotus japonicus', New Phytologist, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Z., Watanabe, T., Shinano, T., Ezawa, T. & Wasaki, J. 2009 'Element interconnections in Lotus japonicus: A systematic study of the effects of element additions on different natural variants', Soil Science & Plant Nutrition, vol. , no. , p.
  • Liu, Y.J., Zhu, Y.G., Ding, H., Guo, W. & Chen, Z. 2007 'The effect of root surface iron plaque on Pb uptake by rice (Oryza Sativa L.) roots', Environmental Chemistry, vol. , no. , p.
  • Li, S., He, C., Gao, F., Li, D. & Chen, Z. 2007 'Extraction and determination of morphine in compound liquorice using an aqueous two-phase system of poly(ethylene glycol)/K2HPO4 coupled with HPLC', Talanta, vol. , no. , p.
  • Guo, W., Zhu, Y.G., Liang, Y.C., Liu, W.J. & Chen, Z. 2006 'Effect of application of silicon on arsenic uptake by rice seedlings in soil', Chinese Journal of Environmental Science, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Z., Kim, K.W., Zhu, Y.G., McLaren, R. & Liu, F. 2006 'Adsorption (As III,V) and oxidation (As III) of arsenic by pedogenic Fe-Mn nodules', Geoderma, vol. , no. , p.
  • Chen, Z., Zhu, Y.G., Liu, W.J. & Meharg, A.A. 2005 'Direct evidence showing the effect of root surface iron plaque on arsenite and arsenate uptake into rice (Oryza sativa) roots', New Phytologist, vol. , no. , p.


  • Chen, Zheng 2013, 'Remediation Technologies for Arsenic-Contaminated Soil' in (eds) Arsenic in the agricultural environment and its potential risk to humans, Science Press, Beijing, pp.


  • 2019, The spatial-temporal change of arsenic species in the interfaces of paddy soils, 620K, NSFC General Progrm, PI
  • 2019, The development of environmental monitoring techniques based on IPI samplers, 680K, XJTLU KSF, PI
  • 2016, The mechanisms of upward arsenic migration to the water-soil interface in paddy fields, 100K, XJTLU RDF, PI
  • 2015, The Modulation of Iron Redox cylcing and Arsenic (im)mobilization by implanting sediment microbial fuel cells in paddy soils, 630K, NSFC General Program, PI


  • 2014 Workshop on the protection of Er-Yuan wetland.
  • 2012 World Resource Forum.


  • ENV313 Environmental Remediation and Rehabilitation Field Class
  • ENV308 Agriculture, Food and Environment


  • 2013 A survey of rare earth elements distribution in the origin areas of Gan River and Pearl River., National Geographic Air and Water Conservation Fund
  • 2010 Intellectual Ventures Invention Award, Intellectual Ventures Company
  • 2008 Japanese Government Scholarship, The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, Japan
  • 2005 The Internship Programme Award, UNU & GIST Joint Programme on Science and Technology for Sustainability
  • 2004 Graduate Scholarship Award, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zheng Chen