About

Gan Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the field of Climate, Meteorology, and Atmospheric Sciences. His research focuses on key subjects such as tropical cyclone activity, extratropical phenomena, Rossby wave breaking, sea surface temperature, and Hadley circulation. He employs a hybrid approach combining machine learning and physics-based climate models to advance the understanding and seasonal prediction of tropical cyclone activity. His work also addresses amplified summer wind stilling and land warming, which contribute to compound energy risks in Northern Midlatitudes. Zhang's research outputs include contributions to peer-reviewed journals where he explores topics like tropospheric circulation, surface temperature differences, wave trains, and sources of bias in climate models. His collaborative research extends to atmospheric circulation changes detected through cloud motion vectors and the human influence on trends in extratropical low-level wind speed. Overall, Gan Zhang's scholarship integrates advanced climate modeling techniques with observational data to enhance the predictive capabilities and understanding of atmospheric and climate dynamics.

Research topics

• Environmental chemistry
• Chemistry
• Environmental science
• Materials science
• Biology
• Ecology
• Chromatography
• Organic chemistry
• Geology

Selected publications

• PSMD11 stabilizes PGM3 by antagonizing Parkin to promote bladder cancer progression through energy metabolism reprogramming

  Cell Death and Disease · 2026-04-06

  articleOpen access

  Bladder cancer (BCa), a highly prevalent and aggressive tumor of the urinary system, typically exhibits poor clinical outcomes, particularly in advanced stages where therapeutic efficacy remains inadequate. A key characteristic of tumorigenesis, metabolic reprogramming, contributes substantially to cancer cell proliferation and metastatic progression. In the current investigation, phosphoglucomutase 3 (PGM3) was markedly overexpressed in BCa tissues, with elevated PGM3 expression strongly associated with unfavorable prognosis. Downregulation of PGM3 inhibited BCa tumor growth and metastasis by suppressing energy metabolism pathways, including glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Mechanistically, proteasome 26S subunit non-ATPase 11 (PSMD11) interacted with PGM3, reducing its ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. Additionally, Parkin acted as a ubiquitinase, destabilizing PGM3, whereas PSMD11 competed with Parkin for PGM3 binding, thereby attenuating Parkin-mediated ubiquitination and stabilizing PGM3. Further analysis demonstrated that PSMD11 enhanced glycolysis and OXPHOS through PGM3, promoting BCa malignancy. Higher PSMD11 expression positively correlated with increased PGM3 expression. Collectively, these findings suggest that targeting the PSMD11/PGM3 axis could provide a promising therapeutic strategy for BCa.

  PublisherDOI

• Divergent accumulations of microbial-derived carbon and iron-bound organic carbon in mangrove soil organic matter fractions along a salinity gradient

  CATENA · 2025-09-22 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• High-Resolution Mapping of Fossil Fuel CO ₂ Using Plant Radiocarbon and Bayesian Inversion: Toward a City-Scale Emission Audit

  Environmental Science & Technology · 2025-10-22 · 3 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Accurate quantification of fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2ff) emissions is essential for evaluating mitigation progress and informing climate policy. However, urban-scale inventories often face significant uncertainties, highlighting the urgent need for robust, independent validation. Here we present a high-resolution mapping of CO2ff emissions in Shenzhen using radiocarbon (14C) observations integrated with Bayesian inversion. We collected 70 herbaceous plant samples across the city in 2022 on a 5 × 5 km2 grid to capture spatial gradients in CO2ff. The plant 14C-derived CO2ff signals were assimilated in a Bayesian framework, and multiple sensitivity tests were performed to assess robustness. The inferred emissions show clear dominance of industrial sources, supported by strong spatial correlations with industrial facility density and coemitted pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, and NO2). The inversion yields a citywide total of 59.2 ± 4.0 Mt CO2/year, bracketed by the lower MEIC inventory and the substantially higher ODIAC estimate. These results demonstrate that herbaceous plant 14C measurements provide a cost-effective, scalable constraint on urban CO2ff at fine spatial resolution. When coupled with Bayesian inversion, this observation-driven approach enables robust, independent validation of bottom-up inventories and supports city-scale carbon auditing and science-based governance, particularly in data-limited urban regions.

  PublisherDOI

• Polycyclic nitroaromatic compounds in HULIS as dominant pro-apoptotic agents in PM2.5: Biomass/coal combustion sources, structural insights, and biomarker discovery

  Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · 2025-11-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Identifying the toxic components in PM 2.5 is crucial for effective air pollution control, yet it remains a challenge due to the presence of numerous unidentified organic compounds. In this study, correlation analysis between the chemical composition and apoptosis in human lung cells revealed that, within the same air volume, the water-soluble fraction (WSF) exhibits a stronger pro-apoptotic effect than the methanol extract fraction. Humic-like substances (HULIS) in the WSF were identified as the primary drivers of toxicity. We characterized the molecular composition and structural features of these toxic components. Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were used to identify condensed nitroaromatic ring structures in HULIS as the key functional groups contributing to toxicity. Ten molecular formulas were identified and listed as the potential risk drivers. Source apportionment indicated that HULIS, primarily originating from biomass burning and coal combustion, significantly contributed to apoptosis in human lung cell models. Gene sequencing and the benchmark dose (BMD) method were used to quantify the biomarkers of apoptosis linked to HULIS exposure. Methylation modifications of the AhR , CYP1B1 , and DNMT3a genes were identified as candidate biomarkers for HULIS-induced apoptosis, as their uncertainty coefficients (calculated as the gene-specific benchmark dose lower confidence limit [BMDL] divided by the overall apoptosis BMDL) were all less than 10. This conclusion offers critical quantitative molecular evidence that holds promise for potentially enabling more reliable extrapolation of in vitro toxicity data to human health risk assessment. Our findings provide new insight into the toxicity mechanisms of previously unidentified polycyclic nitroaromatic compounds in the HULIS fraction of PM 2.5 . • Polycyclic nitroaromatics are identified as key toxic components in HULIS. • Ten key molecular formulas in HULIS are associated with apoptotic effects. • Biomass/coal combustion-derived HULIS promotes apoptosis. • AhR/CYP1B1/DNMT3a methylation serves as an apoptosis biomarker of HULIS.

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary material to "Marine-Derived Water-Soluble Organic Nitrogen in Coastal Air: Influence of Ocean Productivity on Atmospheric Nitrogen Cycling"

  2025-12-16

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Multi-element dataset of soil profiles across climatic zones in China's mountains

  Earth system science data · 2025-09-25 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Abstract. Datasets of soil multi-element concentrations are essential for advancing our understanding of ecological functioning and responses to global change in mountain regions. However, the paucity of such datasets represents a fundamental impediment to accurately assess and predict biogeochemical processes in these sensitive ecosystems. Here, we present a comprehensive geochemical dataset comprising more than 1300 soil samples collected from 166 sites across 30 mountain regions in China, spanning five major climatic zones and representative vegetation types. Soil samples were systematically collected from three standardized horizons (organic, surface mineral, and parent material), and analyzed for the concentrations of 24 elements, including macronutrients (e.g., phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium), micronutrients (e.g., iron, molybdenum, manganese, copper), and trace metals (e.g., cadmium, chromium, lead, antimony). To support integrated Earth system analyses, the dataset is accompanied by key site-specific environmental variables, including climate parameters (temperature, precipitation, aridity index), normalized difference vegetation index, soil physicochemical properties (pH, moisture, bulk density), soil type, parent rock type, atmospheric nitrogen deposition, and chemical index of alteration. The dataset reveals significant vertical stratification in element distributions, with organic horizon enriched in biogenic elements, and deeper horizons dominated by lithogenic components. Spatial patterns along latitudinal, longitudinal, and altitudinal gradients underscore the influence of climate and geology on soil chemistry. This open-access dataset provides a valuable resource for parameterizing and validating biogeochemical models, assessing soil quality in mountain regions, and improving predictions of ecosystem responses to global change. The dataset can be accessed via https://doi.org/10.11888/Terre.tpdc.302620 (Wu et al., 2025b).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Marine-Derived Water-Soluble Organic Nitrogen in Coastal Air: Influence of Ocean Productivity on Atmospheric Nitrogen Cycling

  2025-12-16

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract. Organic nitrogen (ON) deposition from aerosols plays a crucial role in oceanic ecosystems; however, the influence of marine biogenic activity on atmospheric ON remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the contribution of the marine biosphere to water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) in coastal aerosols based on particulate matter samples collected in Bangkok, Thailand, from January 2016 to January 2017. Concentrations of WSON and water-soluble inorganic nitrogen (WSIN, including NO3⁻ and NH4⁺) were analyzed and compared across days classified by air mass origin over land as marine-, mixed-, or continental-influenced. Air masses of marine origin showed significantly lower WSON and WSIN concentrations than those from mixed and continental origins. Nevertheless, the relative proportion of WSON in water-soluble total nitrogen remained consistent, implying a persistent marine source. Positive matrix factorization revealed that the contribution of sea spray aerosol (SSA)-derived WSON increased markedly with oceanic influence, accounting for 3.8 % ± 6.4 %, 14 % ± 14 %, and 34 % ± 17 % under continental, mixed, and marine conditions, respectively. Moreover, marine productivity, assessed via air mass exposure to chlorophyll a concentrations (AEC), exhibited a strong positive correlation with SSA-derived WSON (r = 0.96, p < 0.001), a finding supported by large-scale reanalysis. These results provide direct evidence that marine organic aerosols represent a major source of WSON in coastal regions globally, with important implications for atmospheric nitrogen cycling and climate feedback processes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Involvement of bile acids in cholangiocarcinoma progression <i>via</i> the Hippo-yes-associated protein signaling pathway

  World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology · 2025-12-10 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly aggressive malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Dysregulation of the Hippo-yes-associated protein (YAP) signaling pathway plays a key role in tumor progression, but the effects of distinct bile acids on this pathway remain unclear. AIM To investigate the roles of glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GDCA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA) in CCA progression through Hippo-YAP signaling and to evaluate the effects of YAP-targeted interventions. METHODS The in vitro experiments were performed using HuCCT1 CCA cells treated with GDCA, DCA, and combinations with a YAP inhibitor (verteporfin) or agonist (GA-017). Key molecular changes in the Hippo-YAP pathway were assessed by western blot, immunofluorescence, and reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Functional assays, including Cell Counting Kit-8, 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine, Transwell, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-nick end labelling, were conducted to evaluate cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. In vivo , nude mice bearing subcutaneous HuCCT1 tumors were treated with GDCA, DCA, or combined YAP modulators. Tumor growth was monitored, and molecular analyses of tumor tissues were performed using western blot. RESULTS The GDCA significantly activated YAP by reducing mammalian STE20-like protein kinase 1 and large tumor suppressor 1 phosphorylation, promoting YAP nuclear translocation, and enhancing tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In contrast, DCA inhibited YAP activation, suppressed tumor cell functions, and increased apoptosis. GDCA combined with YAP inhibitors attenuated its tumor-promoting effects, while DCA combined with YAP agonists reversed its inhibitory effects. In vivo , GDCA accelerated tumor growth, while DCA reduced tumor size and weight, with molecular changes consistent with in vitro findings. CONCLUSION The GDCA and DCA exert opposing effects on CCA progression through Hippo-YAP signaling. GDCA promotes tumor growth via YAP activation, while DCA inhibits these processes. YAP-targeted interventions demonstrate therapeutic potential, providing insights into new treatment strategies for CCA.

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary material to "Constraining urban biogenic CO ₂ fluxes: Composition, seasonality and drivers from radiocarbon and inventory analysis"

  2025-09-29

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Elevated wet deposition of micro- and nanoplastics in remote mountains driven by free tropospheric transport

  Journal of Hazardous Materials · 2025-09-30 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Jun Li

  1689 shared

• Chunling Luo

  Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry

  517 shared

• Chongguo Tian

  Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research

  427 shared

• Yingjun Chen

  Binzhou University

  339 shared

• Guangcai Zhong

  Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry

  293 shared

• Shizhen Zhao

  Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry

  282 shared

• Kevin C. Jones

  Lancaster University

  281 shared

• Zhineng Cheng

  Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry

  264 shared

Labs

• Gan Zhang Climate Modeling, Prediction, and ApplicationsPI

Education

• PhD in Organic Geochemistry, with Professor Fu Jiamo 傅家谟, State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, SKLOG

  Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry

  1995

• MSc in Geochemistry, with Professor Liu Yingjun 刘英俊, Department of Geosciences

  Nanjing University

  1990

• BSc in Geochemistry, Department of Geosciences

  Nanjing University

  1987