5th Regular Meeting of Our Center

On the morning of September 28, 2022, at 10:00 AM, the fifth regular meeting of the Center for Evolutionary & Organismal Biology was convened in Room A319, Research Building of the Medical School. Following the introductions of these newcomers, everyone engaged in their individual reports and sharing sessions.
 

As usual, the center's assistant, Yunqiu He, kicked off by briefing everyone on the progress made in various matters, including website development, setting up the new office space, and ordering journals and books. She sought everyone's opinions and suggestions on certain details.

Zexian Zhu: Evolution of Sex Determination and Sex Chromosomes in Chinese softshell turtle

Next, Zexian Zhu from Qi Zhou’s research team presented on"Evolution of Sex Determination and Sex Chromosomes in the Chinese softshell turtle." Zhu's team successfully assembled a high-quality genome of the Chinese softshell turtle, isolating the sex chromosomes for in-depth evolutionary analysis. Additionally, they conducted an analysis at the transcriptome level to explore the development of its gonads and gender differentiation.

Jing Liu: Evolutionary dynamics of chromosome synteny and nuclear architecture across amniote species

Finally, from Qi Zhou’s research team, Jing Liu discussed "Evolutionary dynamics of chromosome synteny and nuclear architecture across amniote species." They reconstructed the ancestral genome of amniotes, revealing that reptilian chromosomes maintain a conservative structure, while mammals exhibit extensive chromosome rearrangements and translocations. These rearrangements further impact the three-dimensional structure of their chromosomes. Despite this, mammals largely retain a genome spatial conformation similar to that of reptiles.

Over the past five months, our center has held monthly meetings on the last Wednesday of each month, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. These meetings involve senior members from all our research teams. During these sessions, we come together to discuss various topics, spanning from news and perspectives to projects and team development.

From a team of 12 five months ago to our current strength of 20, the growth has been remarkable. Our once fledgling center has transformed into a well-organized and productive environment. Initially starting with no publications, we are now proud to have produced seven high-impact articles, including one published in Cell and another gracing the cover of NEE.

The dedication of our faculty and students has led to continuous innovation, fostering an atmosphere where everyone feels a greater sense of belonging, pride, and happiness.