7月21日下午，美國德克薩斯州大學(xué)奧斯汀分校Zengjian Jeffrey Chen 教授來訪我院，并為現(xiàn)代農(nóng)業(yè)系列發(fā)表了關(guān)于“Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms for polyploidy and hybrid vigor”的演講。

Zengjian Jeffrey Chen 教授的演講主要圍繞以下的中心思想展開：The understanding of polyploidy and hybrid vigor is among the grand challenges in evolution and plant biology and vital to agriculture, food production, renewable energy, and the environment. Moreover, polyploidy provides a means to permanently fix the heterozygosity and hybrid vigor in interspecific hybrids. Using Arabidopsis and maize as model systems, we have employed genomic, molecular biology, and systems biology approaches to investigate genetic and epigenetic mechanisms for gene expression changes and phenotypic variation in allopolyploids and hybrids. We found a direct link between epigenetic regulation of circadian clock to the adaptation of strains to local environments. Further, ploidy regulation of small RNAs controls gene expression in endosperm and seed size. These mechanistic insights into polyploidy and hybrid vigor will ultimately help us improve the production of plant hybrids and allopolyploids to meet the growing demands for food, feed, fiber, and biomaterials.

    演講結(jié)束后，Zengjian Jeffrey Chen 教授與北大學(xué)子、教師進行了熱烈的學(xué)術(shù)討論。與現(xiàn)代農(nóng)學(xué)院（籌）籌備組組長鄧興旺教授、李磊教授進行了深入的學(xué)術(shù)交流，并參觀了鄧興旺教授實驗室、李磊教授實驗室。