Prof. WANG Wen from the Northwestern Polytechnical University visited IHB to share his research insights.(Credit:IHB)

Prof. WANG Wen from the Northwestern Polytechnical University visited the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to share his research insights. As part of the institute's Innovation Lecture Series (21st session of 2024), Prof. Wang presented a lecture titled "Genetic Innovations Underpinning the Evolution of Key Animal Traits."

During the lecture, Prof. Wang outlined major scientific questions in evolutionary biology and discussed the field's research history, emphasizing how technological advances have been critical to driving new discoveries. He also highlighted several of his team’s breakthrough findings related to the genetic mechanisms underlying animal evolution.

Prof. Wang noted that these findings provide novel insights for biomimetic applications and lay a foundation for advancements in regenerative medicine and drug discovery.

The lecture concluded with an engaging discussion, where attendees explored topics such as the quantitative prediction of new traits, reverse evolution, the mechanisms driving antler regeneration, and the emergence of new genes.

Prof. Wang is a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. He has dedicated his career to evolutionary genomics, publishing extensively in leading journals such as Cell, Science, Nature Genetics, and Nature Ecology and Evolution. His research has accumulated nearly 25,000 citations, with an H-index of 73. Prof. Wang also serves on the editorial boards of journals such as Science China Life Sciences.