7月21日下午，美国德克萨斯州大学奥斯汀分校Zengjian Jeffrey Chen 教授来访我院，并为现代农业系列发表了关于“Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms for polyploidy and hybrid vigor”的演讲。

Zengjian Jeffrey Chen 教授的演讲主要围绕以下的中心思想展开：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.

    演讲结束后，Zengjian Jeffrey Chen 教授与北大学子、教师进行了热烈的学术讨论。与现代农学院（筹）筹备组组长邓兴旺教授、李磊教授进行了深入的学术交流，并参观了邓兴旺教授实验室、李磊教授实验室。