In the post genomic era, to delineate numerous data is both a popular topic and a challenging scientific task. Our laboratory focuses on the study of genome in evolution, such as new structures in genomes and evolutionary mechanisms of their new functions. Specifically, our research interests include revealing mechanisms of new genes’ origination and evolution, using new genes as the system to study formation and evolution of new pathways and gene networks. Through the approaches from genetic, evolutionary and developmental studies, we aim to elucidate relationship between genotypes and formation of phenotypes, and adaptation of organisms.
   Research focus：
1. Mechanisms of new gene origination and evolution
2. General patterns of formation and development of new pathways and gene networks
3. Mechanisms of artificial selection and genomic evolution 
4. Evolution of mammalian neo-sex chromosomes, animal toxin genes, new exons and others

funds	projects	time	Principal Investigator
National "973" Key Basic Research Project	artificial selection and genomic evolution	2007.7-2011.8	Wen Wang
National Natural Science Foundation of China- -Key project	Roles of young genes in development and evolution of Drosophila	2010.1-2014.12	Wen Wang
National Natural Science Foundation of China-Key project	Evolution of methylome of silkworms during domestication	2010.9-2015.9	Wen Wang

1. Jiang Y, Li Y, Lee W, Xu X, Zhang Y, Zhao R, Zhang Y*, Wang W*. Venom gland transcriptomes of two elapid snakes (Bungarus multicinctus and Naja atra) and evolution of toxin genes. BMC Genomics, 12 (2011):1-13. (IF 3.8)

2. Zhan Z, Ren J, Zhang Y, Zhao R, Yang S, Wang W*. Evolution of alternative splicing in newly evolved genes of Drosophila. Gene, 470 (2011): 1-6. (IF 2.4)

3. Ding Y, Zhao L, Yang S, Jiang Y, Chen Y, Zhao R, Zhang Y, Zhang G, Dong Y, Yu H, Zhou Q, Wang W*. 2010. A Young Drosophila Duplicate Gene Plays Essential Roles in Spermatogenesis by Regulating Several Y-linked Male Fertility Genes. PLoS Genetics, 6 (12): e1001255. (IF 9.5)

4. Li D, Dong Y, Jiang H, Cai J, Wang W*. 2010 A de novo originated gene depresses budding yeast mating pathway and is repressed by the protein encoded by its antisense strand.  Cell Research 20:408-420. (IF 8.2)

5. Xiang H, Zhu JD, Chen Q, Dai FY, Li X, Li MW, Zhang HY, Zhang GJ, Li D, Dong Y, Zhao L, Lin Y, Cheng DJ, Yu J, Sun JF, Zhou XY, Ma KL, He YH, Zhao YX, Guo SC, Ye MZ, Guo GW, Li YR, Li RQ, Zhang XQ, Ma LJ, Kristiansen K, Guo QH, Jiang JH, Beck S, Xia QY*, Wang W*, Wang J*. 2010. Single base–resolution methylome of the silkworm reveals a sparse epigenomic map. Nature Biotechnology, 28: 516-520. (IF 29.5)

6. Li X, Zhao L, Jiang H, Wang W*   Short homologous sequences are strongly associated with the generation of chimeric RNAs in eukaryotes. J. Mol. Evol. 68 (2009): 56-65.

7. Jiang H, Zhang Y, Sun J, Wang W*, Gu Z*  Differential selection on gene translation efficiency between the filamentous fungus Ashbya gossypii and yeasts. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8 (2008): 3.

8. Zhou Q, Wang W* On the origin and evolution of new genes—a genomic and experimental perspective. J Genet Genomics 35 (2008): 639-648.

9. Zhou Q, Wang J, Huang L, Nie W, Wang J, Liu Y, Zhao X, Yang F, Wang W* Neo-sex chromosomes in the black  muntjac recapitulate incipient evolution of mammalian sex chromosomes.  Genome Biology 9 (2008): R98.

10. Zhou Q, Zhang G, Xu S, Zhao R, Li X, Ding Y, Wang W* On the origin of new genes in Drosophila. Genome Research 18 (2008):1446-1455.

11. Jiang H, Guan W, Pinney D, Wang W*, Gu Z*  Relaxation of yeast mitochondrial functions after whole genome duplication. Genome Research 18 (2008):1466-1471.

12. Cai J, Zhao R, Jiang H, Wang W* De novo origination of a new protein-coding gene in Sacchoramyces cerevisiae. Genetics 179 (2008): 487-496.

13. Yang S, Arguello JR, Li X, Ding Y, Zhou Q, Chen Y, Zhang Y, Zhao R, Brunet F, Peng L, Long M*, Wang W* Repetitive elements-mediated recombination as a mechanism for new gene origination in Drosophila. PLoS Genetics 4(2008):e3.

14. Li X, Liang J, Yu H, Su B, Xiao C, Shang YF*, Wang W* Functional consequences of new exon acquisition in mammalian chromodomain Y-like (CDYL) genes. Trends in Genetics 23 (2007): 427-431.

15. Wang W, Zheng H, Fan C, Li J, Shi J, Cai Z, Zhang G, Liu D, Zhang J, Vang S, Lu Z, Wong GKS, Long M, Wang J  High rate of chimeric gene origination by retroposition in plant genomes.  Plant Cell  18 (2006):1797-1802.

16. Zhou Q, Huang L, Zhang J, Zhao X, Zhang Q, Song F, Chi J, Yang F, Wang W*  Comparative genomic analysis links karyotypic evolution with genomic evolution in the Indian Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak vaginalis).  Chromosoma 115(2006): 427-436.

17. Jiang H, Liu D, Gu Z, Wang W*  Rapid Evolution in a pair of recent duplicate segments of rice.  J. Exp. Zool.  (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 308B (2006): 50-57.

18. Yu H, Jiang H, Zhou Q, Yang J, Cun Y, Su B, Xiao C, Wang W*  Origination and evolution of a human-specific transmembrane protein gene, c1orf37-dup. Hum. Mol. Genet. 15 (2006):1870-1875.

19. Arguello AJ, Chen Y, Yang S, Wang W*, Long M* Origination of an X-linked Testes Chimeric Gene by Illegitimate Recombination in Drosophila. PLoS Genetics  2 (2006): 745-754.

20. Yu H, Zhao X, Su B, Li D, Xu Y, Luo S, Xiao C, Wang W* Expression of NF1 Pseudogenes. Hum. Mutat 26 (2005): 487-488.

21. Wang W *et al., Origin and Evolution of New Exons in Rodents. Genome Res. 15 (2005): 1258-1264.

22. Peng L, Zheng H, Li X, Yang S, Chen H, Wang W*  Origin and evolution of new exons in the rodent zinc finger protein 39 gene.  Chinese Science Bulletin 50 (2005): 1120-1125.

23. Lee WH, Li Y, Lai R, Li S, Zhang Y, Wang W* Variety of Antimicrobial Peptides in the Bombina maxima Toad and Evidence of their Rapid Diversification. Eur. J. Immunol. 35 (2005): 1220-1229.

24. Wang W. as one of the authors of  The genome of Oryza sativa: A history of Duplications.  PLoS Biol. 3 (2005): e38.

25. Wang W. as one of the authors in the Silkworm Genome Sequencing Consortium. A draft sequence for the genome of the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori). Science 306 (2004): 1937-1940.

26. Wang W, Yu H, Long M  Duplication-degeneration as a mechanism of gene fission and the origin of new genes in Drosophila.  Nature Genetics 36 (2004)：523-527.

27. Wang W, Thornton K., Emerson JJ,  Long M  Nucleotide variation and recombination along the fourth chromosome in Drosophila simulans. Genetics 166 (2004): 1783-1794.

28. Long M, Betran E, Kevin T, Wang W  Origin of new genes: Glimpses from the young and old.  Nature Review Genetics 4 (2003): 856-875. 

29. Wang W, Brunet FG, Nevo E, Long M Origin of Sphinx, a young chimeric RNA gene in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99 (2002): 4448-4453.)

30. Wang W, Thornton K, Berry A, Long M  Nucleotide variation along the Drosophila melanogaster fourth chromosome. Science  295 (2002): 134-137.

31. Wang W, Zhang J, Alvarez C, Llopart A, Long M  2000  The origin of the jingwei gene and the complex modular structure of its parental gene, yellow emperor, in D. melanogaster. Mol Biol. Evol. 17 (2000): 1294-1301.

32. Wang W, Lan H  Rapid and parallel chromosomal number reductions in muntjac deer inferred from mitochondrial DNA phylogeny.  Mol. Biol. Evol. 17 (2000): 1326-1333.

33. Wyckoff G, Wang W, Wu C-I  Rapid evolution of male reproductive genes in the descent of man.  Nature 403 (2000): 304-309.