Shen Tian 田申
@tianshenbio.bsky.social
RNA｜evolutionary innovations
Pinned
Shen Tian 田申
@tianshenbio.bsky.social
· Oct 24
My main PhD work @monteirolab.bsky.social is now in @natecoevo.nature.com! We found a Hox gene promoter that helps butterflies🦋adjust their wing eyespots in response to seasonal temperatures🍃🍂, shedding light on the evolutionary origin of phenotypic plasticity. 1/9 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A mini review on the seasonal plasticity of butterfly eyespots. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
February 13, 2026 at 12:03 AM
A mini review on the seasonal plasticity of butterfly eyespots. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
Very excited to share that my first first-author pre-print is out today! Many thanks go out to all of our collaborators, especially those who helped with the fieldwork in Peru - it really wouldn't have been possible without you! 🦋
Evolution of Reproductive Plasticity in a Seasonal Tropical Environment https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.20.700078v1
January 23, 2026 at 9:35 AM
Very excited to share that my first first-author pre-print is out today! Many thanks go out to all of our collaborators, especially those who helped with the fieldwork in Peru - it really wouldn't have been possible without you! 🦋
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
Evolution rarely invents from scratch.
Our recent study reveals that butterfly eyespots evolved by co-opting an ancient wing vein gene network. New trait, old genes. The study is now published in Communications Biology (featured: Jan26) www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Our recent study reveals that butterfly eyespots evolved by co-opting an ancient wing vein gene network. New trait, old genes. The study is now published in Communications Biology (featured: Jan26) www.nature.com/articles/s42...
January 23, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Evolution rarely invents from scratch.
Our recent study reveals that butterfly eyespots evolved by co-opting an ancient wing vein gene network. New trait, old genes. The study is now published in Communications Biology (featured: Jan26) www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Our recent study reveals that butterfly eyespots evolved by co-opting an ancient wing vein gene network. New trait, old genes. The study is now published in Communications Biology (featured: Jan26) www.nature.com/articles/s42...
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
Our eLetter github.com/caseywdunn/s... responding to a recent Science paper was just posted. The paper found more genes with consistent support for sponge-sister than ctenophore-sister. We found several technical issues that, when corrected, reverse the conclusions and recover ctenophore-sister.
January 9, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Our eLetter github.com/caseywdunn/s... responding to a recent Science paper was just posted. The paper found more genes with consistent support for sponge-sister than ctenophore-sister. We found several technical issues that, when corrected, reverse the conclusions and recover ctenophore-sister.
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
Congrats @jeffgroh.bsky.social et al. Some avocado trees open female-phase flowers in the morning & then male in afternoon. Others show complementary pattern (m->f), to synchronize pollination of two types. Jeff show this to be a >45Mya polymorphism at a transcription factor across 100s of species.
Balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies an ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.22.695989v1
December 25, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Congrats @jeffgroh.bsky.social et al. Some avocado trees open female-phase flowers in the morning & then male in afternoon. Others show complementary pattern (m->f), to synchronize pollination of two types. Jeff show this to be a >45Mya polymorphism at a transcription factor across 100s of species.
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
GWAS has been an incredible discovery tool for human genetics: it regularly identifies *causal* links from 1000s of SNPs to any given trait. But mechanistic interpretation is usually difficult.
Our latest work on causal models for this is out yesterday:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A short🧵:
Our latest work on causal models for this is out yesterday:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A short🧵:
Causal modelling of gene effects from regulators to programs to traits - Nature
Approaches combining genetic association and Perturb-seq data that link genetic variants to functional programs to traits are described.
www.nature.com
December 11, 2025 at 5:54 PM
GWAS has been an incredible discovery tool for human genetics: it regularly identifies *causal* links from 1000s of SNPs to any given trait. But mechanistic interpretation is usually difficult.
Our latest work on causal models for this is out yesterday:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A short🧵:
Our latest work on causal models for this is out yesterday:
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A short🧵:
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
🦣🧬🦣🤯💥We are pleased to share our new paper about ancient RNA expression profiles from the Woolly Mammoth, now published in Cell @cellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
If you want to know more, read the 🧵 below:
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
If you want to know more, read the 🧵 below:
November 14, 2025 at 4:08 PM
🦣🧬🦣🤯💥We are pleased to share our new paper about ancient RNA expression profiles from the Woolly Mammoth, now published in Cell @cellpress.bsky.social
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
If you want to know more, read the 🧵 below:
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
If you want to know more, read the 🧵 below:
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
NEW pub in @science.org 🥳
Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?
For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.
We provide new evidence suggesting that...
🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?
For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.
We provide new evidence suggesting that...
🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
November 13, 2025 at 8:34 PM
NEW pub in @science.org 🥳
Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?
For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.
We provide new evidence suggesting that...
🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?
For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.
We provide new evidence suggesting that...
🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
Hi, I'm setting up a peer support platform for ECRs in ecology & evolution in China, aiming to address a huge problem --- academic burnout driven by hyper-competition and a system that often prioritizes elite background/title over actual research.
#ECR #AcademicSupport #科研互助 #ecology #evolution
#ECR #AcademicSupport #科研互助 #ecology #evolution
November 9, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Hi, I'm setting up a peer support platform for ECRs in ecology & evolution in China, aiming to address a huge problem --- academic burnout driven by hyper-competition and a system that often prioritizes elite background/title over actual research.
#ECR #AcademicSupport #科研互助 #ecology #evolution
#ECR #AcademicSupport #科研互助 #ecology #evolution
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
🔥🔥🔥🔥New paper out; a opinion piece in @narjournal.bsky.social with Michael Hackenberg, @panosbino.bsky.social, Kevin K Peterson and @marcfriedlander.bsky.social 🔥🔥🔥🔥
„Knowing is not enough, we must apply“
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
„Knowing is not enough, we must apply“
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
a statue of a man 's head with a bunch of paper coming out of it
ALT: a statue of a man 's head with a bunch of paper coming out of it
media.tenor.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:17 PM
🔥🔥🔥🔥New paper out; a opinion piece in @narjournal.bsky.social with Michael Hackenberg, @panosbino.bsky.social, Kevin K Peterson and @marcfriedlander.bsky.social 🔥🔥🔥🔥
„Knowing is not enough, we must apply“
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
„Knowing is not enough, we must apply“
academic.oup.com/nar/article/...
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
PhD position for Chinese nationals! London-based, funded by China Scholarship Council & @qmul.bsky.social
"Ecology & genomics of climate adaptation: mapping functional genetic variation in wild insect populations"
shorturl.at/Vfi8W
DM for more info!
#conservation #genomics #ecology #biodiversity
"Ecology & genomics of climate adaptation: mapping functional genetic variation in wild insect populations"
shorturl.at/Vfi8W
DM for more info!
#conservation #genomics #ecology #biodiversity
November 3, 2025 at 6:58 PM
PhD position for Chinese nationals! London-based, funded by China Scholarship Council & @qmul.bsky.social
"Ecology & genomics of climate adaptation: mapping functional genetic variation in wild insect populations"
shorturl.at/Vfi8W
DM for more info!
#conservation #genomics #ecology #biodiversity
"Ecology & genomics of climate adaptation: mapping functional genetic variation in wild insect populations"
shorturl.at/Vfi8W
DM for more info!
#conservation #genomics #ecology #biodiversity
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
A personal favorite, long time in the making. Adelina and David (@dduneau.bsky.social) were instrumental in getting this done.
doi.org/10.1186/s129...
doi.org/10.1186/s129...
Wound-induced eyespots on butterfly wings at the intersection of immune response and pigmentation development - BMC Biology
Background Butterfly eyespots are striking examples of evolutionary novelty arising through the repurposing of ancestral genetic pathways, including pathways involved in wound healing. Given the activ...
doi.org
October 29, 2025 at 1:58 PM
A personal favorite, long time in the making. Adelina and David (@dduneau.bsky.social) were instrumental in getting this done.
doi.org/10.1186/s129...
doi.org/10.1186/s129...
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
For those interested in GRN evolution, please join us!
October 28, 2025 at 12:31 AM
For those interested in GRN evolution, please join us!
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
October 24, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
This study @science.org finds what appears to be the long-lost RNA subunit of C. elegans telomerase. The TERC RNA is encoded within an intron of a germline-upregulated gene, nmy-2🪱🔬🧬Nematode telomerase RNA hitchhikes on introns of germline–up-regulated genes | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
October 23, 2025 at 9:38 PM
This study @science.org finds what appears to be the long-lost RNA subunit of C. elegans telomerase. The TERC RNA is encoded within an intron of a germline-upregulated gene, nmy-2🪱🔬🧬Nematode telomerase RNA hitchhikes on introns of germline–up-regulated genes | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
My main PhD work @monteirolab.bsky.social is now in @natecoevo.nature.com! We found a Hox gene promoter that helps butterflies🦋adjust their wing eyespots in response to seasonal temperatures🍃🍂, shedding light on the evolutionary origin of phenotypic plasticity. 1/9 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
October 24, 2025 at 10:16 AM
My main PhD work @monteirolab.bsky.social is now in @natecoevo.nature.com! We found a Hox gene promoter that helps butterflies🦋adjust their wing eyespots in response to seasonal temperatures🍃🍂, shedding light on the evolutionary origin of phenotypic plasticity. 1/9 www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
1/3 Excited that my final PhD MS is online! Big thanks to Ullasa (PI) (vanasiri.in) & collaborators Freerk and Urszula. Turns out humidity, not just temperature, plays a major role in butterfly eyespot plasticity. doi.org/10.1101/2025...
October 16, 2025 at 7:26 AM
1/3 Excited that my final PhD MS is online! Big thanks to Ullasa (PI) (vanasiri.in) & collaborators Freerk and Urszula. Turns out humidity, not just temperature, plays a major role in butterfly eyespot plasticity. doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
New #miRNA paper from Lai lab!! 🧬🔥
some think this field, despite recent Nobel to Ambros and Ruvkun, doesn't have much surprises left. but, do we EVEN KNOW WHAT a miRNA precursor LOOKS LIKE? we found some conserved miRNA hairpins up to 10x longer than suspected. this is mir-12, just bonkers! 1/n
some think this field, despite recent Nobel to Ambros and Ruvkun, doesn't have much surprises left. but, do we EVEN KNOW WHAT a miRNA precursor LOOKS LIKE? we found some conserved miRNA hairpins up to 10x longer than suspected. this is mir-12, just bonkers! 1/n
September 12, 2025 at 2:02 AM
New #miRNA paper from Lai lab!! 🧬🔥
some think this field, despite recent Nobel to Ambros and Ruvkun, doesn't have much surprises left. but, do we EVEN KNOW WHAT a miRNA precursor LOOKS LIKE? we found some conserved miRNA hairpins up to 10x longer than suspected. this is mir-12, just bonkers! 1/n
some think this field, despite recent Nobel to Ambros and Ruvkun, doesn't have much surprises left. but, do we EVEN KNOW WHAT a miRNA precursor LOOKS LIKE? we found some conserved miRNA hairpins up to 10x longer than suspected. this is mir-12, just bonkers! 1/n
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
Our work on the function of miR-51/miR-100 is out! miR-100 is widely conserved across eumetazoans but its function has been mysterious. Emilio Santillán found in worms it regulates signaling and extracellular matrix genes, some of which seem to be conserved targets! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
An ancient and essential miRNA family controls cellular interaction pathways in C. elegans
A microRNA that arose at the origin of eumetazoans regulates cell adhesion and signaling in C. elegans through conserved targets.
www.science.org
September 3, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Our work on the function of miR-51/miR-100 is out! miR-100 is widely conserved across eumetazoans but its function has been mysterious. Emilio Santillán found in worms it regulates signaling and extracellular matrix genes, some of which seem to be conserved targets! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
Excited / nervous to share the “magnum opus” of my postdoc in Andreas Wagner’s lab!
"De-novo promoters emerge more readily from random DNA than from genomic DNA"
This project is the accumulation of 4 years of work, and lays the foundation for my future group. In short, we… (1/4)
"De-novo promoters emerge more readily from random DNA than from genomic DNA"
This project is the accumulation of 4 years of work, and lays the foundation for my future group. In short, we… (1/4)
De-novo promoters emerge more readily from random DNA than from genomic DNA
Promoters are DNA sequences that help to initiate transcription. Point mutations can create de-novo promoters, which can consequently transcribe inactive genes or create novel transcripts. We know lit...
www.biorxiv.org
August 28, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Excited / nervous to share the “magnum opus” of my postdoc in Andreas Wagner’s lab!
"De-novo promoters emerge more readily from random DNA than from genomic DNA"
This project is the accumulation of 4 years of work, and lays the foundation for my future group. In short, we… (1/4)
"De-novo promoters emerge more readily from random DNA than from genomic DNA"
This project is the accumulation of 4 years of work, and lays the foundation for my future group. In short, we… (1/4)
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
Music to my ears. This is brilliant. Either 90% of us can claim to be better musicians than Beethoven or… maybe just maybe polygenic scores aren’t perfect?
If someone you know buys into claims about "genetic optimization" of embryos using polygenic scores of cognition, just send them our 2024 paper on Beethoven & musicality. We wrote it to help communicate limits of individual-level genetic predictions & complexity of links between DNA & behaviour. 🧪👇
Notes from Beethoven’s genome
Wesseldijk et al. compare the genomic information collected from Ludwig van Beethoven
with population-based datasets used to quantify musical achievement.
www.cell.com
August 15, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Music to my ears. This is brilliant. Either 90% of us can claim to be better musicians than Beethoven or… maybe just maybe polygenic scores aren’t perfect?
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
My sister department EEB is hiring an animal evo-devo assistant prof! I'm the plant evo-devo person on the SC and happy to answer any questions! (spoiler alert: This is a GREAT place to be and with fantastic colleagues & support!!!!) @socdevbio.bsky.social
illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
Assistant Professor, Evolution, Ecology & Behavior
Duties & Responsibilities
illinois.csod.com
August 12, 2025 at 1:54 PM
My sister department EEB is hiring an animal evo-devo assistant prof! I'm the plant evo-devo person on the SC and happy to answer any questions! (spoiler alert: This is a GREAT place to be and with fantastic colleagues & support!!!!) @socdevbio.bsky.social
illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
illinois.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...
Reposted by Shen Tian 田申
Here is a very detailed examination on how pigmentation in the cuticle of a butterfly wing scale changes the density and refractive index of chitin and, thus, also alters structural color. rdcu.be/eyUwS
Nanoscale cuticle mass density variations influenced by pigmentation in butterfly wing scales
Nature Communications - Here, the authors investigate the interaction of pigment distribution and cuticle density within butterfly wing scales. They use ptychographic X-ray computed tomography to...
rdcu.be
August 2, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Here is a very detailed examination on how pigmentation in the cuticle of a butterfly wing scale changes the density and refractive index of chitin and, thus, also alters structural color. rdcu.be/eyUwS