Jr-Kai Yu｜ Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica

My research is focused on the evolution of developmental mechanisms. I am interested in the origins of chordate and vertebrate novel characters, particularly in understanding the developmental and genomic changes that may have led to the emergence of these innovations. My research team mainly uses cephalochordates (Amphioxus) as our model organism. Amphioxus represent an early-branching chordate group and thus occupy a key phylogenetic position for understanding the possible characters in the proximate invertebrate ancestor of the vertebrates. We apply comparative genomics/transcriptomics and molecular developmental analyses to investigate the key evolutionary changes during the invertebrate-to-vertebrate transition. This transition represents one of the most significant events in the history of life; however, many questions surrounding how vertebrate innovations may have emerged remain unanswered. In collaboration with other researchers, I also extend my research program to other invertebrate deuterostome animals, including hemichordates and echinoderms. The long-term goal of my research program is to understand the genomic and developmental basis underlying the evolution of the distinct body plans of major deuterostome phyla.