معرفی
Fay-Wei Li is an Associate Professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) specializing in plant evolutionary genomics. His research focuses on seed-free plants including ferns, lycophytes, and bryophytes, with particular emphasis on hornworts as an emerging model system.
His lab investigates evolutionary processes at gene, genome, and microbiome levels, with three major research thrusts:
- Evolutionary genomics of seed-free plants - Leading efforts to close the 'genome gap' through first genomes of ferns (Azolla, Salvinia, Alsophila), lycophytes (Isoetes, Diphasiastrum), and hornworts
- Hornwort-cyanobacteria symbiosis - Studying nitrogen-fixing symbioses using ecological, genomic, and molecular approaches
- Carbon-concentrating mechanisms - Investigating pyrenoid-based CO2 concentration in hornworts as a model for crop improvement
Analysis of recent publications reveals strong emphasis on comparative genomics (70%), symbiosis mechanisms (20%), and method development (10%), with Nature Plants and PNAS as primary publication venues. His work shows consistent progression from genome sequencing to functional genetics.
Major recognitions include:
- Current Biology cover story for discovery of Anthocerotibacter panamensis (2021)
- NSF EDGE grant for hornwort transformation development
- NSF Dimensions of Biodiversity grant for symbiosis research
- NSF MCB grant for carbon-concentrating mechanism studies
Dr. Li actively mentors graduate students and postdocs, with current lab members working on genome assembly, symbiosis genetics, and carbon fixation mechanisms. His group has established critical resources including:
- 24 axenic hornwort cultures covering all 5 families
- First Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol for hornworts
- PacBio-based amplicon sequencing for cyanobacterial diversity
- Optimized growth media yielding 4X tissue mass
