Shuqing Xu

Professor Shuqing Xu is a full Professor of Evolutionary Plant Sciences at the Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution (IOME) of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). He leads the 'Real-time (co)evolution in a multitrophic community under current and future climates' project, funded by a EUR 2 million ERC Consolidator Grant to investigate ecological community responses to climate change.

• Current affiliation: JGU, Mainz
• Previous positions: W2 Professor at University of Münster, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology
• Education: PhD (2011) at ETH Zurich, studies in Cell Biology & Genetics in China

Xu's research focuses on multitrophic interactions, transgenerational adaptation, and genetic responses to climate change. His team uses duckweed-aphid-water flea systems to study coevolution in heated and control mesocosm ecosystems, combining genomic sequencing with microscopy analysis.

Recent publications analyze plant-insect dynamics (2025), epigenetic interactions (2025), metabolic adaptation (2024), and genomic mechanisms in Spirodela polyrhiza (2024). His work explores transgenerational plasticity, niche choice evolution, and chemical defense systems.

Scientific recognition includes:

• ERC Consolidator Grant
• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship
• International Society of Chemical Ecology - Early Career Award

The Evolutionary Plant Sciences lab at JGU studies ecosystem evolution, plant-animal interactions, and genetic adaptation using experimental ponds, transcriptomics, and CRISPR-based genome editing.