Qingjian Chen

This study shows that reduced miRNA levels in Drosophila lead to developmental instability and reduced longevity, highlighting miRNAs' role in stabilizing gene regulatory networks against weak environmental perturbations.

The paper shows that quasi-neutral evolution, where positive and negative selection balance, is common in somatic-cell evolution, particularly in small stem cell populations, explaining higher cancer risk in the colon compared to the small intestine.