Zijun Xiong

The paper presents draft genome assemblies for two ant species, analyzing genome size variation and gene family expansions related to brood management strategies.

The paper identifies a Hymenoptera-specific gene, torch, that controls caste-specific organ size by co-opting conserved Hippo signaling machinery across species.

The paper examines how ant colony structure and phylogenetic lineage influence viral diversity and abundance across 15 ant species.

This study identifies lncRNAs as key regulators of caste differentiation in ants through transcriptomic analysis and functional validation.

The paper examines whether queen loss triggers physiological and transcriptional changes in workers of Lasius neglectus, finding no such response, suggesting physiological independence.