Qi Chen

Associate Professor @UUtah @UofUMedicine | sperm RNA-mediated epigenetic inheritance, embryo development, small RNAs, RNA modifications & diseases

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

Perhaps our boldest hypothesis… we propose a model for RNA Structural Memory propagation @NatureCellBio, where RNA conformation is reshaped by stress, locked by RBPs, copied prion-like in condensates & passed across generations—all without altering DNA.🧵
https://t.co/Gp74O8vLVJ

[Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz @ZernickaGoetz]

Sharing this perspective reinforced for me the idea that constraints are not obstacles. In biology, they can drive self-organization and the emergence of complexity. I suspect similar principles may operate far beyond biology, in the organization of cultures, ideas, and societies

[Nature Biotechnology @NatureBiotech]

Decoding the origins of cellular self-organization for engineered biology https://t.co/SsOwf72Usm

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

After years of crystallization, now in @NatureBiotech, @ZernickaGoetz and I discuss the evolutionary origins of multicellularity and how physical constraints inevitably drive cellular self-organization.
Harnessing these rules may help us better understand and engineer life – Build to understand. https://t.co/H82v4ceccX

[Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz @ZernickaGoetz]

Thanks Qi for the heartfelt words and bringing back fond memories of our discussion of self-assembly in our first 2014 and 2017 models. Chatting with you always inspires a deeper understanding of life’s complexities. Let’s keep reflecting on ancient wisdom and carry it forward ..

[Barna Lab @mbarnalab]

I’m thrilled to share that our paper is out in Molecular Cell! We developed Ribo-Tweezer, a new technology that lets us rapidly and reversibly remove specific proteins from mature ribosomes to ask what they actually do in translation.

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

@BassLabUtah @UofUBiochem @UUtah Big congrats Brenda! So well deserved!

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

@zhumeng123 @GurdonInstitute @Cambridge_Uni Big congratulations Meng! Exciting times ahead!

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

I fed this post/picture to Gemini's new Lyria 3 model, asking for a soundtrack based on the vibe.
I wasn't prepared for the result... it captures the weight of this journey so beautifully that I'm almost in tears...

What a time to be alive...

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

A road trip to Monument Valley and the wonders of the west, as an anniversary of lab’s 10th year operation…look forward to the journey ahead…

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

1/5 It took us some time to connect the dots...now in @embojournal we use PANDORA-seq to start decoding the 'sperm RNA code of aging'
We find a conserved rsRNA length shift that reflects aging in both mouse & human sperm, and an 'aging cliff' at mid-life🧵
https://t.co/iujpvGogfy

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

Perhaps the most puzzling part:
We see a paradox: the rsRNA length shift is progressive⏳yet the global RNA profile shows an "Aging Cliff"📉.
Cliff or Progression? Maybe the gradual shift is the forerunner—accumulating silently until it triggers the cliff.
https://t.co/a1xBLk4C9Q

[University of Utah @UUtah]

Scientists discover a hidden RNA ‘aging clock’ in human sperm.

New research from @UofUHealth sheds light on connection between paternal age and elevated health risks for the unborn.

https://t.co/F6GN5T0zv3

[Eric Topol @EricTopol]

Advanced paternal age is linked to adverse health outcomes of offspring. Discovery of how sperm age, enabling a sperm RNA code or aging clock https://t.co/z4gVqD3BRx @EMBO

[Julie Kiefer @JulieCKiefer]

New research led by @qichen_lab @UUHSResearch reveals an “aging cliff” in sperm RNA, a molecular marker tied to increased health risks in children of older fathers. This suggests a molecular clock tied to sperm aging in both mice and humans. Learn more: https://t.co/L7QFVPExa8

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

@mbarnalab @embojournal Many thanks Maria for the generous comment! Likewise to your trailblazing works!

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

1/5 It took us some time to connect the dots...now in @embojournal we use PANDORA-seq to start decoding the 'sperm RNA code of aging'
We find a conserved rsRNA length shift that reflects aging in both mouse & human sperm, and an 'aging cliff' at mid-life🧵
https://t.co/iujpvGogfy

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

@YehuMoran @embojournal Thank you very much Yehu!

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

2/5 The first revelation: In mice, PANDORA-seq uncovers a sharp "Aging Cliff"📉in sperm RNA profiles at mid-life—a non-linear shift distinct from chronological age.
Crucially, this cliff signal (genomic & mitochondrial tsRNAs/rsRNAs) is invisible to traditional small RNA-seq.

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

3/5 Perhaps the most surprising discovery: we see an age-dependent "Length Shift" in rsRNAs, exclusively found in sperm heads.
Specifically, longer fragments accumulate while shorter ones decrease with age—a sign of altered RNA cleavage/processing efficiency (e.g., enzymatic).

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

4/5 Crucially, beyond mouse data, we validated the sperm-head-specific rsRNA length shift signal in two independent human cohorts (longitudinal & cross-sectional).
This suggests an evolutionarily conserved feature, which may stem from shared (enzymatic) mechanisms during aging.

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

@HuaZhuOSU @embojournal Thanks Hua!

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

@ZhouLabUCR @embojournal Many thanks Changcheng!

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

@EricTopol @EMBO Many thanks Eric for posting our new work! We provided here some further digest on the results:
https://t.co/sHcBwUJPkI

[Qi Chen @qichen_lab]

Perhaps the most puzzling part:
We see a paradox: the rsRNA length shift is progressive⏳yet the global RNA profile shows an "Aging Cliff"📉.
Cliff or Progression? Maybe the gradual shift is the forerunner—accumulating silently until it triggers the cliff.
https://t.co/a1xBLk4C9Q