biology

Wen-Hsiung Li

Wen-Hsiung Li is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wen-Hsiung Li rather than just read about it. In short: Wen-Hsiung Li (Chinese: 李文雄; pinyin: Lǐ Wénxióng; born September 22, 1942) is a Taiwanese-American scientist working in the fields of molecular evolution, population genetics, and genomics. He is currently the James Watson Professor of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago and a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Information Science and Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taiwan.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Wen-Hsiung Li (Chinese: 李文雄; pinyin: Lǐ Wénxióng; born September 22, 1942) is a Taiwanese-American scientist working in the fields of molecular evolution, population genetics, and genomics. He is currently the James Watson Professor of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago and a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Information Science and Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taiwan.

Biography

Li was born in Taiwan in 1942. In 1968, he received a M.S. in geophysics from National Central University. In 1972, he received his Ph.D. in applied mathematics at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. From 1972 to 1973, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin Madison (genetics), working with James F. Crow. In 1973, he moved to the University of Texas, where he was appointed as a professor in 1984. Since 1998, he has been a professor at the University of Chicago.

Scientific contributions Li is best known for his studies on the molecular clock (i.e. rates and patterns of DNA sequence evolution) and on the patterns and consequences of gene duplication. In 2003, he received the international Balzan Prize for his contribution to genetics and evolutionary biology, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, who cited his role in "establishing theoretical foundations for molecular phylogenetics and evolutionary genomics"[1]. He is the author of the first textbook in the field of molecular evolution, Molecular Evolution and Fundamentals of Molecular Evolution (co-authored with Dan Graur), and an author on more than 200 peer-reviewed publications.

Honors Academician, Academia Sinica Taiwan, 1998 Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1999 President of the “Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution”, 2000 Member, National Academy of Sciences, 2003 Balzan Prize 2003 for genetics and evolution (The third recipient, following Sewall Wright (1984) and John Maynard Smith (1991)). Inaugural Chen Award for Achievement in Human Genetic and Genomic Research, Human Genome Organisation, 2008 2019 SMBE Motoo Kimura Lifetime Contribution Award

Selected publications Chu, T. -C.; Lu, C. -H.; Liu, T.; Lee, G. C.; Li, W. -H.; Shih, A. C. -C. (2013). "Assembler for de novo assembly of large genomes". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 110 (36): E3417–E3424. Bibcode:2013PNAS..110E3417C. doi:10.1073/pnas.1314090110. PMC 3767511. PMID 23966565. Gu, Z.; Steinmetz, L. M.; Gu, X.; Scharfe, C.; Davis, R. W.; Li, W. H. (2003). "Role of duplicate genes in genetic robustness against null mutations". Nature. 421 (6918): 63–6. Bibcode:2003Natur.421...63G. doi:10.1038/nature01198. PMID 12511954. S2CID 4348693. Makova, K. D.; Li, W. H. (2002). "Strong male-driven evolution of DNA sequences in humans and apes". Nature. 416 (6881): 624–6. Bibcode:2002Natur.416..624M. doi:10.1038/416624a. PMID 11948348. S2CID 4386652. Li, W. H.; Gu, Z.; Wang, H.; Nekrutenko, A. (2001). "Evolutionary analyses of the human genome". Nature. 409 (6822): 847–9. Bibcode:2001Natur.409..847G. doi:10.1038/35057039. PMID 11237007. Tan, Y.; Li, W. H. (1999). "Vision: Trichromatic vision in prosimians". Nature. 402 (6757): 36. Bibcode:1999Natur.402...36T. doi:10.1038/46947. PMID 10573416. Shyue, S.; Hewett-Emmett, D.; Sperling, H.; Hunt, D.; Bowmaker, J.; Mollon, J.; Li, W.H. (1995). "Adaptive evolution of color vision genes in higher primates". Science. 269 (5228): 1265–7. Bibcode:1995Sci...269.1265S. doi:10.1126/science.7652574. PMID 7652574. S2CID 25245772. Shimmin, L. C.; Chang, B. H. J.; Li, W. H. (1993). "Male-driven evolution of DNA sequences". Nature. 362 (6422): 745–7. Bibcode:1993Natur.362..745S. doi:10.1038/362745a0. PMID 8469284. S2CID 4345931. Graur, D.; Hide, W. A.; Li, W. H. (1991). "Is the guinea-pig a rodent?". Nature. 351 (6328): 649–52. Bibcode:1991Natur.351..649G. doi:10.1038/351649a0. PMID 2052090. S2CID 4344039. Graur, D. A. N.; Li, W.H. (1991). "Neutral mutation hypothesis test". Nature. 354 (6349): 114–6. Bibcode:1991Natur.354..114G. doi:10.1038/354114e0. PMID 1944591. S2CID 4267912. Wolfe, K. H.; Sharp, P. M.; Li, W. H. (1989). "Mutation rates differ among regions of the mammalian genome". Nature. 337 (6204): 283–5. Bibcode:1989Natur.337..283W. doi:10.1038/337283a0. PMID 2911369. S2CID 4336541. Gouy, M.; Li, W. H. (1989). "Phylogenetic analysis based on rRNA sequences supports the archaebacterial rather than the eocyte tree". Nature. 339 (6220): 145–7. Bibcode:1989Natur.339..145G. doi:10.1038/339145a0. PMID 2497353. S2CID 4315004. Sharp, P.; Shields, D.; Wolfe, K.; Li, W.H. (1989). "Chromosomal location and evolutionary rate variation in enterobacterial genes". Science. 246 (4931): 808–10. Bibcode:1989Sci...246..808S. doi:10.1126/science.2683084. PMID 2683084. Sharp, P. M.; Li, W.H. (1988). "Understanding the origins of AIDS viruses". Nature. 336 (6197): 315. Bibcode:1988Natur.336Q.315S. doi:10.1038/336315a0. PMID 3194016. Li, W. H.; Tanimura, M. (1987). "The molecular clock runs more slowly in man than in apes and monkeys". Nature. 326 (6108): 93–6. Bibcode:1987Natur.326...93L. doi:10.1038/326093a0. PMID 3102974. S2CID 4368098. Li, W. H.; Gojobori, T.; Nei, M. (1981). "Pseudogenes as a paradigm of neutral evolution". Nature. 292 (5820): 237–9. Bibcode:1981Natur.292..237L. doi:10.1038/292237a0. PMID 7254315. S2CID 23519275. Nei, M.; Li, W. H. (1979). "Mathematical model for studying genetic variation in terms of restriction endonucleases". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 76 (10): 5269–73. Bibcode:1979PNAS...76.5269N. doi:10.1073/pnas.76.10.5269. PMC 413122. PMID 291943.

Selected books Li, W.-H. (2006). Molecular Evolution. Sinauer. ISBN 0-87893-480-4. Dan Graur; Wen-Hsiung Li (2000). Fundamentals of Molecular Evolution: Second Edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc. 1st edition. 1991.

References

External links Official research profile Lab web site National Academy of Sciences citation Balzan Foundation profile Archived 2006-08-24 at the Wayback Machine Academia Sinica Archived 2015-02-21 at the Wayback Machine website reference for the HUGO/ "Chen Award" 2008

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wen-Hsiung Li

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wen-Hsiung Li claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wen-Hsiung Li before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wen-Hsiung Li ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wen-Hsiung Li

In research: Wen-Hsiung Li appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wen-Hsiung Li in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wen-Hsiung Li is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1942 births, 21st-century American biologists, American people of Taiwanese descent, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wen-Hsiung Li outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Wen-Hsiung Li in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Wen-Hsiung Li in simple terms?

Why does Wen-Hsiung Li matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wen-Hsiung Li?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wen-Hsiung Li.