1. Introduction to the Research Team
The team has been established as an integrated innovation unit in Yunnan, synergizing scientific research, technological innovation, and industrial applications. Focused on the exploration and utilization of distinctive animal genetic resources, the team aims to address critical challenges in modern animal husbandry, enhance the quality and productivity of livestock products, reduce resource consumption and environmental impacts, and deliver effective solutions for the environmentally sustainable development of the livestock industry. The team is focusing on precision animal nutrition, the mining and utilization of animal genetic resources, and animal welfare. By cultivating innovative talents and facilitating the translation of research outcomes into industrial practices, the team will significantly strengthen the development of biology as a leading academic discipline, thereby driving scientific advancement and technological breakthroughs in the field.
2. Specific Research Directions
2.1 Exploration and Utilization of Animal Genetic Resources
This research direction applies fundamental theories of animal genetics, modern conservation technologies, molecular genetic analysis, gene-editing techniques, and molecular phylogenetics to identify key functional genes that underpin the production of high-quality meat, eggs, and milk in distinct livestock and poultry breeds. The team investigates the biological traits, genetic polymorphisms, and differential expression mechanisms of local breeds, analyze their origin, differentiation, and taxonomic status from the perspective of genetic diversity. They also explore the regulatory mechanisms governing growth, development, and reproduction in these breeds. The findings will establish a theoretical foundation for the conservation and sustainable utilization of animal genetic resources in Yunnan Province.
2.2 Precision Animal Nutrition and Healthy Breeding
Addressing critical challenges, including high mortality rates and excessive drug use in livestock production, this research direction embraces the philosophy that "animal health is cultivated through nutrition." In the era of antibiotic-free feed, the team has established a research platform to investigate the "nutrition-environment-health" interaction mechanisms and their regulation. The team examines the impact of environmental factors on animal behavior, metabolism, immunity, productivity, and product quality, develops precise environmental-nutritional regulation models, and explores dynamic mechanisms of intestinal health and immune homeostasis in young animals and indigenous breeds during critical physiological stages. Targeted nutritional intervention strategies and supporting products are developed, and the effects of dietary fiber, probiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics, and natural plant-derived compounds on animal growth and health are investigated to formulate green feed solutions for sustainable livestock farming.
2.3 Animal Welfare and Smart Farming
This research direction focuses on formulating scientific breeding management standards to safeguard animal welfare, minimize environmental impacts during production, and establish sustainable, efficient livestock systems. It integrates advanced technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI), to optimize breeding environments, monitor animal behavior and health in real time, and develop intelligent decision-making systems. The ultimate goal is to achieve a harmonious balance between productivity, ethical principles, and ecological sustainability.
3. Research Projects
Yunnan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Basic Research Special Program - Key Project. Research on Risk Factor Assessment and Mitigation Strategies for Asian Elephants Based on Gut Microbiota, Project No. 202501AS070053, 500,000 RMB, 2025-03-01 to 2028-02-29.
Yunnan Provincial Agricultural Joint Special Program - Key Project Mechanistic Analysis of Moringa Leaf Dietary Fiber in Regulating Broiler Gut Health via Multi-Omics (Microbiomics and Metabolomics), Project No. 202401BD070001-024, 500,000 RMB, 2024-06-01 to 2027-05-31.
Yunnan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Basic Research Special Program - Key Project. Genetic Regulatory Mechanisms of Tibia Length Trait in Yunlong Dwarf Chickens, Project No. 202501AS070092, 500,000 RMB, 2025-03 to 2028-02.
Yunnan Provincial Department of Education Scientific Research Fund Project, Expression Patterns of tsRNA During Egg-Laying Periods in Hens and Their Regulatory Mechanisms on Egg Production Performance, Project No. 2025J0634, 40,000 RMB, 2025-01-08 to 2027-01-08.
Southwest Forestry University Scientific Research Start-up Fund Project, Investigating the Impact and Mechanisms of Small Non-coding RNAs on Egg-Laying Performance via the "Liver-Blood-Ovary" Axis, 100,000 RMB, 2025-07-01 to 2028-07-01.
Yunnan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration, Wildlife Conservation Project 2025 Forest Musk Deer Monitoring in Yunnan Province, Project No. 2025GS120D-01, 2,400,000 RMB, 2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31, Lead PI.
Yunnan Provincial Agricultural Joint Special Program - General Project Metabolic Pathways and Selenium Deposition Mechanisms of Selenium from Different Sources in Poultry Based on Selenoprotein Analysis, 100,000 RMB, 2025-06-01 to 2028-05-31, Lead PI.
Scientific Research Fund Project of Yunnan Provincial Department of Education, Expression Patterns of tsRNA During Egg-Laying Period in Chickens and Its Regulatory Mechanism on Egg Production Performance, 2025J0634, 40,000 RMB, 2025-01-08 to 2027-01-08, Principal Investigator.
Scientific Research Start-up Fund of Southwest Forestry University, Investigating the Impact and Mechanism of Small Non-coding RNAs on Egg-Laying Performance Based on the "Liver-Blood-Ovary" Axis, 100,000 RMB, 2025-07-01 to 2028-07-01, Principal Investigator.
Yunnan Provincial Department of Education Scientific Research Fund Project Metabolic Mechanisms of Nano-Selenium in Broilers via Targeted Metabolomics Analysis, Project No. 2025J0642, 20,000 RMB, 2025-03-01 to 2027-01-08, Lead PI.
Southwest Forestry University Scientific Research Start-up Fund Project Impact of Nano-Selenium on Broiler Gut Health, 100,000 RMB, 2025-06-01 to 2028-06-01, Lead PI.
4. Team Leader
Aiwei Guo (Professor, [email protected])
5. Team Members
Jielong Zhou (Associate Professor, [email protected])
Fenfen Chen (Associate Professor, fchen03 @sina.com)
Sun Hanqing (Lecturer, [email protected])
Ping Xiao (Lecturer, [email protected]）
Yanhong Chen (Lecturer, [email protected])
6. Selected Publications
[1] Tian SQ, Zhang M, Chen YH, Sun HQ, Li QQ, Yang YJ, Guo AW*. Dietary pea fibre improves obesity, intestinal barrier, reproductive performance, offspring health of parent mice deprived of dietary fibre. Animals, 2025, 15, 655.
[2] Yang YJ, Lei FH, Zhang ZB, Liu LL, Li QQ, Guo AW*. Effects of cassava root meal on the growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, organ and intestinal indices, and slaughter performance of yellow‑feathered broiler chickens. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2024, 56: 274.
[3] Xiao P*, Goodarzi P, Pezeshki A, Hagen DE. RNA-seq reveals insights into molecular mechanisms of metabolic restoration via tryptophan supplementation in low birth weight piglet model. J Anim Sci. 2022, 100(5): 156.
[4] Xiao P*, Zhong T, Liu Z, Ding Y, Guan W, He X, Pu Y, Jiang L, Ma Y, Zhao Q. Integrated Analysis of Methylome and Transcriptome Changes Reveals the Underlying Regulatory Signatures Driving Curly Wool Transformation in Chinese Zhongwei Goats. Front Genet. 2020, 10:1263.
[5] Zhengmiao Ou; Yanyan Shi; Qingqing Li; Yun Wu; Fenfen Chen ; Effects of Sex on the Muscle Development and Meat Composition in Wuliangshan Black-Bone Chickens, Animals, 2022, 12(19): 2565.
[6] Li Jinyan#, Guo Qiang#, Yang Bin, Zhou Jielong*. Combined Analysis of Metabolomics and Transcriptome Revealed the Effect of Bacillus thuringiensis on the 5th Instar Larvae of Dendrolimus kikuchii Matsumura. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2024, 4; 25(21): 11823.
[7] Yu Shuran, Xie Junjin, Guo Qiang, Yan Xia, Wang Yuxiang, Leng Tangjian, Li Lin, Zhou Jielong*, Zhang Wenping*, Su Xiaoyan*. Clostridium butyricum isolated from giant panda can attenuate dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in mice. Frontiers in Microbiology, 2024, 15: 1361945.
[8] Zhou Jielong, Wu Peifu, Xiong Zhongping, Liu Naiyong, Zhao Ning, Ji Mei, Qiu Yu, Yang Bin*. Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly Reveals Significant Gene Expansion in the Toll and IMD Signaling Pathways of Dendrolimus kikuchii. Frontiers in Genetics, 2021, 12, 728418.
[9] Sun HQ, Zhao P, Su Y, et al. Effects of different cage sizes and nest settings on laying hen nesting behavior and the proportion of dirty eggs in furnished cages[J]. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2023, 262: 105917.
[10] Li X, Sun HQ, Zhang L, et al. Effects of age and confinement on pupillary light reflex in sows[J]. Journal of Animal Science, 2019, 97(5): 2009-2014.
[11] Chen YH, Zhang SS, Gao XY, Hao ZQ, Guo YB, Wang YQ*, Yuan JM*. Selenium nanoparticles affect chicken offspring's intestinal health better than other selenium sources. Poultry science, 2024, 103(12): 104367.
[12] Chen YH, Luo CW, Li S, Liu XB, Guo YB, Li YX, Wang YZ*, Yuan JM*. Selenium Nanoparticles Promotes Intestinal Development in Broilers by Inhibiting Intestinal Inflammation and Nlrp3 Signaling Pathway Compared with Other Selenium Sources. Poultry science, 2024, 103(9): 103958,
