EMBO Member

Xiaoqi Feng

Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST), Klosterneuburg | Austria

EMBO 2026

Germline epigenetic reprogramming and inheritance

We study how genetic and epigenetic information is transmitted, reprogrammed, and reset in germ cells. Using plant reproductive systems as a model, we investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying germline epigenetic reprogramming, fertility, and inheritance. Our work also explores how somatic nurse cells communicate with the germline and how environmental experiences shape reproductive outcomes and epigenetic memory across generations.

Keywords: Epigenetics / germline biology / epigenetic reprogramming / epigenetic inheritance / DNA methylation / chromatin / small RNAs / plant reproduction

Subject area(s): Chromatin & Transcription | Development | Plant Biology

Links: orcid.org/0000-0002-4008-1234