ECR Spotlight – Yang-Yang Guo Free

Yang-Yang Guo

How did you become interested in biology?

I am Chinese, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitutes an important component of our healthcare system. When I was young, I witnessed a TCM doctor using different herbal combinations to regulate patients' body temperature and energy metabolism, thereby curing their illnesses. This experience left a deep impression on me, sparking my curiosity about how such a method works. This might be the starting point of my focus on body temperature and energy metabolism. During my master's degree studies, I systematically studied physiology and ecology, but this knowledge was insufficient to answer the questions in my mind. It wasn't until a chance encounter that I read a scientist's blog, whose research deeply intrigued me. Fortunately, he later became my PhD supervisor. Under his meticulous guidance, I truly developed a profound interest in biology and began to delve into scientific questions related to thermoregulation and energy metabolism. To this day, thermoregulation and energy metabolism remain the most important focus of my research work.

Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus

My scientific journey began with an exploration of the function and physiological significance of brown adipose tissue (BAT). During my doctoral studies at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, my primary research objective focused on elucidating structural and functional changes in BAT in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) during heat acclimation. While this species exhibits a high degree of tolerance to heat, the underlying physiological mechanisms remained unclear. Building on my initial findings, I sought to understand how these animals maintain a stable body temperature during heat adaptation and identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving the remodeling of metabolic thermogenesis. After completing my PhD, I joined Qufu Normal University, where I engaged in research and teaching related to animal physiological ecology. Currently, my research focus is on the survival and adaptation mechanisms of desert rodents in high-temperature environments under climate change. I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with researchers from across the globe on scientific questions in this field, and I welcome foreign friends to engage in academic exchanges in China.

How would you explain the main findings of your paper to a member of the public?

Think of a tiny desert rodent living in a place where summer days are blazing hot and autumn nights turn freezing. To survive, it uses two strategies: changing its daily routine and adjusting its body's inner workings. Our study reveals how these animals juggle these survival tricks across seasons. In summer, they dodge the deadly daytime heat by hiding underground and only venturing out for a few hours after midnight. It's like avoiding a scorching oven by only stepping outside when the temperature drops. But when autumn arrives with its icy nights, simply shifting their schedule isn't enough. Their bodies quietly ramp up a hidden heating system – a special tissue that burns energy to generate warmth. Even though they're active during chilly autumn nights, their bodies work overtime behind the scenes to keep them alive. These rodents cleverly outsmart summer heat with smart timing, but autumn's cold forces their bodies to switch on a survival heater. It shows how extreme weather pushes animals to use both their brains and their biology to stay alive.

Why did you choose JEB to publish your paper?

JEB is the leading journal in comparative animal physiology and biomechanics, placing a strong emphasis on elucidating mechanism and understanding physiological processes, responses to stressors and adaptation to diverse environments. My research interests are highly congruent with the journal's focus areas. Moreover, JEB enjoys an excellent academic reputation among the researchers I collaborate with and admire. Notably, during my PhD studies, many members of our laboratory published their work in this journal, which not only highlighted its standing in our field but also exposed me early to its high-quality content. Importantly, numerous research articles in JEB have been instrumental in shaping my own scientific investigations, providing both theoretical insights and methodological guidance that have significantly influenced my work.

What do you enjoy most about research, and why?

I most enjoy observing animal behavior in the wild. Perhaps this is driven by my love for nature, curiosity about how animals survive, and the immersive focus and freedom felt in the outdoors. Modern technologies like drones, thermal imaging cameras and high-speed cameras, combined with advanced behavioral analysis methods, allow us to record animal actions with greater precision while reducing human disturbance. This enables detailed studies of wild animals' survival and adaptation strategies in their natural habitats, revealing their intrinsic behaviors without interference. Such observations deepen both scientific understanding and my personal connection to the natural world.

What is your favourite animal, and why?

My favourite animal is the Mongolian gerbil, a species I have studied the longest. My research on it spans from the molecular level to the integrated physiology of the whole animal, and it has accompanied me through many wonderful moments in my scientific journey. This species is particularly intriguing because of its unique physiological traits, such as an exceptional tolerance to high temperatures. Its thermoneutral zone – the range of environmental temperatures where resting metabolic rate is lowest – falls between 26.5 and 38.9°C. Mongolian gerbils primarily adapt to long-term heat by reducing their basal metabolic rate, yet the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. These fascinating characteristics continue to draw me to this remarkable species.