Meng-Chen Yu
Meng-Chen Yu
Ph.D., M.S.
Postdoctoral Associate
School: Milken Institute School of Public Health
Department: Biostatistics and Bioinformatics
Contact:
Email:
Meng-Chen Yu
Science & Engineering Hall
800 22nd Street, NW
Washington DC 20052
Dr. Yu is a marine biologist with a passion for coral reef ecosystems, specializing in aquaculture systems, symbiosis, and larval biology. Her research explores microbial applications in aquaculture, barnacle taxonomy, sponge symbiosis, and the fascinating interactions within coral reef communities. She investigates the complex relationships between marine organisms, particularly how barnacles, sponges, and their symbiotic microbiomes co-evolve. Dr. Yu has developed new methods for collecting and cultivating marine symbionts and uses EcoEvoDevo approaches to study larval behaviors like swimming and phototaxis. Her work on larval metamorphosis and gene regulation helps deepen our understanding of how these processes shape coral reef biodiversity.
2025- Postdoctoral Fellow, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, USA
2023-2025 Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan.
2021-2022 Postdoctoral Scholar, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taiwan.
2020, Ph.D. Biology. National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan. Best Doctoral Dissertation Award
2012, M.S. Biology. Da-Yeh University, Taiwan. Thesis Prize Award
2010, B.S. Biology. Da-Yeh University, Taiwan.
1. Yu M.-C., Ganmanee M., Tsao Y.-F., and Chan B.K.K. 2023. Genetic differentiation and host usage of coral and fire coral-associated barnacles (Cirripedia: Pyrgomatinae and Wanellininae) across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 199, 871–881. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad072
2. Kolbasov G.A., Savchenko A.S., Yu M.-C., Tsao Y.-F., Ganmanee M., and Chan B.K.K. 2023. Integrative taxonomy, larval biology and functional morphology of the little known gall-forming coral endoparasite Petrarca (Thecostraca: Ascothoracida). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 198, 767–801. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad009
3. Fu C.-W., Lin Y.-C., Chao C.-H., Huang Y.-L., Chiou S.-F., Wang L.-C., Chang H.-W., Chen, S.-L., Wang H.-C., Yu M.-C., Huang H.-C., and Sheu J.-H. 2023. Nakamusines A−C, new 9-methyladeninium diterpenoid alkaloids from a Formosan marine sponge Agelas nakamurai. Tetrahedron, 103, 133745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tet.2023.133745
4. Lin Y.-C., Chao C.-H., Fu C.-W., Chiou S.-F., Huang T.-Y., Yang Y.-J., Wu S.-H., Chen S.-L., Wang H.-C., Yu M.-C., Huang H.-C. and Sheu J.-H. 2022. Computationally assisted structure elucidation of new 2- guanidinoethanesulfonyl sesquiterpenoid alkaloids: Agelasidines G–I from the marine sponge Agelas nakamurai. Tetrahedron, 133077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tet.2022.133077
5. Fu C.-W., Lin Y.-C., Chiou S.-F., Huang T.-Y., Yang Y.-J., Wu S.-H., Chen S.-L., Lin C.-C., Yu M.-C., and Sheu J.-H. 2022. 2-Guanidinoethanesulfonyl Sesquiterpenes from the Marine Sponge Agelas nakamurai. Tetrahedron Letters, 103, 153964. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tetlet.2022.153964
6. Yu M.-C., Dreyer N., Kolbasov G.A., Høeg J.T., and Chan B.K.K. 2020. Sponge symbiosis is facilitated by adaptive evolution of larval sensory and attachment structures in barnacles. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 287, 20200300. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.0300
7. Yu M.-C., Kolbasov G.A., Chan B.K.K. and Ganmanee M. 2020. Biodiversity and host usage of sponge- associated barnacles (Cirripedia: Thoracica) in Thailand. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 40, 839-865. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcbiol/ruaa080
8. Yu M.-C., Yorisue T., Kolbasov G.A., Chan B.K.K. 2020. A new species of sponge-inhabiting barnacle Neoacasta (Archaeobalanidae, Acastinae) in Kyushu, Japan. Crustaceana. 93, 1515-1532. [In the memory of carcinologist Prof. Liu Ruiyu]. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685403-bja10087
9. Dreyer N., Zardus J.D., Høeg J.T., Olesen J., Yu M.-C. and Chan B.K.K. 2020. How whale and dolphin barnacles attach to their hosts and the paradox of remarkably versatile attachment structures in cypris larvae. Organisms Diversity & Evolution, 20: 233-249. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-020-00434-3
10. Yu M.-C., Kolbasov G.A., Høeg J.T., and Chan B.K.K. 2019. Crustacean-sponge symbiosis: collecting and maintaining sponge-inhabiting barnacles (Cirripedia: Thoracica: Acastinae) for studies on host specificity and larval biology. Journal of Crustacean Biology, 39, 522-532.
https://doi.org/10.1093/jcbiol/ruz025
11. Yu M.-C., Chan B.K.K., Achituv Y., and Kolbasov G.A. 2017. Four new sponge-inhabiting barnacles of the genus Acasta (Thoracica: Archaeobalanidae: Acastinae) from the Indo-Pacific. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 65, 585-615. http://zoobank.org/References/6D4EE4A2-C237-4338-AE8F-77C4F2292B2D
12. Yu M.-C., Kolbasov G.A., Hosie A.M., Lee T.-M., and Chan B.K.K. 2017. Descriptions of four new sponge inhabiting barnacles (Thoracica: Archaeobalanidae: Acastinae). Zootaxa, 4277, 151-198. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4277.2.1
13. Yu M.-C., Kolbasov G.A., and Chan B.K.K. 2016. A new species of sponge inhabiting barnacle Bryozobia (Archaeobalanidae, Bryozobiinae) in the West Pacific. ZooKeys, 571, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.571.6894
Ecology, Symbiosis, Co-Evolution, Co-Phylogeny and Larval Behaviors
2021-2022, Regular Postdoctoral Scholar, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
2021, Best Doctoral Dissertation Award, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan
2019, Oral Presentation Award, The Crustacean Society, USA
2019, Oral Presentation Award, Academia Sinica, National Sun Yat-sen University and National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan
2019, Research Fellowship, The Crustacean Society, USA
2018, Student Travel Award, The Crustacean Society, USA
2018, Travel Grants for Young Scholars, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
2015-2019, Travel Grants, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan
2012-2014, Ph.D. Scholarship, National Sun Yat-sen University and Academia Sinica, Taiwan
2012, Thesis Prize Award, Chinese Innovation & Invention Society, Taiwan
2011, Best Student Poster Award, The Fisheries of Society of Taiwan