Christopher Wheat

Christopher Wheat

Stockholm University

Keywords
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Key Publications

Tunström, K., Woronik, A., Hanly, J.J., Rastas, P., Chichvarkhin, A., Warren, A.D., Kawahara, A.Y., Schoville, S.D., Ficarrotta, V., Porter, A.H., Watt, W.B., Martin, A., Wheat, C.W., 2023.
Evidence for a single, ancient origin of a genus-wide alternative life history strategy.
Science Advances 9, eabq3713. (https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq3713)

Willink, B., Tunström, K., Nilén, S., Chikhi, R., Lemane, T., Takahashi, M., Takahashi, Y., Svensson, E.I., Wheat, C.W., 2023.
The genomics and evolution of inter-sexual mimicry and female-limited polymorphisms in damselflies.
Nat Ecol Evol 1–15. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02243-1)

Okamura, Y., Dort, H., Reichelt, M., Tunström, K., Wheat, C.W., Vogel, H., 2022.
Testing hypotheses of a coevolutionary key innovation reveals a complex suite of traits involved in defusing the mustard oil bomb.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 119, e2208447119. (https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2208447119)

Steward, R.A., de Jong, M.A., Oostra, V., Wheat, C.W., 2022.
Alternative splicing in seasonal plasticity and the potential for adaptation to environmental change.
Nat Commun 13, 755. (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28306-8)

SciLifeLab / Contact / Christopher Wheat

Our group investigates fundamental questions in ecology and evolutionary biology using a range of species and methods. While we primarily work upon butterflies, we also have collaborations with people working on mussels, dragonflies, beetles and fish. Although we extensively use OMICS data (whole genome sequencing, RNA-seq, snRNAseq, metabolomics, miRNAseq, etc.), we also use butterfly nets, respirometers, and lots of butterfly cages. Our goal is to use genomic approaches (comparative genomics, transcriptomics, population genomics, GWAS) to identify candidate loci of adaptive importance, and then test these hypotheses using triangulation and functional validation (CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis).

LepEU co-organizer (https://lepeu.github.io/)
10kLepGenomes COST Action WG4 Lead (https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23122/)
Associate Editor at Genome Biology and Evolution
SciLifeLab Group Leader
SciLifeLab Planetary Biology Ambassador

Group Members:

Saurav Baral
Brenda Medina
Sridhar Halali
Zachary Nolan

Last updated: 2025-10-15

Content Responsible: Hampus Pehrsson Ternström(hampus.persson@scilifelab.uu.se)