[Speaking of struggling youth]
In recent years, Hainan Province has unswervingly accelerated the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics, vigorously developed the "four leading industries", carefully cultivated the "three future industries", and continuously consolidated the foundation of the real economy, forming a more reasonable structure, more stable support, A modern industrial system with stronger competitiveness and better efficiency.
In the future, Hainan will be based on the national strategy, give full play to its resource advantages, focus on "specialization, specialization and innovation", fight a tough battle of scientific and technological innovation with extraordinary efforts, and comprehensively promote the construction of an innovative province.
"Tropical crop industry innovation is an important basis for improving the quality and efficiency of tropical crops with high-efficiency agriculture, and research on tropical crops is promising!" On July 27, researcher Hu Wei, director of the Big Data Center for Tropical Bioomics, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, told a reporter from Science and Technology Daily. .
Although Hu Wei from Shaanxi has not completed his Ph.D. for 10 years, his research time on the genome and genetic improvement of tropical crops is almost 20 years.
During this period, he has always maintained his love and persistence in his profession.
Drawing a blueprint for genetic improvement of hot crops based on genomics technology
Banana and cassava, as two important crops representing the tropical regions of the world, play a vital role in solving the world food crisis.
However, banana and cassava, as the pillar industries of my country's tropical agriculture, still have huge space for the utilization of germplasm resources and variety improvement.
"Insufficient evaluation and utilization of germplasm resources, unclear formation mechanism of excellent traits, and lagging breeding technology have seriously restricted the high-quality production of bananas and cassava in my country and the world." Hu Wei said, "Taking bananas as an example, we need to Find out what the background of banana germplasm resources is, how bananas are ripe and how they are sweetened and other scientific issues.”
Basic frontier research is the source of scientific and technological innovation.
In order to gain an advantage in the international competition in the genomics research of tropical crops such as bananas and cassava, Hu Wei led the scientific research team to take the initiative and insist on striving in the front line of scientific research.
"We have drawn a blueprint for the genetic improvement of tropical crops based on genomics technology for the future." Hu Wei led the team to aim at the practical needs of variety improvement and explore to solve technical problems from the root.
Overcome one problem after another with firm belief and pursuit of excellence
In the eyes of the team members, Hu Wei is a good teacher, a good colleague, and a good leader who is willing to sit on the bench, take the initiative, lead by example, love his post, and be dedicated to his work.
It is based on this firm belief and the spirit of pursuing excellence that the team he led has overcome one problem after another.
In recent years, Hu Wei's team has constructed high-quality reference genomes of banana and cassava and the largest population variation map in the world, accurately identified the genetic diversity and transmission history of banana and cassava populations, and revealed the balance between cassava yield and disease resistance. Genetic mechanism, unearthed a batch of excellent genetic resources, screened and created more than 1,000 excellent genetic materials, and laid a foundation for the efficient utilization of banana and cassava germplasm resources.
A series of basic research results obtained by Hu Wei's team have not only been written into more than 100 papers and published in various academic journals, but also received a number of scientific and technological awards from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Hainan Province, for the team's future creation based on molecular design. New germplasm and cultivation of new varieties have opened up a broader business space.
Hu Wei also shoulders two important responsibilities - Deputy Director of the Key Laboratory of Tropical Crop Biology and Genetic Resources Utilization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Agricultural Biological Resources Protection and Utilization.
At present, in the period of high-standard construction and high-quality development opportunities in Nanfan Silicon Valley, scientific research teams from all over the country gather in Hainan to jointly tackle the "chips" of the seed industry.
Hu Wei told reporters: "Our team settled in Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City in October 2020, and undertook 'material screening and gene mining of abiotic and biotic stress of major southern crops and characteristic cash crops' in Yazhou, Sanya. Bay Technology City project, I hope we can play a role in the construction of Nanfan Silicon Valley and realize value.”