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IHB Professor Selected into New Century Talents Project

 
Certificate issued to Prof. XU Xudong for being selected into the "New Century Talents Project”
Prof. XU Xudong, deputy director of Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IHB), has been selected into the national "New Century Talents Project”, a key national plan aiming at cultivating young academic and scientific leading personnel with expertise in the fields which are badly needed by the key disciplines, key laboratories, engineering research centers and open laboratories of China.

Prof. Xu obtained his doctoral degree at IHB in 1991, worked at Shandong Institute of Parasitic Diseases for 3 years and acted as a postdoctoral research associate at Michigan State University for 5 years. Xu returned to China in 1999. He was subsequently honored the Government Award for Science and Technology Progress in Shandong Province (first class, 1993), China National Science and Technology Awards for Younger People in 1994 and National Funds for Distinguished Younger Scientists in 2008.

Prof. Xu has been systematically conducting research on the differentiation of cyanobacterial cells. He identified several genes involved in differentiation and pattern formation of the specialized nitrogen-fixing cells called heterocysts. He studied gene regulatory relationships, obtained genetic evidence for the transition of cell division state, thus greatly enriched recent understanding of gene regulatory network involved in heterocyst differentiation.

Prof. Xu and his colleagues also conducted research on the molecular mechanism of overwintering cyanobacteria. They found that unicellular cyanobacteria in temperate regions may survive the chill-light conditions in winter by ‘acquired chill-light tolerance’ (ACLT) (J Bacteriol, 190:1554-1560). Besides, they proved that alpha-vitamin E is a necessity in the acquisition of chill-light tolerance. Most of Prof. Xu’s research achievements have been published on the leading primary journals in microbiology, such as Molecular Microbiology and Journal of Bacteriology.

The lists of members who have been selected into the project are jointly issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ministry ofFinance, National Development and Reform Commission, National Natural Science Foundation and Science and Technology Association of China.