After evaluation by Yunnan Department of Science & Technology, the team headed up by Prof. Yu Diqiu of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) has been awarded the title of Yunnan Innovation Team”. The title is awarded in recognition of the accomplishments of their work over the past three years.

The team of molecular mechanism of interactions between plants and environmental factors, with Prof. Yu Diqiu as principal investigator, has been conferred certificate and plate of Yunnan Innovation Team.

The research team is composed of Yu Diqiu, Xu Peng, Hu Yanru, Chen Ligang, Liang Gang, Jiang Yanjuan, and Chen Jianghua.

Over the past three years, the research team focused on the interactions between plants and environmental stress factors. They tried to reveal the molecular mechanisms of 1) how plants adopt to multiple stress conditions (e.g. drought, heat and cold) at the same time; 2) how multiple signals or proteins coordinate to modulate various stress responses; 3) how plants balance growth or development and stress tolerance.

The research team got 32 papers published in such top journals as Plant Cell, Molecular Plant, Plant Physiology, Plant Journal, and Journal of Experimental Botany. They also jointly applied for one patent, and bred new agricultural cultivars. A batch of young researchers has been promoted.

The innovation team awards are the province’s way of fostering top talent and encouraging ongoing scientific innovation. The awards provide incentive for young scientists to work hard, and promote innovation in science that benefits industry and improves Yunnan’s economic competitiveness.