Three local scientists win Xplorer Prize

Three professors from Shenzhen were among 49 young scientists honored at the Sixth Xplorer Prize ceremony, held in Shanghai on Saturday.

The awardees are Lu Haizhou and Tan Bin from the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), and Yan Jianbin from the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

Winners of the sixth Xplorer Prize pose for a photo at a ceremony in Shanghai on Saturday. Photos from WeChat account "深圳发布"

Lu, who joined SUSTech in 2015, specializes in quantum mechanics and quantum transport theory. He has received several prestigious honors, including the National Distinguished Young Scientists Fund (2019) and the first prize of the Shenzhen Natural Science Award (2020).

Tan, a tenured professor at SUSTech and associate dean of the School of Science, has been part of the Department of Chemistry since 2012. His research focuses on chiral chemistry, asymmetric multi-component reactions, radical chemistry, and cooperative catalysis, with over 60 high-quality research papers published in these areas.

Yan, a researcher at the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, specializes in plant hormones, jasmonates, and the regulation of plant secondary metabolism.

(From L) Professor Lu Haizhou, Tan Bin and Yan Jianbin. 

According to the award committee, Yan made significant breakthroughs by uncovering key steps in the biosynthetic pathway of paclitaxel, a leading anti-cancer drug. His work includes mapping the genome of the southern red bean tree, identifying enzymes involved in paclitaxel synthesis, and revealing a new regulatory mechanism for the drug’s production. These discoveries have paved the way for China to develop independent production capacity for paclitaxel biosynthesis.

"Receiving this award has provided crucial support for advancing my research on paclitaxel," Yan said in an interview with local media. "The Xplorer Prize also fosters interdisciplinary collaboration. Several awardees and I have already discussed new research directions. When scientists from different fields connect, innovation thrives through deeper, natural exchanges," he added, expressing hope for further progress in the bio-manufacturing of paclitaxel.

The Xplorer Prize is an unofficial, non-profit, scientist-led award launched in 2018 with a 1 billion yuan donation from the Tencent Foundation. It aims to encourage young scientists aged 45 or younger to pursue research in life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and other vital fields.

The prize was co-initiated by 14 renowned scientists, including Yang Chen-Ning, and Tencent founder Ma Huateng, to create a sustainable funding mechanism for basic research talent. Each year, the award honors 50 outstanding scientists, with each winner receiving 3 million yuan over five years to support their work.

This year, the Xplorer Prize marked a milestone with seven female awardees, up from three last year. Notably, three of the six awardees in mathematical physics were women, reflecting increased diversity in the field.

Since its inception, the Xplorer Prize has supported 297 young scientists over the past six years.