Late leading Chinese geneticist Tan Jiazhen honored as scientist of the month

Thirty people who share their birthday with the esteemed Chinese scientist Tan Jiazhen have gathered at the Shanghai Natural History Museum for a special celebration.

Tan Jiazhen (born September 15, 1909, died November 1, 2008) is a towering figure in modern genetics in China. He established the country's first genetics department, research institute, and life sciences college, and introduced the term "gene" to the Chinese language.

This month, Tan was honored as the "Scientist of the Month" by the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, which oversees the natural history museum. The "Scientist of the Month" initiative, started in 2019, highlights outstanding scientists and promotes science education.

Ni Minjing, director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, emphasized Tan's lasting impact on the natural history museum.

"Tan officially became the museum's director in 1983, but his contributions started much earlier," Ni said. "He supported the museum from its founding in 1956 and was crucial in its growth and research advancements."

At the event, He Zuhua, winner of the "Tan Jiazhen Life Science Award," gave birthday cards, personalized gifts, and best wishes to the attendees.

He, a researcher at the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also delivered a talk on the importance of crop disease resistance for food security.

He shared his 40-year journey in field and lab research, which led to discovering broad-spectrum disease-resistant genes for rice, tackling the serious issue of rice blast disease, often called "rice cancer."

On September 14, the natural history museum teamed up with Shanghai Jiao Tong University for an exciting science event.

The day was packed with expert talks, a science fair, interactive science shows, and engaging discussions, offering a feast of knowledge and inspiration for everyone.

The event featured talks from Jin Shi, director of the university's Institute of Natural Sciences, and Professor Yan Junchi from the university's Artificial Intelligence Institute. Each shared their insights on artificial intelligence, one of today's hottest topics.

Retired Olympic champion shooter Tao Luna also joined the festivities. She discussed how technology is transforming sports and how AI is shaping the future of athletic training and talent selection.

The event was part of the National Science Popularization Day celebrations, a nationwide campaign running from September 15 to 25 that honors and promotes science education.