School of Science SURF project teams win top honors!

31 Oct 2024

Recently, the 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University concluded with a showcase of achievements. Two teams from the School of Science, led by Dr Yongtao Zhu from the Department of Biological Sciences and Dr Yaoqi Li from the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, won the first and third prizes respectively.

Professor John Moraros, Dean of the School of Science stated: “These major awards help highlight the outstanding potential of our undergraduate students to conduct high quality scientific research under the expert and caring mentorship of our world renowned faculty. Our School of Science and XJTLU are committed to supporting intellectual curiosity, facilitating scientific discovery and preparing the next generation of scholars and leaders.”

Yukun Jiang on the left, Yuying Xun in the center

Group photo in University SURF Award Ceremony

Right 2 is Xiaoye Pan, Right 3 is Kehua Chen, Right 4 is Yuxuan Bao

What did the winning team projects focus on? What did they gain from participating in SURF? Let's listen to what the students and teachers have to share.
1st Prize-Design of Genetic Tools for Precise Regulation of Bacteroidetes Biosynthetic Pathways
The team guided by Dr Yongtao Zhu focused on developing genetic tools to precisely regulate the biosynthetic pathways of two environmental bacteria— Flavobacterium sp. and Chitinophaga sp.“Many current treatments for infectious diseases in humans and animals rely on antibiotics, but their effectiveness is waning, and they pose environmental challenges. This research opens up possibilities for discovering and utilizing new antimicrobial compounds produced by certain bacteria, which differ from traditional antibiotics, are less likely to cause resistance, and hold greater potential for killing pathogens,” said Dr Zhu.

From left to right: Dr Yongtao Zhu, Yuetong Wang, Junqi Qian, Yukun Jiang, Yuying Xun

(the other two members of the team Pengbo Ji and Zio Wei are not present in the photo)

The team's research discovered that these two environmental bacteria produce antimicrobial compounds capable of inhibiting or killing certain animal pathogens. Moreover, they successfully developed genetic tools to regulate the expression of gene clusters in these bacteria. According to Dr. Zhu, this lays the foundation for further exploration of these bacteria’s antimicrobial properties and their potential use in treating specific diseases.

Team member Yuying Xun, a Pharmaceutical Sciences major, explained, “There are many gene clusters in Bacteroides with significant potential, but their functions remain underutilized due to the lack of precise gene-editing tools. One of our project's goals was to develop a gene-editing system for these bacteria that allows for precise control of gene insertions and deletions.”

Reflecting on the SURF experience, Yuying said, “On the one hand, I’ve had the privilege of working with an excellent advisor and supportive teammates, and the collaborative process has been even more valuable than the research outcomes themselves. On the other, from an academic perspective, this experience has allowed me to truly integrate and apply the knowledge I’ve acquired and gradually I understand every step of the research process. The journey has been incredibly rewarding.”

Yukun Jiang, a Y1 Biological Sciences student, shared her experience: “I have never entered the biology lab and done experiments before joining in the SURF program. It’s the SURF program that helps me evolve from a lab newcomer to a student who has basic understanding of experiment and research. What’s more, I become more willing to read papers, because I come to realize the structure of the paragraphs gradually.”

3rd Prize-Weed Management in Organic Rice Farmland: Ecological Insights and Sustainable Practices
Dr Yaoqi Li's team offered students valuable fieldwork experience, helping them better understand the growth cycle of rice and the dynamics of weeds, while exploring ways to optimize weed management strategies. Their research focused on effective weed control strategies in agricultural ecosystems, conducting a two-factor block experiment in an organic farmland at Yuefengdao Ecology Station in Kunshan. By sampling and measuring in the field, they studied the effects of different weeding intensities and timings on rice growth and yield.“Farmlands are artificial ecosystems with high input but low species diversity. Rice compete for sunlight and nutrients with surrounding weeds. Through conducting field work and investigating functional traits of rice and weeds, we aim to identify the key moments and thresholds for manual weeding in organic rice field, recognize dominant weeds, and access their impacts. This will help us to enhance both diversity and stability in farmland systems while reducing yield loss and managing labor costs,” said Dr Li.

Group photo of SURF students after School of Science SURF Poster Fair. From left to right:

Yanchen Ma, Yuxuan Bao, Yuqian Zhou, Kehua Chen an Xiaoye Pan

Team leader Yuqian Zhou, a Y4 Environmental Science student, explained that in agricultural ecosystems, crops compete with surrounding weeds for sunlight, water, and nutrients. Although weeds could reduce crop yields, they also provide ecological benefits to the agricultural ecosystem, such as enhancing biodiversity. A suitable weed management strategy can help balance crop yield, weeding costs, and ecological benefits.

The team conducted field experiments from June to August, measuring rice growth data under different weeding treatments, and collected information on typical weeds in Suzhou to compile a weed identification guide. They also built a trait dataset for both weeds and rice. The team hopes their research will provide farmers with sustainable planting strategies that balance ecological and economic benefits.

Group photo after setting the experiment plots in the rice paddy From left to right, Yixuan Ding (master student), 

Xiaoye Pan, Yuxuan Bao, Yuqian Zhou, and Kehua Chen (Four SURF students)

Team members Yuxuan Bao and Yanchen Ma, Y2 Environmental Science students, shared their insights. “During the project, I gained knowledge about rice cultivation and weed competition, and I learned how to process data related to rice growth characteristics. I also became aware of the importance of rigorous data handling and the significance of teamwork during field experiments,” said Yuxuan.

“The greatest surprise that participating in SURF brought me was the sense of exploration. At an age where everything is still unknown, exploration is undoubtedly one of the most important things. The SURF project I participated in allowed me to resonate with nature and feel in tune with the pulse of the world,” added fellow team member Yancheng.

Through the SURF project, students not only apply theoretical knowledge to practical research but also delve deeper into the mysteries of science under the guidance of their supervisors. This experience helps to foster problem-solving skills, teamwork spirit, and lays a solid foundation for their future research endeavours.

By Luyao

New media、translation: Luyao

Photos material:Dr Yongtao Zhu、Dr Yaoqi Li

Review:Professor John Moraros、Dr Yongtao Zhu、Dr Yaoqi Li

31 Oct 2024