Shi Yunyu is in the office. Photo courtesy of respondents
Character business card
Shi Yunyu: Academician of China Academy of Sciences, biophysicist and structural biologist, professor and doctoral supervisor of China University of Science and Technology. Born in Chongqing in April 1942, she was admitted to the Department of Biophysics of the Chinese University of Science and Technology in 1960. Since then, she has formed an indissoluble bond with life science. Over the years, Shi Yunyu has been sticking to the front line of scientific research, using structural biology methods to study the molecular mechanism of gene expression regulation and cell fate determination, and has made many innovative achievements, making contributions to China’s biological nuclear magnetic resonance research in the world.
Dressed in a cloth and with silver hair, Shi Yunyu clicked the mouse neatly in the office, and the three-dimensional structure of protein jumped into his eyes: "The world of biomacromolecules is full of unknowns. We have encountered many difficulties and challenges in the research process, but we must not give up lightly." Shi Yunxi said.
My father’s words and deeds, what he saw and heard on his way to school, let the seeds of scientific research serve the country take root.
Shi Yunyu has always had a scientific research dream! Whether she leaned against her father when she was young, listened to him describe the colorful physical world, or came into contact with the frontier of life science on the long way to school, the idea of serving the country through scientific research always lingered in her mind … …
Shi Yunyu was born in the era of war. The experience of being displaced as a child made her realize that personal destiny is always closely linked with the destiny of the country and the nation. Father Shih-Yuan Sze is a doctor of physics under the guidance of Madame Curie. After graduation, Shih-Yuan Sze, then 25, returned to China to teach and became one of the pioneers of nuclear physics research and higher education in China. In Shi Yunyu’s view, the spirit of serving the country through scientific research is vividly displayed in his father; His words and deeds also inspired Shi Yunyu’s enthusiasm for scientific research.
With a passion for natural science, Shi Yunyu was admitted to China University of Science and Technology in 1960. At that time, biophysics was a new discipline and the education system was not yet mature. "Academician Bei Shizhang, then head of the biophysics department of the Chinese University of Science and Technology, believed that the curriculum should be ‘ Four unlike ’ Let students lay a good foundation in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. " Shi Yunyu said that it is the solid basic course study that lays a solid foundation for his future scientific research work.
In the classroom, the days when scholars such as Qian Xuesen, Hua Luogeng and Yan Jici gave lectures to everyone made her remember vividly … … Shi Yunyu said: "How fortunate to be able to feel the deep patriotic feelings of the older generation of scientists at close range!" In the auditorium, everyone gathered around a black-and-white TV set and rejoiced at the China athletes winning the world table tennis championship. She still can’t forget it: "When I was young, everyone’s enterprising state always inspired me and made me determined to contribute to the construction of the motherland with my own scientific research results."
After graduating from college, Shi Yunyu was first assigned to work in the former Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Health; In 1970, she returned to China University of Science and Technology to teach, and before long, she moved south from Beijing to Hefei, Anhui.
Shi Yunyu undertook the task of relocating instruments and equipment to the south. Together with her colleagues, she moved boxes full of equipment from the teaching building to the station in Beijing, and then moved them from the station to the teaching building … …
Engaged in computer molecular dynamics simulation of biological macromolecules earlier; Leading the establishment of the key laboratory of structural biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences
The southward migration of China University of Science and Technology has gone through hardships, with the loss of scientific research equipment and weak teaching strength … … "Fortunately, the school later took a series of new measures and gradually got on the right track." Shi Yunyu said that the school provided opportunities for young teachers to go abroad for further study, and she became the first young teacher in the Biology Department of the Chinese University of Science and Technology to pass the examination of the Ministry of Education. She went abroad twice for further study, engaged in computational biology research and biological nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy research, and learned the theoretical and experimental methods of studying the structure and function of biological macromolecules with molecular dynamics and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Shi Yunyu said: "The experience of studying abroad has broadened my scientific research horizons and urged me to work harder to acquire knowledge."
In the 1970s, Shi Yunyu and his colleagues were eager to keep up with the pace of international academic circles and carry out cutting-edge research on biomacromolecules in the University of Science and Technology of China, but they lacked funds and instruments. In order to promote the project quickly, Shi Yunyu and his colleagues went all over the library in Shanghai, searched for literature and materials, and racked their brains for two weeks before finishing the application for the National High-tech Research and Development Plan.
At that time, there were three subjects selected by the Biology Department of the Chinese University of Science and Technology, and the "New Technology Research of Molecular Design in protein" which Shi Yunyu was in charge of was one of them. Since then, she began to engage in computer molecular dynamics simulation of biological macromolecules and became one of the pioneers in this field in China. The project "Computer Simulation of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics" led by Shi Yunyu won the second prize of the Natural Science Award of China Academy of Sciences in 1996 and the third prize of the National Natural Science Award in 1999.
In the early 1990s, Shi Yunyu’s laboratory was supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and bought the first 500 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, which can be used for the solution structure of biological macromolecules. However, when the experiment was really carried out, there were still many difficulties … … Her attitude is firm: "scientific research should be devoted, able to withstand loneliness and twists and turns." The research group led by Shi Yunyu analyzed the solution structures of a series of important protein, and revealed the protein interaction and its functional significance. She also led the establishment of the Key Laboratory of Structural Biology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and later became an important part of Hefei National Research Center for Microscale Material Science.
Do popular science for primary and secondary school students, teach basic courses for undergraduates, and train more young scientific research talents.
Shouxian County, Anhui Province, No.1 Middle School. On the stage, Shi Yunyu held a microphone and explained his own experience and knowledge of life science. Under the stage, the students were absorbed and deeply attracted by the biomacromolecule world she described. From the stimulation of scientific interest to the choice of scientific research direction, from laying a solid foundation to the enthusiasm of serving the country, in an hour and a half, Shi Yunyu planted the seeds of science in the hearts of children … …
Although he is 80 years old, Shi Yunyu still walks into primary and secondary schools many times to give lectures on popular science to students. "Being exposed to scientific knowledge since childhood has aroused my curiosity and embarked on the road of scientific research; I also want to pass this enthusiasm on to the children. " Shi Yunyu hopes to open a window of science for children.
Shi Yunyu remembers: In 2019, at Huangtugang Town Central Primary School in Macheng, Hubei Province, she gave a popular science class on "Hemoglobin and Hemoglobin Diseases" to children in Dabie Mountains. Her classmates’ eyes are full of thirst for scientific knowledge, which deeply touched her, so she likes to go out of campus and go to the mountains … …
In the College of Life Sciences of the Chinese University of Science and Technology, in order to strengthen the basic education of undergraduates, Shi Yunyu insisted on giving general biology classes to freshmen for many years. Shi Yunyu said that for interdisciplinary subjects, basic courses are very important. "Teaching is the bounden duty of teachers, and I want to train more talents for science." As the first dean of the School of Life Sciences of the Chinese University of Science and Technology, together with her colleagues, she took the lead in establishing a complete teaching system of structural biology and computational biology in the Chinese University of Science and Technology, and specially invited experts from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to teach students and trained a group of young academic leaders working in interdisciplinary fields such as computational biology and structural biology.
Today, with her silver hair, she still rushes to work in the laboratory every day. In school, when she meets Shi Yunyu, the students always call her "Grandma Shi" in a friendly way. At present, "Grandma Shi" has begun to study the structure of protein related to aging and degenerative diseases and the molecular and cellular mechanism of diseases. In addition, she is actively promoting the research of artificial intelligence and biomedicine. She believes that every new field has a lot of knowledge to learn, and the happiness of mountaineering is not only the moment when you reach the top of the mountain, but also in the process of continuous climbing.
■ Reporter’s Notes
Research never stops, only lifelong learning.
During the interview, Shi Yunyu was full of interest when he mentioned the frontier development in the field of life sciences … … At the age of 80, she is willing to study with young people while cultivating scientific research talents. In Shi Yunyu’s view, being able to explore the mysteries of the biomacromolecule world with students is both happy and fulfilling. Young people always learn new things faster, and they can experience the taste of being a student when they meet something she doesn’t quite understand.
Life science is closely related to population health, medicine and ecology, and the life world is full of many unsolved scientific problems. For Shi Yunyu, research never stops, only lifelong learning. It is countless scientists, like her, who keep their enthusiasm for learning and keep climbing up, which makes scientific research full of vitality … …