Since 2016, the Annual Conference of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) is the premier conference for researchers and students to showcase the research progress in plant sciences, ecology, and conservation biology. This year, the conference took place on December 4-5. 

Principal investigators, senior researchers, early-career researchers and students gathered together to collaborate and learn from each other through oral presentations, poster presentations, networking opportunities, inspiring plenary speeches, and others.  

“2020 has witnessed much progress of XTBG. It has published important research results in such top journals as Science and Cell, and other scientific journals as Nature Plants, New Phytologist, Journal of Ecology, etc. It has also made breakthrough in technology transfer,” said XTBG director Chen Jin at the opening ceremony.

Three plenary presentations, 39 oral presentations by principal investigators, and 28 oral presentations by early-career researchers, and 35 posters made the annual meeting meaningful and attractive. The over 200 participants learned a lot from the presentations and discussions.

On behalf of the two key laboratories and conservation center respectively, Prof. Xing Yaowu, Prof. Chen Jianghua, and Dr. Alice Hughes made plenary presentations on the first day.

XTBG has made milestone breakthrough in research and development of new medicine of diabetes aid sugar management. Prof. Zhang Yumei, the major contributor to this technology transfer, was awarded a prize by Prof. Chen Jin.

This year, the award of best oral presentations went to Dr. Han Xiao and Dr. Tang Mingyong. The best poster presentation prize winners were Dr. Xu Xiaoting and Dr. Song Xiaoyang.

Prof. Chen Jin spoke highly of the annual meeting. He encouraged all participants to make continuous progress on the way of striving for excellence.