Looking at China in the first year of 2020 - The tide surges in Jingchu | They are the most worthy stars to follow

Jimu News reporter Zhang Ping Li Wanrong

During the National Day holiday, the Hubei Wuchang Fish Industry Research Institute in Ezhou, Hubei Province was still busy. Professor Gao Zexia of Huazhong Agricultural University and scientific researchers stayed by the pond. The National Day is a key window for observing germplasm traits. Scientific researchers continue to record the growth status of the F5 generation spineless Wuchang fish and are accumulating data for the next step of large-scale promotion.

On January 4 this year, at the Hubei Science and Technology Innovation Conference held on the first working day of the new year, Gao Zexia and other 12 "stars of science" walked on the 100-meter red carpet of the Hongshan Auditorium. Primary school students held bouquets, young scientific and technological workers waved flags, and the audience applauded for the researchers who walked out of the laboratory.

On the red carpet, the power of youth shines brightly. Gao Zexia smiled confidently. She led the team to cultivate the world's first Wuchang carp and grass carp without intermuscular spines, which solved the problem of fish's small spines getting stuck in the throat, making it possible to "eat fish in big mouths". "We young scientists are particularly happy in Hubei," Gao Zexia couldn't hide her excitement at the scene. "Here is fertile soil, fine rain and dew, and warm sunshine. It has built an innovation ecosystem that we can persist in for a long time, helping our results move from the laboratory to industry."

Hubei has been laying out a red carpet for scientists for seven years. At the closing ceremony of the National Science and Technology Activity Week in August 2020, 17 anti-epidemic scientific research pioneers set foot on the exclusive red carpet for the first time; on the red carpet in 2021, the 88-year-old Academician Pan Yuan made the finale; this year's Science Star team also welcomed three "post-80s". The red carpet has been extended year by year, and society's respect for scientific researchers has become stronger.

A tribute that has persisted for seven years is behind Jingchu Dadi’s deep understanding of the value of innovation. Hubei's admiration for scientists has never been about pursuing glamorous titles, but to pay tribute to a spirit rooted in the earth: transforming laboratory results into industrial breakthroughs, and turning theories in books into a force that protects mountains and rivers and benefits people's livelihood.

Some people look up to the deep sky and polish materials for on-site construction on the moon; some overlook the earth and use domestic satellites to remotely sense the land and prevent disasters; some are deeply involved in chip manufacturing and tackle the problem of "stuck necks" with nanoscale equipment; some dive into rivers to protect the diversity of aquatic life in the Yangtze River; some are stationed in deep mountains to use technology to early warn of geological disasters; some challenge deep-sea tunnels to lay a solid technical foundation for future cross-sea passages. Their fields are different, but they jointly practice "writing thesis on the motherland".

This is the unique answer to "chasing stars" in the land of Jingchu. On the red carpet of the Hongshan Auditorium, children tiptoed to send flowers; in the classroom of Wuhan University, young students looked up to the academicians. The red carpet is not only a ceremony, but also a kind of inheritance: using a tribute visible to the whole society to plant the seeds of science in the hearts of young people.

The real "top class" is not in the hot search list, but in Changming's laboratory lighting, field test bases, and frontline sites in rivers and mountains. The stars worthy of our pursuit today are those who shed starlight on the world.

The scientific starry sky of Jingchu land is full of stars shining. Hubei currently has 93 academicians of the two academies, with 11 new academicians expected to be added in 2025, setting a record high. The province has more than 130 universities and 415,000 R&D personnel. National laboratories have achieved zero breakthroughs, and 8 large scientific installations, 45 national key laboratories, and 547 new R&D institutions have been launched one after another.

From the "star chasing" who applauds scientists to the "star making" who continuously cultivates scientific research talents, scientific stars gather one after another and become a beam of light that illuminates "Why China?"

Because there is always a group of people who shed starlight on the world, China has the confidence to look up at the stars and travel to distant places.

Rivers guard this heart, we chase this star

Jimu News Commentator Cheng Manshi

People always ask, what kind of star should we chase today?

During the National Day, Ezhou pondside. Professor Gao Zexia squatted by the pond and recorded the growth data of the F5 generation spineless Wuchang fish. She has been guarding a fish for more than ten years.

Wuchang fish, whose scientific name is Tuantou bream, is famous all over the world because Mao Zedong "only drank Changsha water and ate Wuchang fish". But there are more than 120 intermuscular spines hidden in the body of an adult Wuchang fish, which are as thin as hair and have numerous throat obstructions.

Since 2012, Gao Zexia's team has gone through thousands of experiments among nearly 120 candidate genes, and has taken the lead in identifying the main gene for intermuscular spines, runx2b. After precise knockout, the intermuscular spines are completely missing, and the edible rate of fish meat has been increased from 68% to 92%, while the flavor remains unchanged. F1 to F5 are screened from generation to generation to ensure the stable inheritance of thornless traits.

Ten years of nitpicking, a "switch". What's behind this?

It is the innocent heart of serving the country - making the Chinese table less thorny; it is the awe of respecting the rules - going through thousands of experiments without skipping any step; it is the perseverance of working hard for a long time - after seven years of verification, some people say forget about being a "fish with less spines", she said "it makes sense to have no intermuscular spines at all"; it is the empathy of protecting people's livelihood - making the elderly and children no longer worried about eating fish.

These four hearts are connected with the six dimensions of the scientist’s spirit. Patriotism, innovation, truth-seeking, dedication, collaboration, educating people - patriotism is the background, innovation is the pursuit, truth-seeking is the foundation, dedication is the choice, collaboration is the method, and educating people is the continuation.

Two thousand and four hundred years ago, Zeng Houyi’s chimes rewrote the history of world music with the miracle of “one bell with two tones”. Thousands of years ago, Bi Sheng, a native of Yingshan, realized the method of movable type from the dilemma of engraving, and changed the entire plate engraving into a single-character arrangement, which can change forever. The land of Jingchu never lacks people who ask questions about heaven and earth. From bronze bells to clay type printing, from pondside nitpicking to gene editing, what has changed is the "switch" in the hands of generations, but what remains unchanged is the sinking heart.

Today, Hubei has a total of 93 academicians from the two academies, with 11 new members added in 2025, a record high. More than 130 universities, 415,000 R&D personnel, 8 large scientific installations, 45 national key laboratories, and 547 new R&D institutions have been established. The stars shine, not by chance.

What kind of star should we chase? It’s not the flowing light, it’s the perseverance by the pond; it’s not the hustle and bustle, it’s the “switch” that is gently pressed after ten years of provocation. This is the star we will always pursue.