Text | "China Science News" reporter Zhang Shuanghu
35 years ago, when the National Natural Science Foundation of China Youth Science Fund (hereinafter referred to as the Youth Fund) project was established, it was "reserved" for a young person for one year.
Immediately afterwards, he was so impressive that he won the special fund project for outstanding young and middle-aged talents and the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars project.
Since then, because the idea was "novel", it could not be recognized by the review experts. After several "failed" applications, it was funded by a special fund for non-consensus projects (called the Director's Fund of the Ministry of Science at the time).
On this basis, he has accumulated a lot of experience and expanded a "non-consensus" scientific issue into an international frontier hot field...
Talking about the past events that became associated with the National Natural Science Foundation , Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University professor Deng Zixin was full of emotions: "My scientific research career has almost synchronized with the development of the National Natural Science Foundation, and I have also gone through various stages of the Natural Science Foundation's talent funding system. It should be said that I have grown together with the Science Foundation..."
Deng Zixin
started scientific research Career
In 1987, Deng Zixin was still studying at the John Innes Research Center in the UK.
This is the birthplace of Streptomyces genetics in the world. His mentor is Sir David Hopwood, a fellow of the Royal Society and an authority on molecular biology.
One day, a staff member from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (hereinafter referred to as Natural Science Foundation of China ) came to the research center.
Accompanied by the Education Counselor of the Embassy in the UK, this staff member had a brief exchange and introduced some of the latest domestic scientific research environment and funding policies.
Deng Zixin learned from this that since 1987, the Natural Science Foundation of China has established a Youth Fund to specifically fund those who are under the age of 35 and have obtained a doctorate (or equivalent) who are engaged in basic research and some applied research in natural sciences. Young scientific workers who can independently carry out research work.
Deng Zixin, who is about to complete his doctoral studies, is very excited - if he can apply for this science fund, he can start working immediately after returning to China.
Therefore, he immediately discussed with the domestic cooperative teachers, proposed a research plan and submitted a project application.
"The review was very fast that year." Deng Zixin recalled, "The first phase of the youth fund was 50,000 yuan. After receiving the news that the application was approved, I was simply 'overjoyed'. I was as excited as I was after receiving several awards today. At that time, the country’s total scientific research funding was very small, and it was not easy to provide special funds to support young people, so I was more determined to return to China.” After
received a doctorate, my supervisor David Huo. Puwood has high hopes for Deng Zixin. He not only hopes that his scientific research career will develop well, but also hopes that molecular biology will be fully valued in China.
In order to support a tens of thousands of pounds funding project that Deng Zixin applied for through the United Nations Industrial Development Organization , he decided to send seven famous scholars to China to conduct a genetic engineering experiment in accordance with the standards of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). Technical training courses.
At that time, China's scientific research foundation was relatively weak, and refrigerators, centrifuges, and even microwave ovens used in laboratories had to be purchased from abroad.
The purchase of equipment and the preparation of training courses may seem like nothing today, but at that time they had to go through a series of cumbersome approval procedures.
Deng Zixin had to work in the UK for a long time.
In 1988, against the background of the surging trend of "going abroad" across the country, Deng Zixin "bumped the trend" and returned to his alma mater, Huazhong Agricultural University, , and started his research career with the 50,000 yuan scientific research start-up fund he applied for a year ago. .
“At that time, a penny could be broken in half and spent, and 50,000 yuan could do a lot of things."Deng Zixin said, "The academic results that my team and I have achieved today are closely related to the 50,000 yuan at that time. "
From non-consensus project to popular field
In 1993, before the completion of the Youth Fund, the Natural Science Foundation of China established a special fund for outstanding young and middle-aged talents, and Deng Zixin became the first batch of recipients; in 1994, the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars was established, and he He is still the first batch of scholars to receive funding.
In terms of science fund application, Deng Zixin’s journey has been seamless and smooth.
In the mid-1990s, with the support of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and other projects, Deng Zixin’s career was smooth. There was a new context in his work, and some topics were formed.
He made preliminary progress in DNA research, and noticed that there was a phenomenon that might be related to the combination of sulfur elements in DNA, but there was no genetics, Biochemistry Especially without the final evidence of chemical analysis, it was impossible to confirm whether sulfur modification had occurred.
His ideas were not recognized by his colleagues at the time, including some big experts and scholars who thought it was impossible because the idea was too new. All the applied projects were “lost”.
In 2003, Deng Zixin once again “impacted” the National Natural Science Foundation of China’s key projects, but still failed to pass the defense.
Fortunately, the Department of Life Sciences of the Natural Science Foundation of China believed that this was a potential project. He was given a special fund of 300,000 yuan to explore innovative research.
In 2004, Deng Zixin led the team to confirm the existence of sulfur in bacterial DNA molecules in experiments; the following year, the team published a paper in " Molecular Microbiology." " published a paper reporting the discovery of the sixth new element sulfur in the DNA of many bacteria; in 2007, Deng Zixin's team successively published papers in journals such as "Nucleic Acid Research", "Biochemistry", "Molecular Microbiology", and "Nature Chemical Biology" Published papers, reporting on the enzymatic functions, modification sites, biological categories and distribution patterns related to DNA sulfur modification research, as well as the subsequent progress of DNA sulfur modification research.
As a result, their research has gradually entered the international perspective, and the German Max Planck experiment has emerged. Fritz Eckstein, a chemical biologist at the Institute of Medicine, believes that "it opens a new window and will greatly stimulate people's desire to explore many new mysteries in DNA macromolecules. "
Deng Zixin believes that the support for this non-consensus project not only allows him to continue research under difficult conditions, but is also a huge encouragement.
"To this day, a non-consensus problem has been turned into a new discovery, and it has become more and more popular. As it gets bigger, it will gradually form a consensus hot area. From this perspective, science funds play a very good driving role in stimulating young talents. "
Deng Zixin commented, "From the Youth Fund, the Outstanding Youth Science Fund Project, the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, to the Innovative Research Group Project and the Basic Science Center Project, the science fund's talent funding context is very clear, forming a relatively clear foundation for basic research in China. A complete talent funding system is also a culture of innovation. I think this is what makes National Natural Science Foundation of China different from other funded projects. "
Deng Zixin (former) guides students to conduct experiments
and guides young people to "outstanding"
With the development of science funds, Deng Zixin and his team have won various types of projects, including natural science foundation general projects, key projects, and innovative research group projects.
Looking back on the path of scientific research, Deng Zixin believes that he is lucky now. It is to create a better scientific research environment for young people, because "everyone who has been a young person knows that it is difficult to kick off the first three steps."
"A person's scientific research career is a long process, and youth is a very critical stage. Facing huge challenges."Deng Zixin explained, "A person's thirties and forties are the period when a person's thinking is most active. If they have a good start, scientific researchers can enter the most creative golden period of life more quickly. "
Deng Zixin believes that compared with more than 30 years ago, earth-shaking changes have taken place in all fields in our country.
At that time, people who returned to China were "sparse", and bringing back some new technologies, new ideas, and new concepts will make people feel refreshed and make It’s easy to notice when you click on your grades.
Today’s conditions are better and there are more choices, but at the same time there are more temptations and interferences. Young scientific research talents face greater competition and pressure, and there is a greater need for young scientific research talents to avoid the “noise” of society. ", calm down, keep calm, and do things in a down-to-earth manner.
Deng Zixin (front left) with students. Photo provided by the interviewee
"It's like 'monkey picking peaches', all the peaches in the lower places have been picked. We must Go higher up and pick. "Deng Zixin explained, "There is no peak in science and technology . The 'peaches' will always be there, but it is more difficult to achieve achievements now. Young scientific researchers must systematically and completely understand the work of their predecessors, and then stand on the shoulders of their predecessors to create something of their own. This requires crossover, integration, and teamwork; we must have the awareness and courage to dare to innovate, and we must inherit the persistent spirit of the older generation of scientists..."
"We had a special thirst for knowledge at that time, and all domestic fields were just getting started. It’s really a race against time to get back the time that was lost. "
Deng Zixin said, "But as we face new problems in the new era, we must continue to improve the mechanism for young scientific research talents to stand out.
For example, the evaluation of young scientific research talents is not simply based on academic records, but also on what papers have been published and the impact factors. It should be based on the growth context of talents, understand their scientific and technological career development, see whether they have academic potential, and encourage young scientists. Go climb the peak of science. "
Young scientific and technological talents are an important force and new force in realizing high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-reliance, and are strategic support for realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Deng Zixin, starting from his own experience, hopes that young scientific researchers can cultivate their interest in scientific research, endure hardships and stand hard work and the spirit of persistent pursuit, integrating personal ideals and scientific pursuits into national development and major social needs.
"I hope that the National Natural Science Foundation can guide young scientific research talents to do more outstanding things in basic research development and scientific and technological transformation." "Deng Zixin said.
