From Basic Research to Molecular Breeding — Chinese Scientists Play A Central Role in Boosting World Rice Production

On November 18, 2018, the Future Science Prize Awarding Ceremony was held in Beijing. In the area of life science, Professors Jiayang Li, Longping Yuan, and Qifa Zhang shared the prize for their pioneering contributions in producing high-yield, superior-quality rice through systematic study of molecular mechanisms associated with specific rice features and application of novel approaches in rice breeding. The Future Science Prize is also touted as “China’s Nobel Prize”, fully affirming their achievements in rice basic research and breeding.