Zhong Yang: If the seeds don’t die

Author: Chen Cong

(Source: "Guangming Daily" 2019-8-26)

Zhong Yang（1964—2017) People from Shaoyang, Hunan,19913887_40139month25On the day of 4317_4360|, Zhong Yang was involved in a car accident on his way to give lectures to cadres in ethnic minority areas at the Chengchuan Ethnic Cadre College in Inner Mongolia. Unfortunately, he died at the age of53Years old.2018year3month29On Japan, Zhong Yang was posthumously awarded the title of “Model of the Times” by the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China;2018year6Month, won the title of “National Outstanding Communist Party Member”;2019year2Month, won “Moving China2018Person of the Year” honor.

There is a person’s life that records the peak that no one before has reached——

At altitude6000He led the team to collect alpine snow lotus on the north slope of Mount Everest, which is more than 10 meters tall, and climbed to the highest height sampled by Chinese botanists;

At altitude4000His team found Arabidopsis thaliana, the highest-altitude plant kingdom in the world, and provided the results to scientific research institutions around the world for free;

He led the team to collect thousands of plants4000Ten thousand seeds, filling the historical gap of no Tibetan plant seeds in the world’s germplasm resource bank.

Zhong Yang (middle) dines with students.

Zhong Yang (second from right) is with Tibetans.

There is a person whose scientific research has reached the top level in the country more than ten years ago——

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200110496_10547

He presided over the compilation of three popular science books including "Gene Computing" and six popular science translations including "The Great Influenza", making outstanding contributions to the cause of popular science education.

2017year9month25On the day of 11650_11696|, the famous botanist and Professor Zhong Yang from the w88 casino of Life Sciences of Fudan University was unfortunately involved in a car accident while on a business trip in Ordos, Inner Mongolia.53years of life ended abruptly.

“Every life has its end one day, but I am not afraid because my students will continue the path of scientific exploration. "Zhong Yang's words are still in my ears, but the students walking through the cold snowfield will no longer receive his selfless protection.

Why does he work almost every day20hour,16He devoted himself to aiding Tibet every day,17Participate in science popularization every day and fight for scientific research and education until the last breath of your life?

Why is his heartbeat beating every minute44Lower critical value, but still choose to walk hard on the plateau with inflexible legs, climbing to the peak of basic scientific research?

Why did he dictate a letter to the party organization when he just woke up after a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, swearing that "I will unswervingly dedicate the rest of my life to the cause of Tibet's construction"?

Let us walk into the Fudan campus, into the snowy mountains, and get closer to the arduous and wonderful life of this botanist.

Trekker

“As long as the country needs it and mankind needs it, no matter how difficult scientific research is, we must do it”

On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, scorching sun and heavy rain alternately attack, and the thin air scorns every field worker. However, in countless unknown snow-capped mountains, thousands of plants have seen such a figure——

On a steep slope of 40 to 50 degrees, a man weighing 80 to 90 kilograms was struggling to climb. His face was sunburned and purple, and his jeans and plaid shirt were splashed with mud. at altitude4000On a mountain many meters high, every step he takes seems to require all his strength, but he walks in front of a group of young people and never calls to stop or slows down.

This is the annual average150Zhong Yang is walking through the mountains and wild forests on the roof of the world.

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From Shanghai to Tibet,5000The distance of one kilometer is only a mile long on the map, but in Zhong Yang's view, it is a "crossing" from a germplasm resource depression to a rich ore.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a biodiversity hotspot with nearly 17383_17403|6000higher plant species, accounting for 18% of China's higher plant species. Yet with so many species, no one has ever conducted a thorough inventory. From a botanist's perspective, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is both a rich mine and a blank slate.

Zhong Yang often tells people: "Suppose there is a plant in Tibet that can treat cancer and it will disappear after more than a hundred years, but I collected it more than a hundred years ago5000seed and put that5000A seed is placed in a jar. Future generations will take it out and plant it, even if it is only500The grain can live,50If the seeds can produce seeds, won’t the plant recover? ”

A gene can change the destiny of a country, and a seed can change the future of a nation. With the idea of ​​filling the historical gap, Zhong Yang stepped into the "forbidden zone of life" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.16Year.

2014, on the eve of National Day, Tibet University.

"Tomorrow we will go to Duilongdeqing to collect Arabidopsis!" Zhong Yang finished his day's work and planned the next day's "adventure."

Duilung Deqing, in Tibetan means "the place of bliss in the upper valley". However, what Zhong Yang faced during this trip was4600Plateau cliffs with an altitude of several meters.

Arabidopsis thaliana,20century50It was included in Flora. However, after the application of genetic technology, because no one has collected its samples and seeds on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is impossible to conduct genome sequencing and in-depth analysis. Once anyone finds this plant, he will have new material for stress biology research and will be able to reproduce the origin and evolution process of plateau plants.

Liu Tianmeng, a doctoral student in the ecological discipline of Tibet University, still cannot forget the scene when Teacher Zhong led them to search for wild Arabidopsis: "Teacher Zhong took us up the mountain while panting heavily. While climbing, he did not forget to introduce the knowledge of collecting plants to us. He never took a break." "He just wanted to take us forward, keep going forward."

From the northern Tibetan plateau to the southern Tibetan valley, from the Ngari no-man’s land to the Yarlung Zangbo River, countless such ordinary days were pieced together into the days and nights of Zhong Yang’s arduous trek on the roof of the world.

In Zhong Yang’s mind, there is such a “small goal”: every seed sample must be collected5000seeds.

According to the collection standards, these must be collected5000Seeds cannot be collected in one place, they must be moved to a straight line distance50Collected from kilometers away.

Professor Laqiong from the w88 casino of Science of Tibet University made a calculation: a seed sample was collected5000seeds, probably going to run away500—1000Kilometers. day800Kilometers, traveling under starry night, is the limit.

The steep slope goes straight up and down, Zhong Yang is trekking. No matter how far or dangerous it is, or how severe the altitude sickness is, as long as it is helpful for research, he will lead his students to collect wild plant specimens and DNA samples in Linzhi, Shigatse, Nagqu, Ngari and other areas, collecting them one by one and doing them one by one.

The moon is bent and rounded, and the bell's light is endless. Over the past 16 years, he has led his students to initially understand the distribution characteristics of Tibetan biological resources. The gaps in Tibetan plant research have been filled bit by bit, and research on the genetic diversity, conservation biology, phylogeography and other fields of multiple species has become more and more in-depth...

What should I do if I have a gout attack? Picking up a branch is a walking stick. Zhong Yang didn't want to sit in the car and wait. He was afraid that it would be unsafe for the students to go up the mountain.

What should I do if accidents involving driving late at night during field sampling occur frequently? The driver must be prevented from falling asleep. Zhong Yang couldn't hold himself up, but he just sat in the passenger seat and panted heavily while chatting with the driver all night, letting the students sleep peacefully in the back seat...

Unimaginable suffering, but there is always more amazing perseverance to overcome it.

Countless early mornings in the field, Zhong Yang’s lips turned purple from the cold, and he had to endure physical discomfort to make breakfast for the students, "You are young, you need to sleep more." He went out to collect seeds at 6 o'clock in the morning, but he had not eaten until dinner time. In the end, Zhong Yang took the lead to dig up the soil from the field, grabbed the radish mixed with mud and stuffed it into his mouth. While chewing, he said: "Purely natural food, delicious. ”

…………

That’s a job that lasts16Years of love. Liu Tianmeng said that it may be difficult for ordinary people to imagine why Mr. Zhong loves sampling so much, because the love between people may not last that long.

Love that is too hot is often accompanied by more unforgettable pain.

It’s not like Zhong Yang doesn’t know how severe altitude sickness is. Tashi Tsering, director of the Tibet Germplasm Resource Bank, said: "Teacher Zhong didn't say anything when he arrived at Tibet University. He just took us on a field trip. He had high blood pressure and was fat. When he first arrived in Tibet, altitude sickness was particularly severe. He suffered from dizziness, nausea, weakness, and diarrhea, but he never complained. Every morning when he went out, in order to save as much space in his bag as possible for sampling, he only brought two pieces of bread, a bag of mustard, and a bottle of mineral water, almost every day."

Two loaves of bread, a bag of mustard mustard, and a bottle of mineral water, these simple "three things" accompanied Zhong Yang on his 16-year journey.

Dream Chaser

“I even quit drinking, but I just can’t quit Tibet”

"The situation suddenly changed. For some reason, my right leg felt as heavy as lead. The right hand holding the food only held one chopstick, but the other chopstick fell to the ground."

"I began to feel the blood flowing densely in my body..."

2015year5month2Sunday evening,51On his birthday, Zhong Yang, who was always in high spirits, collapsed. In the moment of blurred consciousness, the world was spinning endlessly around him. He was rushed to Shanghai Changhai Hospital.

Clock set back2001Year, Tibet University on the snowy plateau.

At that time, Zhong Yang independently came to Tibet to do botanical research, but found that there were "three no's" in the botany major of Tibet University: there were no professors, the teacher did not have a doctorate, and there was no foundation for the subject to be applied for.

The teachers at Tibet University are not optimistic about Zhong Yang: How can he, a pampered professor from Shanghai, change the scientific research of Tibet University?

But what they never expected was that Zhong Yang was "different" from what they thought. He persisted and took root on the plateau. This persistence lasted for 16 years.

At Fudan University, in addition to teaching in the w88 casino of Life Sciences, Zhong Yang is also responsible for the management of the Graduate w88 casino. A teacher in the graduate w88 casino office said that describing Mr. Zhong’s office as “busy” is not an exaggeration: “From morning to night, teachers and students kept looking for him, so we had to set a time limit.15minutes, even his two children sometimes have to come to the office to see him. This does not include the large amount of management work in the graduate w88 casino that requires him to organize and arrange. ”

People found that Zhong Yang is a "madman": it is not enough in itself24Hours, he just arranged another 24-hour schedule for himself——

21：30, flying from Shanghai to Chengdu, staying near the airport; early the next morning6：00Fly to Lhasa and go straight to the wild sampling; after the end,17：00To19：45, review paper;20：00To22：00, answering questions for undergraduates in the w88 casino of Science, Tibet University;22：45Until the early morning of the next day4：00, discuss scientific examinations and papers with young scholars;7：00, starting from Tibet University and heading into the wild again...

On plateau nights, Zhong Yang often sleeps less than four hours.

You know, even the local people in Tibet, due to the lack of oxygen on the plateau, do not sleep well and wake up easily in the middle of the night. They often have to sleep for eight or nine hours before they are energetic enough to work. However, Zhong Yang said: "I sleep for two hours in Shanghai and four hours here. It is already a luxury..."

At the same time, Zhong Yang's body was sending out warnings again and again.

2015year5month2Day and night, the diagnosis result from Shanghai Changhai Hospital came out: cerebral hemorrhage.

The student Xu Yiqin who stayed overnight that day was awakened by the ringtone of his mobile phone at three o'clock in the middle of the night.

“Who is calling at this time? ”

When I found Teacher Zhong’s cell phone, I realized it was an alarm clock.

When I asked Teacher Zhong the next day, Xu Yiqin was stunned by his answer: "This is an alarm clock to remind me to sleep."

Xu Yiqin seemed to suddenly understand that the burden on Teacher Zhong’s shoulders was heavier than he could imagine; he had been working every day for many years20hours here20In order to save time, he took five minutes to finish a box of lunches and took a nap between meetings. He used his "carrying forward with a heavy load" in exchange for countless "firsts"——

He guided Tibet University to apply for the first National Natural Science Foundation project, the first master's degree program in botany, the first doctoral program in ecology, and the first innovation team of the Ministry of Education of Biology. He helped Tibet University train the first doctor of botany, led Tibet University's ecological discipline to be selected into the list of first-class disciplines in the national "double first-class" construction, filled a series of gaps in Tibetan higher education, and successfully promoted Tibet University's biodiversity research to the world...

Zhong Yang’s perseverance is far more difficult and painful than we imagined.

On the third day after the rescue, Zhong Yang had not passed the critical period and was still under observation in the intensive care unit, but his mind was full of work. It happened that student Zhao Jiayuan came to see him, so he asked her to turn on the computer and dictate his thoughts on aiding Tibet to the party organization. He put forward suggestions on building Tibet's ecological security barrier and believed that "it is extremely important to establish a high-end talent team."

2015year5month15On the afternoon of the same day, Zhong Yang was discharged from the hospital and returned to work. At this time, he was paralyzed and could not even open his lunch box. His body is extremely weak: long-term plateau life, excessive work intensity, and severe lack of sleep have caused Zhong Yang to suffer from various symptoms such as heart hypertrophy and fragile blood vessels. His heartbeat is only more than 40 beats per minute.

The doctor gave Zhong Yang three prohibitions: no more drinking, no flying, and no delay in leaving for Tibet.

Unexpectedly, just one year later, Zhong Yang ignored the doctor’s warning and set foot on the plateau again: “I even quit drinking, but I just can’t quit Tibet!”

2016year6In March, Laqiong met Zhong Yang again at Tibet University.

The person standing in front of Rajon is a weak man. Under the scorching sun, Zhong Yang frowned, breathed hard, walked slowly, and was wearing the same clothes29The pair of jeans I bought at a street stall for 1 yuan.

Raqiong was about to ask: "Teacher Zhong, are you desperate for your life?" But when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back.

Raqiong suddenly felt that the man standing in front of him was a warrior, a warrior fighting against the harsh environment of the snowy plateau and fighting for the rest of his life!

Zhong Yang came here this time for the construction of the ecological discipline of Tibet University. “There’s still a lot to do and some things that still have to be pushed forward. ”

Associate professor Nampeng of the w88 casino of Life Sciences at Fudan University learned about Zhong Yang: "After he had a cerebral hemorrhage, almost everyone thought that he would slow down his work after this serious illness. But later, instead of slowing down, he accelerated. He said that he had a sense of urgency and hoped that God would give him another ten years to truly lead Tibet's talent echelon."

Lachong said that Teacher Zhong devoted his life to aiding Tibet: "Teacher Zhong was trapped in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The temperament of a scientist in him is that he has a broad mind and is loyal to the party and the people; second, he does scientific research in line with the country's major needs, and it is not just his own hobbies."

Lamp-burner

“A party member must dare to be a pioneer and be willing to be a devotee”

"I am a young scientific and technological worker who grew up under the red flag and has been educated and trained by the Party for many years. When I was a student, I longed to join the Communist Party of China. Today, I am even more determined to the Communist Party of China. I am willing to work for the party and fight for the revolutionary cause throughout my life."

20Years ago, Zhong Yang wrote such a wish in his application for joining the Party, and this solemn promise has been with him throughout his life.

2017year9month29Day, the final day of farewell has arrived.

The east side of the Biology Building of Fudan University is filled with paper cranes, expressing endless grief, and the venue for the farewell party for the body in Yinchuan is full700Multiple wreaths.

Zhong Yang’s former colleagues and partners came, teachers from dozens of colleges and universities came, and many primary and secondary w88 casino students and parents also came. Many of them had only heard one of his presentations.

Why? Zhong Yang suffers from a variety of altitude sickness, and his heart beats every minute40For many times, the doctor strictly prohibited him from flying or entering Tibet, but he became more and more anxious and desperate, hoping that God would give him another ten years. Even though he was suffering from illness, he could dedicate himself to the frontier with passion. His original intention was still hot?

“Even if he knew that entering Tibet would be a dead end, he couldn’t quit, because that was his ‘addiction’ as a scientist. " said Sun Yanrong, deputy director of the Biological Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

No one can dissuade Zhong Yang, because he has already made up his mind: "A Communist must dare to be a pioneer and be willing to be a devotee! ”

Why? Zhong Yang is already863A big expert in the biological and medical technology subject expert group, he18The textbooks written years ago are still regarded as classics. His many scientific research results are internationally renowned. How many people are amazed and unable to desire them, but he is16Devoting yourself to the vast world of snow-covered plateaus and the teaching and popularization of basic subjects like one day at a time?

Zhong Yang said that this was the revelation of his life brought to him by the alpine snow lotus growing on Mount Everest - when a species wants to expand its territory and must face the challenges of a harsh environment, it always requires some pioneers to sacrifice their individual advantages in exchange for new living space and development opportunities for the entire group and even the species. "The pioneers lay the foundation for the successful ones, and they should be consistent in their life heights."

We can’t help but think of Qian Xuesen who overcame many obstacles to return to the motherland and pioneered China’s aerospace industry. We think of using3An “unspeakable” person told his wife about the job change and then disappeared28Deng Jiaxian in 2008 recalled Huang Danian who resolutely returned to China at the peak of his career and fought for the deep exploration of the motherland until his last breath. The famous saying of the French scientist Pasteur suddenly came to his mind:

“Science knows no borders, but scientists have a motherland. ”

Sun Yanrong said: "Seeds are related to thousands of generations, not only whether the people can have enough food, but also whether the natural ecology can develop sustainably. I think that in terms of national natural ecological resources and security, Teacher Zhong's strategic contribution to the country is no less than that of the 'two bombs and one satellite' father."

Chen Jiakuan, a professor at the w88 casino of Life Sciences at Fudan University, said that each generation has its own mission. From becoming rich to becoming strong, from rapid development to progress while maintaining stability, and then to socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era, our country needs a group of scientists who make selfless contributions, and a group of Communist Party members who shoulder the heavy responsibility to move forward.

Zhong Yang left in a hurry without leaving a word, but people understood him——

Although his voice will no longer be heard on the podium, his pure love for science has infected every student; although he is no longer seen on the snowy plateau, the seeds he has rooted in the frontier have already flourished.

Zhong Yang left no property behind, only a Tibetan robe was his favorite.

He told his wife Zhang Xiaoyan that after experiencing the sky burial ceremony, he was deeply shocked for a long time. He did not shy away from the taboos about "sky burial", but agreed with what Tibetan compatriots said: "sky burial" is the immortality of the soul and the reincarnation, and death is just the separation of the immortal soul from the old body.

On the grasslands of northern Tibet, thousands of miles of Qiang ponds are magnificent and picturesque, and the grass in the fields is swaying like a song. But the man who trudged among the grass and trees of heaven and earth has never been traced again.

People here believe that only those with noble hearts and pure souls can return to the vast earth after their death.

Many people say that Zhong Yang has a "seed spirit" in him.

Wang Yuguo, associate professor at the w88 casino of Life Sciences at Fudan University, explains the "seed spirit" this way: Seeds are small, but they are related to the national development strategy. Seeds are endless, and they are passed down one after another. Teacher Zhong collects seeds in Tibet, which is related to the security of national strategic resources; he is committed to cultivating a doctor of botany for each ethnic minority and planting the seeds of scientific research in ethnic minority areas; he insists on popularizing science, planting a scientific fire in the hearts of young people that will be passed down from generation to generation.

"People like him who sow the future are people with great love and a great self in their hearts."

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