AWARDEE OF LIFE SCIENCES PRIZE

ZHENG GUOCHANG

Zheng Guochang, a plant cytologist，born in Changshu, Jiangsu, in March 1914.Graduated from the Department of Natural Science, National Central University in 1943, received Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, USA in 1950.Professor and honorary director, Department of Biology, Lanzhou University.
In his paper on the somatic chromosome reduction, Zheng expounded that somatic homologues are segregated at prophase stage , then form double-spindle at anaphase stage and finally turn into 4 haploid nuclei.. This idea is accepted worldwide as one of the somatic reduction mechanisms. His pioneering study on cytomixis confirmed that spontaneous intercellular chromatin migration occurred in pollen mother cells is a natural physiological phenomenon an revealed that the nuclear sap streaming and contraction proteins are closely related to the intercellular chromatin migration. Furthermore, the chromatin migration is then related to the karyotype evolution and the origin of B-chromosome .He has also made some achievements in the somatic embryogenesis, culture of proplast, culture of anther and non-pollinated ovary as well as salt-resistant crop species screening and genetic transformation.
He was elected the academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1980.