Mr. Xu Zhao | Edible Mushroom Resources | Research Excellence Award
Associate Researcher | Institution of Urban Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences | China
Mr. Xu Zhao is a highly promising researcher whose work demonstrates strong innovation, technical depth, and industry relevance across edible fungi biotechnology, intelligent cultivation systems, and functional product development. His research focuses extensively on edible fungus genetic breeding, where he integrates modern molecular biology, genomics, gene editing, protoplast fusion, mutation breeding, and molecular marker–assisted strategies to develop specialized varieties suited for industrialized and intensive production. Through comprehensive collection and evaluation of domestic and international germplasm resources, he establishes trait-specific gene libraries, core germplasm repositories, and cultivation trait databases that support high-yield and high-quality breeding programs. In parallel, he advances the field of factory-scale edible fungi cultivation by designing intelligent equipment systems, IoT-based monitoring tools, and automated environmental control technologies for substrate preparation, inoculation, mycelial growth, fruiting management, harvesting, and preservation. His work in optimizing environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, light, and CO₂ enables precise and efficient production models, supported by collaborations with industrial partners to promote technology integration and real-world application. Additionally, he contributes to the extraction and characterization of bioactive components from edible fungi, focusing on physicochemical properties, physiological functions, and pharmacological mechanisms. His efforts include development of advanced extraction processes, improvement of processing technologies, and exploration of new functional products spanning foods, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Although his citation record is still at an early stage, his research achievements demonstrate significant potential for advancing agricultural biotechnology, sustainable production systems, and the health product industry, positioning him as a strong emerging contributor to excellence in research.
Featured Publications
Zhao, X. (n.d.). Research progress on nutritional components, functional active components, and pharmacological properties of Floccularia luteovirens.