As a budding scientist born and raised in Hong Kong, HKLF bears sentimental value. It will be an honour to participate in this event, where diverse, brilliant minds are gathered in my home city by the thirst for knowledge.

Being a PhD student, I wish to learn from the giants in the field - their inspirations and thought processes, how they remain tenacious in the often challenging research career, and their insights into scientific development. I am particularly drawn to the Life Science and Astronomy sessions. The two fields each represent a unique facet of science: medical sciences are microscopic, tangible, applicable, grounded and intertwined with our immediate daily lives. Meanwhile, astronomy, the study of celestial objects and processes outside our planet, seems unfathomably abstract and ethereally wondrous. Yet both are in the pursuit of truth. Exposure to scholars of vastly different subjects will surely stretch one’s mind.

HKLF is a unique hub that fosters dialogue between scientists of different generations, disciplines and cultures, giving rise to new ideas and solidarity. On this excellent platform for intellectual exchange, I look forward to meeting kindred spirits who share the same passion and curiosity.

I am a molecular ecologist studying plant-microbe interactions and multi-omics analysis. Aiming to propel sustainable agriculture with basic science, my research focuses on how crops modulate the soil microbiome’s functionality via biochemical signalling.

Like the human gut, plant roots harbour a repertoire of microbes that promote plant growth by improving its nutrient acquisition and resilience against external stresses. Root exudation, i.e., the release of metabolites from roots into the soil, is the primary strategy for plants to recruit beneficial microbes. However, we still lack the holistic characterisation of root exudation as a desirable agronomic trait.

Using soybean and its wild relatives as the case study, I examine root exudates’ role as the lingua franca between plants and soil microbes by applying multi-omics—studying the entirety of DNA, RNA, and metabolites in an ecosystem. Greenhouse pot cultivation, soil microcosm and chemotaxis assay are combined with advanced bioinformatics to verify how specific exudate compounds activate beneficial metabolic functions in soil microbes.

My research could inform breeding strategies of crops that synergise with the soil microbiome, thereby reducing our reliance on unsustainable agrochemicals.