On teachers’ Day, professor Schuyler S. Korban of Illinois University was invited to Zhejiang University, and gave an academic report titled, “Genomic analysis of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway”, introducing their advance in MYB and ANR gene regulation of the metabolism of flavonoids in apple, and also communicated with teachers and students present about related issues. This was his second visit, after a visit in 1999. During this visit, he visited our institute laboratories, learned our subject construction and some of our research achievements. Our research support, strength and development received the affirmation of Professor Korban, and he also expressed a desire to deeply cooperate with our institute on fruit functional genomics.
As the chairman of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, professor Korban also met Guoping Zhang, the director of the Faculty of Agriculture, Life and Environment Sciences, communicating about united training of students, and put forward new ideas for development. In the afternoon, Professor Korban also discussed with the 2012 summer UIUC exchange students, most students felt that this short exchange significantly helped their approach to study as well as plans for the future.
Dr. Korban is the lifelong professor of Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences College, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, also the Chief Editor of “Plant Molecular Biology Reporter”, the vice-Chief Editor of “Plant Breeding”, “Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture”, etc.
Professor Korban is mainly doing research on apple genetic breeding; he cloned the apple scab Vf gene in 2002, in recent years, built a apple EST library contains about 180000 sequences and an apple genome BAC physical map, and also completed integration work of more than 60% of the apple genome physical mapping and genetic map. Since 1995 when he became a lifelong Professor of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Professor Korban has published more than 120 papers in plant science journals, including Plant Journal, Plant Physiology, Genetics, etc. He has won many awards including Outstanding Researcher Award, Outstanding International Horticulturist Award, Wilder Medal Award, Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
