Source：https://news.sjtu.edu.cn/zhxw/20220927/174618.html
Co-hosted by Liyuan Academic Organizing Committee of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), SJTU – GEC Academy Center of Innovative Design for Interdisciplinary Studies and SJTU Graduate School, the Liyuan-GEC Frontier Interdisciplinary Science & Future Technology Forum & Master Distinguished Lecture with Nobel Laureate Prof. Joachim Frank was successfully held online on September 21st.
Attendees of this event included Joachim Frank, 2017 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry， Professor at Columbia University and Member of National Academy of Sciences; Kuiling Ding, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Executive Vice President at SJTU and Member of the CPC SJTU Standing Committee; Sheng (Edison) Yan, Executive Director at GEC-Advanced Studies Institute (GEC-ASI); and Zhinan Zhang, Deputy Secretary of SJTU School of Mechanical Engineering. Around 2,830 graduate students from 11 top universities in China, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Nanjing University, Southeast University, Zhejiang University, University of Science and Technology of China, Wuhan University, and Xi’an Jiao Tong University joined the forum online.
On behalf of SJTU, Kuiling Ding looked back on the great efforts that the Master Distinguished Lecture of Graduate School and the Liyuan Academic Forum of School of Mechanical Engineering have made in developing students’ academic practicality and research capabilities in his opening speech. He also emphasized the great significance of exploring the lives of human beings and machines in the interdisciplinary context, and introduced the extraordinary contributions of Professor Joachim Frank in developing cryo-electron microscopy. By the end of his address, he motivated the students to “have the ambition of the master though not reaching the realm of the master yet”, and encouraged them to think more about the changing human world while looking up to the stars with the help of science.
Professor Joachim Frank’s lecture focused on “the reconstruction of cryo-electron microscopy”. Starting with his experience in observing butterfly wings, Professor Frank explained the importance of viewing the world from different perspectives. Then, he introduced the core theme of his lecture – observing and understanding cells through electron microscopy. He spoke about the historical development of cryo-electron microscopy and his own experiences. Aside from introducing the experiments and achievements his research team have made in cryo-electron microscopy, the process of continuous structural change of biomolecules, SPIDER (System for Processing Image Data from Electron microscopy and Related fields), etc., he also shared how he continuously identified problems and worked them out in his research. During the Q&A, Professor Frank discussed with the participating students on the future application of cryo-electron microscopy, structural visualization, the relationship between science and art and so forth.
At the end of the forum, Edison Yan summarized Professor Frank’s remarkable contributions to molecular biophysics on the basis of his lecture. He stressed the complementarity of scientific research literacy and the spirit of scientists, and stated that Professor Frank’s research experience could be an instructive example for graduate students who are just entering scientific research. In the end, Edison encouraged participation from more students in Liyuan-GEC Frontier Interdisciplinary Science & Future Technology Forum.
Liyuan Academic Forum is one of the most important academic exchange activities of SJTU- School of Mechanical Engineering, with the aim of creating a favorable and cooperative education environment, promoting graduate students’ academic exchange, and bringing more high-level academic exchange opportunities. Liyuan-GEC Frontier Interdisciplinary Science & Future Technology Forum brings together scholars and experts from top universities around the world to cultivate students’ academic interest, broaden their horizons, improve their innovative thinking and elevate their academic expression capabilities. The Forum is also committed to boosting the conversation between students and teachers and preparing graduate students for better academic ambitions and achievements.