By Dr. Mebeaselassie Andargie  

While I was conducting my PhD research in the University of Virginia, US in 2009, I came to learn about the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Then after I have finished my PhD study I was serving as an Assistant Professor in my home institute, Haramaya University. It was in 2011 that I started communicating with Professor Jianxiong Li who works at the Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Molecular Analysis and Genetic Improvement, South China Botanical Garden. The kind and quality of research done by the scientists of CAS institutes and witnessed by the publications on the renowned international journals together with the breakthrough research which was done by Professor Li and published on Science Journal motivated me to look for an opportunity to work closely together with Chinese scientists under the auspice of CAS International Fellowship Initiative.  　　  

My research focuses on the development of a GFP-expressing Ustilaginoidea virens strain to study the fungal invasion and colonization in rice spikelets. Generally, diseases caused by fungi are important because they are easily propagated and known to cause huge losses in productivity. U. virens (Cooke) Tak. is one of the important filamentous fungi that causes false smut disease of rice resulting in 2.8–81 percent yield losses in different rice-producing areas depending on the rice variety and disease intensity. The lack of appropriate data relating to the mechanisms of infection leaves a gap within the pathosystem, forcing the search for new methodologies for monitoring the disease. 　　  

I have developed an efficient Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation system for rice false smut disease in order to better understand the mechanisms and pattern of infection. The infection patterns as well as the mode of entry, fungal growth and colonization of a rice cultivar were explored using the green fluorescent protein gene (gfp) transformed U. virens. 

The second component of my research is to investigate whether this fungus, which is the causal agent of rice false smut disease, is able to colonize and penetrate root tissues of rice. The green fluorescent protein (GFP) was used to mark this fungus in order to visualize and analyze the colonization and infection processes in vivo. Using epiflourescence microscopy, it has been investigated that the transformed fungus colonized the rhizosphere, the cortex as well as the vascular tissues with symptoms of root necrosis. The results of this work for the first time showed that U. Virens not only colonize rice panicles but also the roots. 

These studies will allow us to develop strategies to determine the mechanisms of U. virens-rice interaction in greater detail and to apply functional genomics for the characterization of involved genes at the molecular level either by insertional mutagenesis or gene knock-out. Both of these research projects could not bear fruit without the excellent collaboration and support of the Chinese researchers in the Plant Protection Institute; Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou; and of course at my host lab in the South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou. My host institute has been very supportive since the inception of the project, and I need to thank them for the excellent job that they did by creating a conducive atmosphere to conduct my research. I am also very grateful for the CAS fellowship, which covers my living expenses. My research expenses were covered by the Important Direction Research of Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Hundred Talent Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. I have published more than 10 papers in internationally peer reviewed journals after I came to China. Two of the papers are based on the works that I did through the CAS fellowship, while the others are based on the works that I started to do back home. In addition, three other papers from the CAS-supported research are waiting to be submitted for publication soon.   　　  

The other important support and backbone that I have had all the way through this long journey is my family. Living and working in China is really fascinating since this land is full of wonders and excitement. I came here during the end of 2013, and my family joined me after three months. My wife and two sons have been very supportive of my research work, and we usually talk about the different components of my research, especially when I have a good result after a long day of lab work. Guangzhou is really a very nice and peaceful place to raise a family, and my sons have also gotten the chance to learn English and Chinese. During my stay here in China I witnessed that Chinese people are very hard working, friendly and cheerful. In addition, the students that I am working with in the same lab as well as in the different departments are open minded and capable.  　　  

Last but not the least, I am really happy to have an opportunity to work with Professor Jianxiong Li and his research group and also very grateful for the CAS postdoctoral fellowship, which allowed me to have a long term and strong research collaboration with Professor Jianxiong Li. I am looking forward to the continuous support of the CAS in order to take our research and collaboration to a higher level.