Education

Dr. Su-May Yu graduated from Taipei First Girls high School.

1980 bachelor and master degree from the Department of Plant Pathology in National Chung Hsing University

1984 PHD degree from the Department of Plant Pathology and Botany in University of Arkansas

Career

1984 Researcher in the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

1984-87 Researcher in University of Rochester

1987-88 Researcher in Cornell University

1989 Returned back to Taiwan and stayed in the Institute of Molecular Biology in Academia Sinica

1999-2001 Vice director of the Institute

2005 Academician of The Third World Academy of Sciences

2008 Distinguished researcher in Academia Sinica

2012 Academician of Academia Sinica (life sciences)

2014 L'ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards For Women in Science, American Society of Plant Biologists

 

(From Apple Daily)

The Friendship with a Senior

  The deceased previous academician of the Institution of Molecular Biology, Dr. Ray Wu, was a person Dr. Su-May Yu would never forget. When she left Rochester and went to the Cornell University in 1988, she met Dr. Ray Wu, who was an overseas Chinese biologist and a forerunner on the research of the genetics of the rice. Dr. Yu has always had a liking for rice, so she joined Dr. Wu on the research, which had affected her later life greatly.

  Dr. Yu recalled, “The first time I met Dr. Ray Wu, his office in the Wing Hall was very small. It was no bigger than 3x2 square metres, which was such a surprise compared to how highly he was regarded.” The office was stuffy, however, Dr. Wu did his best to let the students use as much space as possible. The consideration he showed to others left a deep impression on her.

  To Dr. Yu, “Dr. Ray Wu was not just my superior, but also my teacher and my research partner. He had helped me a lot in my life of research, he was a teacher to whom I was greatly indebted.”

 

Genetic Engineering- Rice saplings

  The technology of the rice planting and livestock breeding of Taiwan is famous around the world. After the success of the genetic colonisation of pigs, the rice became a research subject as well. The Academia Sinica had discovered many in recent years, such as colonising the agrobacterium into the rice sapling and successfully produced protein through the saplings.

  The researcher of the Institution of Molecular Biology Dr. Su-May Yu pointed out, that if  they start out from these concepts, the future agricultural biotechnology experts would only have to genetically colonise a seed of a plant, and would be able to control the growth of the stem, root, leaves and fruit. This would benefit the medical field greatly.

 

Animal and Plant Geneticist Couple

  Dr. Yu-Chan Chao and Dr. Su-May Yu couple had studied in Taiwan and abroad together, then entering the Institution of Molecular Biology of Academia Sinica at the same time.

  The world is experiencing the problem of food shortage, the rice fields of Taiwan faced the danger of a fallow. Dr. Yu started the research on provision plants that can live in tough conditions in 2002.