TuYouyouhasbecomethefirstChinesewomantowinaNobelPrizeforherworkinhelpingtocreateananti-malaria(疟疾)medicine.The84-year-old’sroutetothehonourhasbeenanythingbuttraditional.
TuYouyouattendedapharmacologyschoolinBeijing.ShortlyaftershebecamearesearcherattheAcademyofChineseTraditionalMedicine.InChinasheisbeingcalledthe"threenoes"winner:nomedicaldegreenodoctorateandshe’sneverworkedoverseas.
In1967CommunistleaderMaoZedongdecidedtherewasanurgentnationalneedtofindacureformalaria.AtthetimemalariaspreadbymosquitoeswaskillingChinesesoldiersfightingAmericansinthejunglesofnorthernVietnam.Asecretresearchunitwasformedtofindacurefortheillness.TwoyearslaterTuYouyouwasinstructedtobecomethenewheadofMission523.ResearchersinMission523poredoverancientbookstofindhistoricalmethodsoffightingmalaria.Whenshestartedhersearchforananti-malarialdrugover240000compounds(化合物)aroundtheworldhadalreadybeentestedwithoutanysuccess.
Finallytheteamfoundabriefreferencetoonesubstancesweetwormwood(青蒿)whichhadbeenusedtotreatmalariainChinaaround400AD.Theteamisolatedoneactivecompoundinwormwoodartemisinin(青蒿素)whichappearedtobattlemalaria-friendlyparasites(寄生虫).Theteamthentestedextracts(提取物)ofthecompoundbutnothingwaseffectiveuntilTuYouyoureturnedtotheoriginalancienttext.Afteranothercarefulreadingsheimprovedthedrugrecipeonefinaltimeheatingtheextractwithoutallowingittoreachboilingpoint.
AfterthedrugshowedpromisingresultsinmiceandmonkeysTuvolunteeredtobethefirsthumanrecipientofthenewdrug.“AstheheadoftheresearchgroupIhadtheresponsibility.”sheexplained.
Tuisconsistentlycitedforherdriveandpassion.OneformercolleagueFumingLiaodescribesherasa“toughandstubbornwoman”.Stubbornenoughtospenddecadespiecingtogetherancienttextsandapplythemtomodernscientificpractices.Theresulthassavedmillionsoflives.
24.WhichofthefollowingwordscanbestdescribeTuYouyou?
A.Traditionalandmodest. B.Passionateandresponsible.
C.Luckyandknowledgeable. D.Stub