Chinese scientist wins intl award for unraveling mystery of locust swarms
BEIJING -- Chinese scientist Kang Le has won the 2021 Silverstein-Simeone Award, an international prize recognizing scientists for their outstanding work at the frontiers of chemical ecology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences said Wednesday.
Kang, a researcher with the academy's Institute of Zoology, bagged the award for cutting-edge research including his latest study which found that a smelly compound emitted by locusts can attract the insects in the wild to form a giant cluster.
The compound called 4-vinylanisole or 4VA, has been identified as an aggregation pheromone that is responsible for the behavior of the swarm. The discovery for the first time revealed the mystery of locust swarms, which is expected to be very significant in the control and prediction of locust plagues, and inspire scientists to solve the global food problem.
The prize has been awarded every year by the International Society of Chemical Ecology since 1995. Kang is the first Chinese scientist to receive the honor.
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