In conversation with Dr. Jie Yang

Trained in biochemistry and molecular biology, her scientific journey has remained closely tied to Hainan University, where her research gradually converged on plant stress physiology, specialized metabolism, and molecular genetics.Her publication titled 'A gene cluster for polyamine transport and modification improves salt tolerance in tomato' was recently awarded The Plant Journal 2024 Outstanding Original Article Prize.In this study, she combines metabolite-based genomewide association studies (mGWAS) with functional genetics to uncover a polyamine transport and modification gene cluster that plays a central role in tomato salt tolerance.By revealing how polyamine homeostasis is dynamically coordinated with reactive oxygen species signaling, her work provides new mechanistic insight into plant stress adaptation and highlights metabolic gene clusters as powerful targets for climate-resilient crop breeding.In this interview, she reflects on her academic path, the conceptual advances behind her research, and how natural genetic variation can be harnessed to improve stress tolerance in crops.