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KIST's Person of the Month: Dr. Chu Won Nho (2020.02.03)
- Date : 2020-02-26
- Views : 2537
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International Cooperation Team
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KIST's Person of the Month: Dr. Chu Won Nho
Dr. Chu Won Nho
from the KIST Gangneung Institute of Natural Products has been selected as
KIST’s “Person of the Month” for January 2020.
Dr. Chu Won Nho, a
principal researcher from KIST’s Smart Farm Research Center, has successfully
developed “highly functional kale”, which has twice as many anti-cancer
components as other natural products. This was made possible through Dr. Nho’s
research on enhancing the functionality of natural products through the
management of a plant factory, a type of smart farm.
Kale, one of the
most well-known anti-cancer foods in the world, is consumed in a variety of
forms, including in salads, juices, and other functional foods. The high levels
of glucosinolate in kale causes the human body to produce isothiocyanate, which
is known to be particularly effective in fighting cancer.
The functional
components in natural products like kale vary greatly depending on the
environment in which they are grown. With this in mind, Dr. Nho created an
artificial plant factory, insulated from the outside world, to optimize the
growing environment through environmental controls and enhance the anti-cancer
properties of the plants being grown. Dr. Nho’s success resulted in their
stable mass production becoming possible.
KIST secured the
patents and techniques related to this technology, and published the research
outcome in the internationally renowned journal “Scientific Report” in March
2018. Moreover, KIST has transferred its “technology for increasing anti-cancer
components using kale cultivation methods based on an artificial plant factory”
to Zin Corporation. As a result, Dr. Nho was selected as KIST’s “Person of the
Month” in recognition of her research achievements.
KIST’s Person of
the Month Award recognizes and rewards high achievers who contribute to the
Institute in creative, innovative ways. Winners are selected by the Reward
Deliberation Committee.