Podcast
Questions and Answers
What specific event inspired Tu Youyou to dedicate her life to medical research?
What specific event inspired Tu Youyou to dedicate her life to medical research?
Tu Youyou's early research focused primarily on which disease before her work on malaria?
Tu Youyou's early research focused primarily on which disease before her work on malaria?
In what year did Tu Youyou take the lead in the search for a new antimalarial drug?
In what year did Tu Youyou take the lead in the search for a new antimalarial drug?
What was the significance of the 1,600-year-old recipe Tu Youyou studied?
What was the significance of the 1,600-year-old recipe Tu Youyou studied?
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What prompted the Chinese government to initiate "Project 523"?
What prompted the Chinese government to initiate "Project 523"?
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What is the parasite responsible for causing malaria?
What is the parasite responsible for causing malaria?
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What was Tu Youyou's role at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing?
What was Tu Youyou's role at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing?
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Which institution recognized Tu Youyou with a Nobel Prize in 2015?
Which institution recognized Tu Youyou with a Nobel Prize in 2015?
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How did Tu Youyou's research contribute to the fight against malaria?
How did Tu Youyou's research contribute to the fight against malaria?
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What was the approximate timeframe between the start of "Project 523" and the discovery of artemisinin?
What was the approximate timeframe between the start of "Project 523" and the discovery of artemisinin?
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Flashcards
Tu Youyou
Tu Youyou
A Chinese pharmacologist known for discovering artemisinin.
Artemisinin
Artemisinin
A crucial antimalarial compound isolated by Tu Youyou.
Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
An award Tu Youyou received in 2015 for her work.
Project 523
Project 523
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Ancient Recipe
Ancient Recipe
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Tuberculosis Illness
Tuberculosis Illness
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Schistosomiasis Research
Schistosomiasis Research
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Peking University
Peking University
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Chief Scientist
Chief Scientist
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World Health Organisation
World Health Organisation
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Study Notes
Tu Youyou - Chinese Pharmacologist
- Tu Youyou was born in Ningbo, China's east coast.
- Despite a 2-year interruption to her education due to tuberculosis, she studied pharmacology at Peking University.
- She studied herbal medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
- In 1955, she joined the newly formed Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
- In 1969, she was appointed head of "Project 523" on Hainan Island to find new antimalarial drugs from traditional Chinese medicine.
- Within 3 months, Tu's team gathered over 2,000 antimalarial drugs.
- She discovered artemisinin, a compound that became a key malaria treatment worldwide.
- Her discovery earned her a Nobel Prize in 2015.
Tu Youyou's Work
- She researched thousands of compounds for their antimalarial properties in the late 1960s.
- Her research successfully isolated artemisinin.
- She was inspired by contracting tuberculosis as a teenager in 1937.
- She studied schistosomiasis in 1955, gaining insight into parasite diseases.
- She built a team of scientists in her 30s to find a new antimalarial drug.
- She used traditional Chinese medicine as inspiration.
- Tu Youyou, along with her team, found a 1,600-year-old recipe that helped her find an effective approach to extract artemisinin.
Malaria Research
- Malaria was widespread, especially in China, with high death rates.
- The disease is caused by the Plasmodium parasite, and transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes.
- Malaria eradication programs (1955-1968) included treatments with available drugs, but parasite resistance to existing drugs (e.g., chloroquine) was a major concern.
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Description
Explore the remarkable journey of Tu Youyou, a pioneering Chinese pharmacologist who discovered artemisinin, a vital treatment for malaria. This quiz covers her education, her innovative work in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the accolades she received, including the Nobel Prize in 2015.
