Team members of Center for the Pan-third Pole Environment drill Ice core. [Photo provided to gogansu.com]

Building on years of research, the team created the world's first comprehensive glacier microbial gene dataset, mapping the genetic makeup of microorganisms from glaciers. This unprecedented data collection features over 25 million microbial genes from 3,241 species found across 21 glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Led by Professor Liu Yongqin, a longtime mentee of Academician Yao, this work was published in Nature and Biotechnology and praised internationally as a critical resource for multidisciplinary research. It provides a foundation for exploring how climate change affects ecosystems and biodiversity.