Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

Generation of Integration-free Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Using Episomal Vectors
Published on: January 1, 2017
Xuemei Chen: Original innovation often derives from free exploration
1Research Center for Chinese Politics, Peking University, China.
Abstract:
Xuemei Chen is a distinguished biologist. She was elected a member of the US National Academy of Sciences in 2013, and is now the Dean of the School of Life Sciences at Peking University. Her main research areas are flower development, plant microRNAs, and RNA modifications. In this interview, Xuemei Chen discussed the prospects of plant research, and emphasized the significance of free exploration to achieve the ground-breaking '0 to 1' innovation-until free exploration leads to the discovery of the '1', one may not know what the '0' is and may not be able to intentionally seek it. She also introduced the upcoming Beijing Advanced Center of RNA Biology (BEACON), and expressed her views on organized scientific research.
Related Concept Videos
The Sense of Self: Reflected Self-Appraisal and Social Comparison
Spontaneity
Creative Thinking
Divergent thinking is the...
Introspection
Counterfactual Thinking
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

