As the semester draws to a close and we step into the new year, the members of LuoLab have once again made remarkable progress and forged valuable experiences in 2024. To review our growth and progress over the past year, LuoLab held an annual report meeting for 2024 on January 21, 2025. The report was organized into sessions according to research themes, with members taking turns to present their progress and achievements on the path of scientific research, sharing their personal growth and their outlook for the future.

During the discussion, teachers and group leaders provided insightful feedback and professional guidance. The event also served as a platform for interdisciplinary exchange, where members of different groups engaged in meaningful discussions, learned from each other's expertise, and expanded their knowledge through the exchange of ideas, laying a solid foundation for the research work of the coming year. Towards the conclusion of the progress presentation, Dr. Luo and Dr. Zhang provided a comprehensive and in-depth summary and analysis of LuoLab's research in 2024. Dr. Zhang meticulously sorted out the core scientific issues, technical routes, and current progress of the two key research directions: RNA dynamic epitranscriptome and gene resource mining. This provided the laboratory members with a more panoramic and clear perspective to understand the overall research layout of the laboratory.

Dr. Luo delivered a comprehensive summary of LuoLab's progress over the past year, covering various aspects such as the refinement of research directions and technical platforms, laboratory management, and student cultivation. Combining the laboratory's development trajectory with the latest trends in the field, he precisely distilled the annual keywords of LuoLab in 2024: third-generation sequencing/single-molecule sequencing, synthetic biology, and AI. These keywords not only reflect the existing technological innovation achievements and the expansion of research directions of the laboratory, but also demonstrate ’its proactive exploration and strategic layout in the frontier fields of science and technology.

After the meeting, the winners of year-end awards in LuoLab for 2024 were announced: The “Most Valuable Person of the Year”: Xie Yingyuan (first prize), Wu Fu (second prize), Chen Hongxuan (third prize); The Best Laboratory Contribution Award: Rei Zehui; The Best External Cooperation Award: Lan Yelin; The Best Popularity Award: Huang Yifeng; The Best Newcomer Award: Wang Chenlong; The Most Loving-Help Award: Qiu Yuantao; The Award for Diligence and Pragmatism: Zhong Zhendong; The Best Progress Award: Liu Wenqing & He Juntong; The Best Presentation Award: Su Taowen. Congratulations to them!

With the arrival of the Chinese New Year, LuoLab wishes everyone that everything goes smoothly and good luck abounds! Start with passion, persevere with determination, and achieve your dreams. Do meaningful things and be a person of value!

By Wenqing Liu & Hongxuan Chen