Hong Kum Lee

Hong Kum Lee

Prof Hong Kum Lee
Nationality South Korean
Fields Polar microbial diversity
marine biotechnology
Institutions Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI)
Alma mater TU Braunschweig
Known for Director General, Korea Polar Research Institute
Notable awards Hyeosin Medal Order of Science and Technology Merit
Korean name
Hangul 이홍금
Revised Romanization I Hong-geum
McCune–Reischauer I Hong'gŭm

Hong Kum Lee is an Antarctic researcher, best known for work as the Director General of the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI).

Early life and education

Lee graduated from Seoul National University in microbiology and received her PhD degree at TU Braunschweig, Germany in 1989. She completed a postdoc at the Seoul National University in 1990 and was then made a principal research scientist at Korea Ocean Research Institute (KORDI) from 1991 to 2004. She was head of national research laboratory for marine microbial diversity from 2001 to 2005. Since 2004 she is a principal research scientist at the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI).[1]

Career and impact

As President of KOPRI during 2007-2013[2] she was active in enhancing polar research infra-structure and strengthening international cooperation. She supported construction of South Korea's first research icebreaker, ARAON, delivered in 2009.[3] ARAON equipped with state-of-the–art research facilities conducts multidisciplinary scientific research in geophysics and geology, oceanography and biology. As Chair of Local Organizing Committee, she devoted herself to the ASSW 2011(Arctic Science Summit Week 2011) held in Seoul.[4]

She also supported the construction of the Jang-Bogo Antarctic Research Station in Terra Nova Bay of Northern Victoria Land in Antarctica, which was completed in 2014.[5] As a year-round station, Jang-Bogo Station serves as a platform for the research on climate change and developing the West Antarctic observatory network. As a member of IASC (International Arctic Science Committee) Review Committee from 2014 to 2015, she was appointed to carry out a review of progress for the period 2006-2016, including progress in implementing the recommendations of the 2006 Review Committee, and to recommend strategies for the future.[6] She joined ICSU RCAP (International Council of Science, Regional Committee for Asia and the Pacific) from 2009-2014. As Chair of ICSU RCAP during 2011-2014, she participated in the implementation of the ICSU Strategic Plan 2012-2017, and in developing Future Earth in Asia and the Pacific.[7] As an expert in marine and polar microbial diversity, she has strengthened her research activity as the head of National Research Laboratories for Marine Microbial Diversity, Ministry of Science and Technology. Not only reporting new microbial species, she has also screened and developed microbial exopolysaccharides and small molecules, which revealed biological activities such as antiviral, antioxidant activities and red tide algae-killing activities. She published more than 100 SCI papers and 25 patents.[8]

Lee established and operates the Polar and Alpine Microbial Collection (PAMC), which shares biodiversity information and research bio-resources collected from polar and alpine areas.[9] Approximately 2,800 microbial strains maintained in PAMC are ready to be provided in science and public communities with information on taxonomy, geographical origin, habitat and physiological characterization. PAMC was registered to international networks, the World Federation of Culture Collection (WFCC) and now functioning as an official depository institution.[10]

Awards and honours

Lee was awarded the Korea L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science in Biological Sciences in 2007.[11] She was also awarded the Distinguished Woman Scientist of the Year by South Korea's Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning in 2015.[12] Lee also was awarded the Hyeosin Medal Order of Science and Technology Merit by the President of South Korea in 2016.[13]

Selected works

References

  1. ↑ "Staff". kopri.re.kr. Korea Polar Research Institute. Retrieved 2016-07-02.
  2. ↑ "기사보기" [Polar Research Institute director re-elected]. enews.kordi.re.kr. KIOST NEWS Today. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  3. ↑ 국내 첫 쇄빙선 '아라온' 취항이 가장 보람 [Korea's first icebreaker ARA]. Electronic Times. 2010-05-19. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  4. ↑ "2011 Arctic Science Summit Week: Second Circular" (PDF). Local Organizing Committee of ASSW 2011. 2011. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  5. ↑ "남극 장보고 과학기지 '첫삽'" ['First shovel' for Jang Bogo scientific base in Antarctica]. Yonhap News Agency. 2012-01-17. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  6. ↑ "2016 Review - International Arctic Science Committee". iasc.info. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  7. ↑ "ICSU RCAP Chair for 2012 - 2014". www.icsu.org. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  8. ↑ "Hong Kum Lee". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  9. ↑ "Polar and Alpine Microbial Collection". pamc.kopri.re.kr. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  10. ↑ "World Federation for Culture Collections". www.wfcc.info. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  11. ↑ "한국로레알여성생명과학상 이홍금씨" [Lee Hong-kum receives L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science]. Korea Economic Daily. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  12. ↑ '2015년의 여성과학기술자상' 이홍금 김성연 박문정씨 [2015 Award for Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology to Lee Hong-kum, Kim Seong-yeon, Park Moon-jung]. Dong-A Ilbo. 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  13. ↑ '과학의날·정보통신의날' 합동 기념식…유공자 포상 전수. www.metabuild.co.kr. 2016-04-21. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  14. ↑ Yim, Joung Han; Kim, Sung Jin; Ahn, Se Hun; Lee, Hong Kum (2007-01-01). "Characterization of a novel bioflocculant, p-KG03, from a marine dinoflagellate, Gyrodinium impudicum KG03". Bioresource Technology. 98 (2): 361–367. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2005.12.021.
  15. ↑ "Microbial symbiosis in marine sponges" (PDF). Journal of Microbiology. 2001.
  16. ↑ Jeong, Haeyoung; Yim, Joung Han; Lee, Choonghwan; Choi, Sang-Haeng; Park, Yon Kyoung; Yoon, Sung Ho; Hur, Cheol-Goo; Kang, Ho-Young; Kim, Dockyu (2005-01-01). "Genomic blueprint of Hahella chejuensis, a marine microbe producing an algicidal agent". Nucleic Acids Research. 33 (22): 7066–7073. ISSN 0305-1048. PMC 1312362 Freely accessible. PMID 16352867. doi:10.1093/nar/gki1016.
  17. ↑ Yim, Joung Han; Kim, Sung Jin; Ahn, Se Hun; Lee, Chong Kyo; Rhie, Ki Tae; Lee, Hong Kum (2003-09-29). "Antiviral Effects of Sulfated Exopolysaccharide from the Marine Microalga Gyrodinium impudicum Strain KG03". Marine Biotechnology. 6 (1): 17–25. ISSN 1436-2228. doi:10.1007/s10126-003-0002-z.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.