From Cameroon to China to Portugal, how did he complete his life before the age of 30?

What kind of country is Cameroon?

Located in central and western Africa, 70% of the population is engaged in agriculture, and agricultural output accounts for about half of GDP. According to Wikipedia, many agricultural activities there rely solely on local farmers with the simplest tools and are maintained only at the level of a minimum standard of living.

The interviewee in this issue, Piebiep Goufo, comes from a family farm in Cameroon, and his childhood has made him fond of agriculture and regards it as the only career in his life.

As an agricultural scientist, he was not stopped by poverty, and in 2010 he came to China to study for a doctorate and successfully moved to Portugal at the age of 30.

Today, he is a professor who has published 35 peer-reviewed papers, won two world-class awards, and is a member of the editorial boards of two scientific journals.

From Cameroon, to China, to Portugal, you must be wondering how he completed his transformation before the age of 30. Let's hear his story.

Piebiep Goufo

Piebiep Goufo is an agricultural plant scientist with research interests in global change biology and sustainable agriculture. Piebiep Goufo was born in Mbuda, Cameroon, and now lives in Portugal. He has made contributions in plant cultivation, biochemistry, physiology, pathology and molecular biology. In 2010, Piebiep Goufo received his PhD in Crop Science from South China Agricultural University and was later elected Assistant Professor of Plant Sciences at the University of Bamenda in Cameroon. At the age of 30, he decided to immigrate to Portugal.

Piebiep Goufo's current research focuses on analyzing plant-pathogen-environment interactions and elucidating the role of phytochemicals in regulating crop growth, primarily for grains, legumes and vines. Between 2008 and 2022, Piebiep Goufo published a total of 35 peer-reviewed papers. His research on the relationship between rice and climate change won an award from the African Academy of Sciences in 2010 and the Elsevier Global Food Security Test Award in 2013. Currently, Piebiep Goufo directs two MSc students to study crop responses to drought and disease, and co-directs a PhD student to intercropping practice with other professors.

"In China, the harvest is very good"

Q: What is your impression of South China Agricultural University? What was your biggest takeaway there?

A: I like South China Agricultural University very much, I get along well with administrators, professors and classmates, and I am not discriminated against because of my nationality. South China Agricultural University has full support for research projects, and the school has several research and development centers equipped with the latest equipment. In addition, in Guangzhou, the cost of reagents and consumables is very low and very sufficient, which is crucial for my research.

At South China Agricultural University, with the strong facilitation of my mentor, I have established research partnerships with the Thai Centre of Excellence for Chemical Innovation and the Australian Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics, and have the opportunity to visit them for research activities.

In addition, my mentors supported me in attending international conferences (such as in China, Mexico and Italy) that were crucial to the dissemination of my research results and my development as a scientist.

Q: After leaving China, did you still have contact with your Chinese classmates in terms of scientific research? Have you worked on some projects? What interesting scientific research experiences of Sino-Portuguese cooperation can be shared?

A: Because I am a member of the university alumni association, I have been in touch with my former professors and classmates. The contact after returning home was initially because I needed my PhD classmates to help me with some issues with accreditation documents, and I occasionally needed letters of recommendation from my former professors.

In 2019, I was hired as a junior researcher and began to set my own research goals. One of my main goals is to establish research collaborations with my former Chinese universities, aiming to be a "bridge" between the Chinese and European research systems. In 2021, I submitted a joint proposal to Horizon Europe entitled "EU-China International Cooperation on Nature-Based Agricultural Nutrient Management Solutions". If the project is accepted, the results of the project will help to strengthen Sino-European international cooperation in the field of agricultural nutrient management.

In early 2022, a former Chinese classmate and I accepted an invitation to edit a research topic in the journal Frontiers in Agriculture to compare and analyze old and new agricultural practices. We are co-authoring a review paper submitted to the research topic. We also plan to carry out bilateral exchange programs for master's students.

"Failed submission, almost abandoned academics"

Q: You have been working in research for almost 12 years, what did your work include during that time?

A: Between 2011 and 2013, I studied the effects of climate change on crop metabolites using rice as a model, citing carbon dioxide and rising temperatures. Between 2014 and 2016, I continued to study the effects of climate change on crop metabolites, using cowpea as a model and drought and phosphorus deficiency as causes.

Between 2017 and 2021, I worked to understand how changes in biomolecules, metabolic pathways, and protein expression events could contribute to vines' tolerance to pests and diseases, as well as finding ways to sustainably protect plants from pests.

Q: Which of your papers is the one you are most proud of? Can you recall its output process and academic impact?

A: I am proud of both papers. The first paper was on rice antioxidants. At the end of 2011, my postdoctoral supervisor encouraged me to write a review paper. To that end, I built a database of food ingredients for rice antioxidants, making it easier to select biomarkers for antioxidant intake.

Over the course of two years, I completed the manuscript with the help of my mentor. The manuscript was submitted to the journal Food Science and Nutrition. The database is widely used by the scientific community, with nearly 550 citations in Google Scholar. The work also contributes to a better understanding of the effects of carbon dioxide and temperature rise on rice, giving a small boost to the field.

The second paper on metabolomics, which states that osmotic protection is a physiological strategy for drought resistance and yield increases, is my proudest scientific achievement to date. The manuscript is the culmination of four years of hard work.

This work involves not only experimental design and field and laboratory experiments, but also statistical analysis and visual presentation of data, as well as the language necessary to convey strong information. Manuscripts are edited by Editer's science editors to ensure that everything is of the highest quality.

However, the manuscript was published through many twists and turns, and the journal of Experimental Botany and then scientific reports were unsuccessful. This frustrated me for a while and even began to consider leaving academia. I didn't go to the lab for a week, and then my mentor called me and encouraged me not to give up.

The article was later submitted to Frontiers in Plant Science, edited by the world's leading experts in the field of climate change, and accepted within a month. According to Google Scholar, the paper has been cited more than 100 times. Several researchers around the world, after reading this paper, discussed with me in the context of their own analysis or their own experimental design.

Q: What do you think is the most important skill in writing a paper?

A: To avoid unwarranted rejection, I think the most important thing is to tell a compelling and complete story. The purpose of a scientific paper is to convey information, and a compelling paper is a paper that clearly conveys science with evidence-based conclusions and is pleasant.

A complete paper should have a logically clear structure, i.e. to the point (meaning and ingenuity of the work), demonstrate an understanding of the existing literature (asking questions and suggested solutions), provide detailed descriptions, and avoid lengthy and speculative arguments. When writing a paper, I think of editors, reviewers, and readers as busy and tired people.

"20 years of wishes, transfer to war consulting"

Q: What is your typical workday like?

A: I spend 70% of my time researching and 30% teaching. My day usually starts at 6 a.m. I'm on the editorial boards of two scientific journals, and I'm used to doing editorial work in the early mornings in order to grade students' work with my clear mind. My department and project meetings usually take up most of my day. Much of my work requires strategic thinking and coming up with innovative hypotheses that are then performed experimentally.

Around 1 p.m. I'll grab a bite to eat, have another cup of tea, whether at work or at home, and if the weather is nice, I'll walk around campus or in the city for 30 minutes, an old habit from China. I had the least energy after lunch, so I avoided reading and writing activities.

I analyze the data, prepare forms and figures, and see how to establish an international research collaboration. Subsequently, I read publications, write reports, articles, and conference summaries. At night I usually check my emails and respond to the most urgent ones, and I get to know international news before going to bed.

Q: What research are you currently doing? What are future research plans?

A: I recently received a project grant to find the most effective ways to minimize the use of synthetic chemicals in agriculture. In the near future, I will work to take concrete steps to attract more research funding and contribute to the reduction of agricultural pollution through management practices based on concepts such as climate-smart agriculture, diversified agriculture, sustainable intensification, recycling, etc.

Limit the use of agrochemicals by improving soil properties and increasing plants' intrinsic tolerance or resistance to pests and diseases (e.g., through organic improvers and beneficial microorganisms).

Q: What kind of 20-year plan have you set for yourself?

A: Over the next two decades, I'm going to go into consulting and start my own farm at the same time and sell it. I have established several strategic partnerships in the agricultural sector, which has given me the opportunity to learn business logic and understand how my research skills and expertise can be involved in the agricultural industry.

My experience in consulting internationally, providing scientific expertise to farmers' organizations, and developing guidelines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has helped me transition to the consulting industry. I also think that managing my own farm is a great opportunity to facilitate consulting work.

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