Dr. Chih-Horng Kuo, Research Fellow of the Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology (IPMB) in Academia Sinica, received the 2023 Derrick Edward Award from the International Organization for Mycoplasmology (IOM), and was invited to attend the IOM Congress in Osaka, Japan during July 16-20 to receive the award. This award is given in recognition of outstanding researchers in mycoplasmology. Dr. Kuo was recognized for his work on bacterial genomics conducted in Academia Sinica, establishment of domestic and international collaborations, and important contributions to topics that include evolutionary biology, gene function, and taxonomy.

▲Photo 1. Dr. Chih-Horng Kuo (middle) received the Derrick Edward Award from the International Organization for Mycoplasmology (IOM) Chair Dr. Steven Geary (left) and Award Committee Chair Dr. Amir Hadjinoormohammadi (right).

The IOM is devoted to promoting research on pathogenic bacteria that are serious threats to humans, domestic animals, and crops. This organization holds biannual international congresses to facilitate academic exchange and to recognize outstanding researchers through awards. The IOM Derrick Edward Award is given in recognition of outstanding investigators with no more than fifteen years of experience in mycoplasmology. The candidates are nominated by IOM members and one awardee was selected by the Award Committee for every IOM Congress. The awardee is invited to deliver an award lecture during the Congress to share the research achievements. By receiving this award, Dr. Kuo was recognized for his outstanding contribution to mycoplasmology, and effectively promoted the international visibility of Academia Sinica and Taiwan. Additionally, Dr. Kuo was re-appointed as a board member of IOM, and became the chair of the International Research Programme on Comparative Mycoplasmology (IRPCM) within IOM.

▲Photo 2. Dr. Chih-Horng Kuo delivered the Derrick Edward Award Lecture, entitled “Mollicutes Taxonomy: A Perspective from Evolutionary Genomics”.