In order to encourage young researchers to explore cutting-edge scientific issues, the State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS) has set up a “Cutting-edge Exploration Project Fund” since 2018, which allows non-PI (principal investigator) researchers (especially young scientists and technicians) to conduct innovative research, promote the cross-cooperation (including cross-cooperation with other researchers outside the state key laboratory), and generate new discipline growth points on the cutting-edge scientific topics.

The applicants attended the defense for the Fund at IMCAS and elaborated on their ideas and research plans on the morning of August 16, 2018, Some put forward new ideas as they found it difficult to explain new phenomena from the usual their existing experience and theory in the past experiments.

PIs from the key laboratory asked questions and commented on the rigor of the logic, the novelty of the content, and the feasibility of the program after listening to each applicant's report. Six applicants were supported by the Fund then.

In the first batch of applications for the Fund in 2018, young researchers from the state key laboratory actively submitted 12 applications involving different scientific issues. The research focused on solving the actual life, such as how to find a better solution to the degradation of white pollutants, how to solve the food safety and drug resistance problems caused by antibiotic abuse in the breeding industry.