Shang F. Yang
University of California, Davis
November 10, 1932 - February 12, 2007
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Scientific Discipline: Plant Biology Membership Type:
Member
(elected 1990)
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Shang Fa Yang discovered how plants synthesize ethylene, the hormone that modifies growth and causes their fruit to ripen. His work led to discovery of the hormone receptor and detailed understanding of the molecular responses that are triggered when ethylene binds to it. He also contributed to the development of ethylene-releasing and ethylene-blocking compounds that help farmers manage their harvest of fruits and flowers.
Yang studied agricultural chemistry at the National Taiwan University, completing his undergraduate degree in 1956 and his masters degree in 1958. He received a scholarship to study in the United States and earned his PhD in plant biochemistry at Utah State University in 1962. His postdoctoral work was completed at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis); the New York University Medical School; and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Yang returned to UC Davis in 1966 as an assistant biochemist and began his research with ethylene, as well as other plant hormones. He remained at UC Davis until 1994 and continued his research thereafter in Asia, first as a distinguished professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, then as a leader of several research organizations in Taiwan.
In addition to his body of research, Yang served on the editorial boards of multiple research journals and was honored with membership in several professional and scientific societies. He received the Campbell Award from the American Institute of Biological Sciences, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Outstanding Researcher Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science, and the international Wolf Prize in Agriculture.
