**Yanjun Zhang**

Yanjun Zhang is a Professor at the Spice and Beverage Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences. He graduated from Nanchang University with a major in Food Science and Engineering in 2012. He is engaged in scientific research on starch. Taking tropical grain crops and jackfruit starch as representative material, research has been carried out on the basic theory and application of technology with ideas including the relationship between starch functional characteristics and molecular structure, the pasting and retrogradation properties of starch controlled by the molecular weight of amylopectin, and starch digestion improved through innovative methods. The special functional properties and molecular structure of jackfruit starch have been clarified. The control theory of starch pasting and retrogradation has been enriched based on the cognition of starch structure and function. An efficient preparation method has also been established for improving the digestibility and utilization rate of jackfruit starch. The previous research led to 64 publications, 7 national invention patents, and the Hainan Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award in 2017. The applicant was selected from national-level talents: Shennong Talents, Jiangxi Province Double Thousand Plan leading talents, Hainan Province South Sea famous, 515 talent project second level, hot science excellent youth, and other candidates.
