China Guomen Times: Thirty years of perseverance, courage and responsibility

Gu Jianfeng from the Ningbo Customs Technical Center has been stationed at the plant quarantine site for thirty years. He is based on absolute loyalty to the Party and the country, supported by top-notch professional strength, and adds vivid footnotes to the struggle of the "National Gate Defender" in the new era with every precise quarantine and strict inspection.
Since stepping onto the quarantine post in 1994, Gu Jianfeng has made safeguarding the biological safety of the country's borders his lifelong pursuit. He was well aware that within the grain of imported wooden packaging, there could be quarantine pests that could destroy thousands of acres of trees. For many years, he has led his team to delve into the microscopic world of plant quarantine, intercepting 21 species and over 1500 batches of quarantine nematodes. They have discovered and named 73 new species, 2 new genera, 4 subspecies, and 13 new recorded species of nematodes, including 9 apple root knot nematodes and Martin needle nematodes, which are the first discoveries in China and have built a solid barrier against the invasion of foreign organisms.  
Located in Ningbo Zhoushan Port, which ranks first in the world in terms of cargo throughput, Gu Jianfeng led his team to actively participate in the construction of a smart customs and the "Smart Customs Strong Country" campaign, facing the challenges of insufficient timeliness in detecting nematodes in imported seedlings, wood, and wooden packaging, and the inability of traditional methods to meet national security requirements. They deeply integrated the accumulated nematode microscopic image library with artificial intelligence technology and successfully developed an intelligent nematode recognition system with an accuracy rate of up to 99%, achieving a qualitative leap from "manual recognition" to "intelligent judgment". He also created a series of rapid detection methods for nematodes, innovatively applying molecular biology techniques to frontline quarantine, shortening the detection time from several days to less than an hour, and promoting the formation of a new paradigm of quarantine with rapid response and precise screening as the core.  
During his 30-year research career, Gu Jianfeng's days and nights spent in front of a microscope have turned into shining academic stars, continuously expanding the scope of nematode research in China. Up to now, Gu Jianfeng has led or participated in 23 scientific research projects, won 1 second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, and 15 other provincial and ministerial level science and technology awards. He has published 8 monographs such as "Smart Eye Identification of Nematodes - Port Quarantine Nematode Atlas", participated in the formulation of 2 international standards such as the IPPC "Apple Root knot Nematode Diagnosis Regulations", and 17 national and industry standards. He has published 203 papers (including 94 SCI indexed), authorized 13 invention patents, and made a loud voice for China in the field of international nematode research.  
Guarding national security requires the continuation and inheritance of generations. For over a decade, Gu Jianfeng has taken the initiative to shoulder the responsibility of passing on knowledge and skills, promoting six national technical training sessions and cultivating more than 500 professional talents, using ingenuity to build a solid talent foundation. In November 2025, the "Gu Jianfeng Model Worker Craftsman Innovation Studio" was included in the key support list of the Ningbo Federation of Trade Unions, opening a new starting point for the inheritance of this cause.  
For 30 years of perseverance and dedication, Gu Jianfeng has created extraordinary achievements in ordinary positions. Looking ahead to the future, he will work with his colleagues to build a strong biosecurity defense line at the national border with technological expertise, and continue to write the loyalty and responsibility of customs officials.