INFORM February 2026

34 INFORM FEBRUARY 2026 , VOL. 37, NO. 2

• lipid flavor formation and emulsion technology • lipid nutrition and health Participants shared innovative results from lipidomics, multi-omics integration, new extraction and processing technologies, and nutritional functionality studies. The level of creativity, scientific rigor, and technical sophistication underscored the rapidly expanding talent pipeline fueling the future of lipid science. PANEL DISCUSSION SESSIONS ON LIPIDS AND PROTEINS: WHAT ARE PROBLEMS AND WHAT ARE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS? As an initiative to inspire more discussions and to attract more young scientists to think about the future, two panel sessions were organized: one on lipids and one on proteins. Xuebing Xu from Wilmar acted as the moderator for the lipids panel while Jianping Wu from the University of Alberta, Canada acted as the moderator for proteins. They lead discussions on central issues for both lipids and proteins including: • What are the problems in the field? • What are the potential solutions?

• What are the potential research topics for young scientists to dig into? Each panel had 5-7 distinguished experts. The one hour panel discussion went by fast but the sessions were fruitful with good questions and replies. During the closing ceremony, eight Outstanding Young Scientist Presentations, six Outstanding Graduate Presentations, and six Outstanding Posters were recognized. PRE-CONFERENCE Held on November 7, the Early Career Development Workshop provided students and early-career scientists with guidance on academic development, research ethics, and professional growth. Chaired by Kangming Ma of Eurofins Group, the first session featured speakers addressing research competitiveness, AI-era research ethics, human resource expectations in the lipid industry, academic writing, and scientific career planning. The second session, chaired by Jingjing Fang of SCIEX, focused on AI-enabled research innovation, including applications of AI in experimental optimization, EARLY CAREER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

advanced lipidomics analytics, and robust interpretation of metabolic data. The workshop strengthened the bridge between academia and industry and equipped young scientists with practical skills and confidence for the next stages of their careers. SEE YOU NEXT TIME Overall, the conference received good feedback from the participants. One younger participant made the comment: “We like to join such conferences as we can learn a lot from the workshop, the sessions with updated progresses, and possibilities to present and raise questions for a discussion for interested topics. The panel discussions on the problems and solutions from distinguished experts give a nice chance to learn the frontier issues.” As Xuebing Xu, chair of the China Section, emphasized in his opening speech: We are trying to create more bridges for better communication and better platforms for young scientists to learn, to grow, to be inspired for innovation, and to become a motivated research leader.” We look forward to seeing everyone again at the 2026 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo in New Orleans. We also look forward to seeing you in two years for the 6th congress.