In the fields and laboratories of Qianhuiwu Village, Wangui County, Heilongjiang Province, Associate Professor Zhou Yingyu from Professor Lu Weihong’s team at the School of Life Sciences and Medicine, Harbin Institute of Technology, is a particularly busy figure.With solid research capabilities and a strong sense of responsibility, she has delivered an impressive record of social service in the practice of rural revitalization.
In September 2025, Zhou Yingyu was invited to participate in a research and outreach visit to Qianhuiwu Village. At sites such as the earthworm farming base and the organic vegetable cultivation pilot site, she drew upon her expertise in food science and ecology to offer practical technical recommendations on key issues, including “the efficient treatment of livestock and poultry manure using earthworms and the production of high-value earthworm castings as fertilizer.” These suggestions helped establish a scientific foundation for the project’s initial development. During the research visit, she engaged in in-depth discussions with the village committee members as well as enterprise leaders, gaining a precise understanding of the industrial development needs at the grassroots level and identifying key entry points for subsequent scientific research efforts.
Following the conclusion of the field research, Zhou Yingyu’s team immediately launched a specialized study on the bioactive components and pharmacological properties of cold-region earthworms. After more than three months of dedicated experimental analysis, the team achieved breakthrough results: the bioactive components of cold-region earthworms were found to target 359 disease-related sites, demonstrating significant potential in areas such as neuroprotection, inflammation regulation, and tumor intervention. Among these, earthworm kinase shows broad application prospects in the field of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health. The completion of this *Analysis Report on the Active Components and Pharmacological Properties of Dried Cold-Region Earthworms* not only provides a solid scientific basis for the high-value utilization of cold-region-specific biological resources but also propels the project from the “survey and fieldwork” and “experimental analysis” phases into a new stage of commercialization focused on “product development.”
On December 6, 2025, Zhou Yingyu once again participated in a thematic symposium to discuss the implementation and commercialization of the project with relevant officials and members of the village-based work team. The project utilizes cattle manure from the local beef cattle farming industry as a substrate; every 10 tons of manure can support the cultivation of 1 ton of earthworms, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 23 tons. This approach not only achieves the resource utilization of agricultural waste but also aligns with Heilongjiang Province’s requirements for rural industrial development and green development. Currently, with technical support from Zhou Yingyu’s team, the research team has initiated the development and validation of health products, helping the earthworm farming industry in Qianhuiwu Village transition toward large-scale, standardized, and high-value-added operations.
