New hope for lake rooted in aquatic plants

Scientist pioneers use of weeds to improve water quality in ecological test

It's hard to imagine when seeing Yu Dan — dressed like a common worker, usually in crumpled, untidy clothing, splashed with mud or soaked with water — that he is a professor at a famous university.

Yet Yu is a professor at the College of Life Sciences of Wuhan University in Hubei province.

His life has revolved around aquatic weeds since the 1990s.