At the invitation of Professor Wang Shengli, Professor Nan Zhongren, Associate Professor Hu Yahua from the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Professor Zhang Jinlin from the College of Grassland Agricultural Science and Technology, Professor Christopher Rensing, an Academician of the American Society for Microbiology, visited Lanzhou University for academic exchange. On November 18, 2023, he delivered a lecture titled "Adaptive mechanisms of strain Achromobacter sp. As-55 to arsenic/antimony exposure" at Room 1615, Guanyun Building, Lanzhou University. The lecture was hosted by Professor Wang Shengli.

During the presentation, Professor Christopher Rensing provided insights into the contamination and hazards of As/Sb, as well as the transformation mechanism. He discussed research findings and progress related to "Enrichment of As/Sb resistant bacteria and responsive and adaptive mechanism of Achromobacter sp. As-55 to As/Sb," "Characterization of an As/Sb responsive transcriptional regulator MarR," "As/Sb response and adaptive mechanisms of the spontaneous mutant of As-55," and "Long-term laboratory adaptive evolution of Achromobacter sp. As-55." Throughout the comprehensive presentation, Professor Rensing maintained a lively spirit, elucidating the theoretical framework and methodologies of studying microbial interactions with heavy metals. Drawing on the specific challenges of heavy metal pollution in a mining area in Hunan, he provided unique insights.

Following the lecture, Professor Christopher Rensing engaged in interactive discussions with Professor Wang Shengli, Associate Professor Hu Yahua, Professor Zhang Jinlin, Researcher Shi Zunji, as well as undergraduate and graduate students present at the event for nearly an hour. Professor Rensing also toured some laboratories in the College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, fostering further discussions on potential collaborations. Faculty and students expressed immense gratitude for the enlightening lecture, noting that Professor Rensing's research on the interaction between microorganisms and heavy metals provides valuable guidance for the ecological restoration of heavy metal-polluted soils and mining environments in Gansu and other regions of China, broadening the academic horizons of those in attendance.