Yi Xiao was a postdoctoral researcher working in the lab of Steve Long at the University of Illinois. His research aimed to predict leaf photosynthesis with a computer, especially the effect of leaf structure. For the RIPE project, Yi worked to develop a computer tool to infer the effects of different anatomical features on leaf photosynthesis, thus identifying potential targets for improving leaf photosynthesis. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Science and Technology of China and went on to complete a doctorate in computational biology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Yi’s work has been published in Plant, Cell & Environment and Journal of Experimental Botany.