
FAQ About Tu Youyou

How did Tu Youyou discover artemisinin?
Tu Youyou discovered artemisinin through a methodical screening process of traditional Chinese herbal remedies. After researching ancient texts and experimenting with various extraction techniques, she found that a low-temperature extraction process of the sweet wormwood plant preserved the antimalarial properties. This led to the isolation of artemisinin in 1972, which proved to be remarkably effective in treating malaria.