Zhang Hong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher at the Institute of Biophysics, won the Life Sciences Award of the 2026 Future Science Prize. Based on research on Caenorhabditis elegans, his team established a genetic screening system for autophagy in multicellular organisms and revealed the key mechanism by which local calcium signals on the endoplasmic reticulum regulate the initiation of autophagy. Regarding the current technical bottlenecks in the field of autophagy, such as the lack of biomarkers, inability to precisely regulate, and selective removal of substrates, Zhang Hong pointed out that artificial intelligence has limited role at this stage when the basic mechanisms are not fully understood. He emphasized the need to optimize the evaluation system constrained by journal impact factors, return to peer review, foster original innovation, be vigilant against the harms of “resource-based scientific research,” and call for the establishment of a scientific and technological evaluation system, adhering to an original research approach, and maintaining determination in facing the pressures faced by young researchers.