"This recognition is for me and the IPN": En Tao Wang Hu

Reporter: Enrique Soto / Photographer: Israel Vera – May 29, 2025

Dr. En Tao Wang Hu, a leading scientist at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), has been recognized as Mexico’s top researcher in Microbiology by Research.com, a prominent global research ranking platform.

“Microbiology—the scientific study of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses—is key to tackling global challenges in health, food security, environmental sustainability, and climate change,” stated Dr. Wang Hu, a researcher at the IPN’s National School of Biological Sciences (ENCB).

Originally from Hebei Province, China, Dr. Wang Hu highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of microbiology. “Thanks to advances in this field, we now have biofertilizers, biopesticides, and environmentally friendly pest control solutions revolutionizing agriculture,” he noted.

He further emphasized the growing importance of the human microbiota—the community of microorganisms living in the human body that perform essential roles in health.

According to Dr. Wang Hu, IPN’s microbiology researchers operate at an international level, supported by steadily improving research infrastructure that has enabled significant contributions published in high-impact journals.

Dr. Wang Hu earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology from China Agricultural University. He expressed pride in being one of only five researcher-professors in Mexico listed on Research.com’s prestigious ranking—and the sole representative from the IPN. “It is gratifying to see our place alongside researchers worldwide,” he said.

Wearing a white lab coat bearing the IPN emblem, Dr. Wang Hu recalled arriving in Mexico in 1996. After a research stint in the United States, he worked at UNAM’s Nitrogen Fixation Research Center in Cuernavaca, Morelos.

In 1999, he joined the IPN through its Excellence Program, which aims to attract international talent and strengthen research capacity.

At ENCB, he found a supportive environment for research, bolstered by backing from both IPN and Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACyT), now the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology, and Innovation (SECIHTI).

From his Microbial Ecology Laboratory, Dr. Wang Hu noted he has appeared in Research.com’s global ranking since 2022, progressively climbing to first place in Mexico for Microbiology in 2025. His 273 publications have been cited 13,359 times, making him the most cited researcher in his field affiliated with a Mexican institution and placing him at number 1,800 globally.

He also ranked seventh nationally in Plant Science and Agronomy, with 13,300 citations and a global rank of 494.

“This recognition honors both myself and the Politécnico,” he said. “It reflects the breadth and impact of microbiology research we pursue—a discipline poised to address many of humanity’s greatest challenges.” Dr. Wang Hu holds Level III membership in Mexico’s National System of Researchers (SNII), part of SECIHTI.

Research.com is widely regarded as a leading platform connecting researchers, faculty, and graduate students to global conferences and scientific literature. It partners with over 450 universities and research institutions worldwide.

Dr. En Tao Wang Hu’s journey exemplifies how IPN scientists are achieving international recognition, enhancing the institution’s global prestige. Reflecting on his early life, Dr. Wang Hu shared: “Growing up working in agriculture limited my ability to envision new possibilities, but pursuing higher education changed my life. Access to education offers a better chance to improve one’s life and that of their family.”