Dr. Xingen Lei received his B.S. and M.S. in China, and Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He was among the first to demonstrate nutritional and environmental values of supplemental phytase in improving feed phosphorus utilization. Lei developed a new generation of bacterial phytases that are used worldwide by the feed industry. Lei also pioneered nutritional genomics of selenium in pigs and chicks, and revealed dual roles of selenium in oxidative stress and diabetes. Lei discovered novel enhancers to improve iron nutrition of pigs. Lei authored over 400 publications, advised over 130 graduate students, postdocs, and visiting fellows, and served on panels for NIH and USDA, the NRC Committee on Mineral Toxicity, the CAST Task Force on Biotechnology and Manure Nutrients, and 9 Editorial Boards. Overall, Lei’s creative research on minerals has demonstrated clear benefits to animal agriculture and the environment.