China in Africa

China Bio news release, May 21, 2015

As shown by Zhihe ZHANG, Director of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding by 16S rRNA analysis of 121 fecal samples of 45 giant pandas throughout one year, the animals digest on average 12,5 kg of bamboo leaves and stems per day but have an extremely low gut microbiota diversity similar to carnivorous and omnivorous bears. Thus after 2 million years of evolution on a bamboo-based nutrition, their gut microbiota has surprisingly not adapted.

CAS news release May 20, 2015

The bioengineering company located in Yucheng, Shandong Province, is a leading enterprise for the production of functional sugars and polysaccharides. These are produced from plants as well as through enzyme and fermentation technology. Through cooperation with Tianjin’s CAS Institute of Industrial Microbiology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, and others, technologies such as improved glucosidases, enzyme immobilization, simulated moving bed separation and others, Isomaltooligosaccharide contents in products were increased to > 95 percent, and over 60 kinds of oligosaccharide products were developed.

China Bio news release, May 20, 2015

The team of Dunming ZHU has engineered a carbonyl reductase from Sporobolomyces salmonicolor to reduce several ß-amino ketones such as 3-(dimethylamino)-1-(2-thienyl)-propan-1-one, an important intermediate in antidepressant drugs, with over 90 % ee tot he R- or S-enantiomeric alcohols.

CAS news release, May 20, 2015

Researcher around Yuanye MA developed a novel apparatus designed to train water-deprived mice to detect odors using a go no-go system. With 1 % n-butanol as a test compound, 58 out of 59 mice delivered correct signals in real-time through a touch sensor. With 0.1 % n-butanol, the average correct reaction dropped.

CAS news release, May 18, 2015

The group of Luonan CHEN at the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS SIBS, has proposed a procedure to predict the proression of lung adenocarcinoma by a system biology based analysis of „edge biomarkers“. Edge biomarkers are significantly enriched in relevant biological functions or pathways, implying that the association changes in a network, rather than expression changes in individual molecules.

CAS news release, May 15, 2015

The company, with headquarters in Yunfu Xinxing Wen Science Park, has entered the animal vaccine business in 2002 and participated in many national vaccine projects such as the bird flue vaccine development in China. It has set up a large experimental animal center in Yunfu, comprising an SPF station for egg-related studies, and has some 100 Ph. D. researchers under contract. In addition to the bird flu vaccine, the company offers PRRS vaccine, various swine-related vaccines, coccidiosis vaccines, aquaculture vaccines, Marek’s vaccine, several drugs and Chinese herbal medicines, feed additives, probiotics and a series of branded products.

China Industrial Biotechnology Network, May 15, 2015

The researchers around Dunming ZHU designed variants of l-erythro-3,5-diaminohexanoate dehydrogenase from Candidatus Cloacamonas acidaminovorans (3,5-DAHDHcca) and uses β-keto acids, which were generated from β-keto-nitriles or β-keto-esters using nitrilase or lipase.

CAS news release, May 15, 2015

The group of Jiankang ZHU at the Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS SIBS, has discovered paramutation on tandem repeats in a transgenic Arabidopsis. In addition, multiple gene silencing pathways were involved in epigenetic inheritance and maintenance. The finding is relevant for molecular plant breeding.

CAS news release, May 14, 2015

The method, developed by Yagang ZHANG and coworkers, is based on 3-stage PEG grafting process and leads to, e. g., very good interfacial adhesion of glass fibre – polypropylene composites.

CAS news release, May 14, 2015

The team of Zhong HUANG used Pichia pastoris as an expression system to produce VLPs which were effective aganinst enterovirus 71 (EV71) in mice. Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is one of the major causative pathogens of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), which is highly prevalent in the Asia-Pacific regions.

CAS news release, May 11, 2015

According to Xinhua news, new mandatory standards for automotive fuel are imminent. From January 1, 2016, the 11 Eastern provinces’ vehicle fuels (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Guangdong and Hainan) must meet a national standard of gasoline Ⅴ (E10, containing 10 % bio-ethanol) and diesel (B5, containing 5 % biodiesel).

China Industrial Biotechnology News, May 7, 2015

In view of earlier reports on the mis-use of antibiotics, leading, e. g., to elevated levels of antibiotic metabolites in a high percentage of Chinese school-children, journalists in Shandong province have found that pig breeders use antibiotics such as oxytetracycline, amoxicillin or cephalosporins freely and obtain these antibiotics from „drug store boutiques“ employing unqualified staff. The findings were broadcasted on TV.

China Industrial Biotech News, May 7, 2015

The draft genome of the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) was accomplished by researchers from CAS National Institute of Hydrobiology, Zhongshan University and others. It provides genomic insight into the grass carp’s evolution and vegetarian diet adaptation. The genome map was published in Nature journal.

CAS news release, May 6, 2015

A research consortium in Chengdu has used two end-decorated homopolymers which respond to H2=2 and temperature to achieve thermo dual-controlled drug release. Loaded with doxorubicin, micelles exhibited cellular proliferation inhibition toward A549 cells. The studies were published in ACS Macro Letters

CAS news release, May 6, 2015