China in Africa

China Bio news release, May 5, 2015

The sensor incorporates a ST-X quartz cantilever beam, utilizing a differential resonator-oscillator structure, and stability is improved using the phase modulation approach. A high frequency sensitivity of 29.7 kHz g-1, good linearity and a lower detection limit (<1×10-4 g) are achieved in the measured results.

CAS news release, April 30, 2015

The group of Chaoguang TIAN at TIB, using transcriptome analysis for N crassa growing on five major crop residues, found that sporulation regulator rca-1, a transcription factor involved in sporulation, reduces expression of genes involved in cellulose degradation.

China Industrial Biotechnology Network, April 30, 2015

Mogrosides are cucurbitan glycoside based sweeteners and have found to exhibit interesting pharmacological activities. The group around Yuanxia SUN at TIB has elucidated the biosynthetic pathway in mangosteen fruits using transcriptome analysis and have studied first steps to express relevant genes on the pathway in S. cerevisiae.

CAS news release, April 29, 2015

China owns about 90 % of the global seaweed production area and is an important producer of alginates. In collaboration with Fudan University, the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, and within an international project including Japan, Russia and Germany, several types of kelp were collected and genetically characterized, providing clues for breeding.

China Bio news release, April 29, 2015

The case is on because Sinopec refused to sell biodiesel produced by Yunnan-based Ying Ding Bioenergy, and the key issue is if Sinopec abuses its monopoly in transportation oil or if fatty acid methyl esters are chemical products which belong to the plant oil market in which Sinopec holds no monopoly. Mediation was refused by Sinopec, but the Yunnan court seems to favor a mediated outcome of this conflict.

China Bioindustry news, April 28, 2015

As more Chinese companies become export-oriented, the central government has started an information platform which explains regulations and strategies of patents in 28 different countries, showing > 130 typical case studies.

China Industrial Biotechnology Network news release, April 28, 2015

The fund offers special budgets for large-scale capacity building and demonstration plants.

China Bio news release, April 28, 2015

The group around Jin-Huai LIU has developed a test based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined with chemometrics, which allows for an ultra-sensitive and rapid detection of drug metabolites in urine. The portable Raman instrument offers direct readout.

CAS news release, April 28, 2015

The group analyzed acid and sugar content in 364 apple varieties and found that fruit acidity (malic acid content) was more correlated to good fruit flavor as compared to sugar content (glucose and fructose).

CAS news release, April 28, 2015

The law which will come into effect on Oct. 1, 2015, limits pesticide residues in food and veterinary products and states inspection methods and procedures for risk assessment. It is the 3d amendment since 2009.

China Bio news release, April 27, 2015

The 4.700 t ship, which has an endurance of 15.000 nautical miles, is operated by the CAS Institute of Oceanology, Qingdao and will survey deep-sea extreme environments and deep-sea oil, gas and genetic resources.

CAS news release, April 27, 2015

The team of Chenggang HU has resolved, via mRNA sequencing, the stoichometry of this multienzyme complex which degrades cellulose to monosaccharides. They found that at least five post-transcriptional processed sites located in the intergenic regions of the cip-cel operon are specifically recognized by endonucleases, resulting in cleavage of the primary transcript into at least six secondary transcripts. Stability of these secondary transcripts varied widely due to their distinct terminal stem-loop structures, which quantitatively determine the observed stoichiometry.

CAS news release, April 27, 2015

The group around Ting ZHU at Tsinghua University has sequenced metagenomic samples of microorganisms contained in Beijing smog samples. They have traced about 1300 microorganisms, mostly eukaryotes, including Aspergillus fumigatus (1 – 8 % abundance) with pathogenic potential. The relevance of this finding is debated in the media.

China Bio news release, April 23, 2015

Prof ZHOU Canquan and Associate Professor HUANG Jun have reported on the application of CRISPR/Cas9 system to the human HBB gene (β-globin gene) carrying gene mutations causing β thalassemia. They injected a gene construct into 86 three fertilized zygotes of which 71 survived, but no targeted genetic modifications could be observed. The findings were rejected from publication in Science and Nature on grounds of ethical concerns on genetic manipulation of human germ cells.

China Bio news release, April 24, 2015