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Baidu will develop “doctor robot” app

Baidu, the Chinese version of Google, will develop an app which uses a doctor’s voice to respond to patients on their description of symptoms with treatment propositions and information on close doctors or hospitals. The Chinese-language system is based on medical information and communication supported by artificial intelligence.

China Bio news release, August 14, 2015

China becomes world’s largest robot market

According to the China Robot Industry Alliance, China has become the largest robot market in two consecutive years. The sales of robots in China increased by 54.6 percent in 2014 to around 57,000 units, accounting for 25 percent of global total. Data show that nearly 17,000 units were made in China with a value approaching 3 billion yuan (about 474 million U.S. dollars),or an increase of 60 percent from 2013.

CAS news release, August 13, 2015

China will start program on personalied medicine

The program, which is titled “precision medicine” in China, will be started in 2016 and based on a genome database of its population. It will be organized by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences under the auspices of academician ZHAN Qimin.

China Bio news release, August 11, 2015

China will soon launch Jilin-1, carrying 4 commercial satellites

Jilin-1 will consist of four satellites, one for high-definition images, one for testing new space technology and two for video transmissions. Jilin, with its capital Changchun, is one of the country’s oldest industrial bases and is developing its satellite industry as a new economic base.
The province is said to plan the launch of 60 satellites by 2020 and 137 by 2030.

CAS news release, August 11, 2015

CAS Insttute of Oceanology, Qingdao, succeeds to breed albino sea cucumbers, an expensive delicacy

Some years ago, five white sea cucumbers sold at an auction in the city of Jinan for 160,000 renminbi, or nearly $26,000 at today’s exchange rate. Based on the genome sequence of sea cucumbers, sold by this institute and others, the group of YANG Hongsheng succeeded in breeding 150 million white sea cucumbers suitable for aquaculture. In Chinese traditional medicine, sea cucumbers — which are called haishen (海参), or “sea ginseng,” in Chinese — are thought to improve skin texture, reduce high blood pressure and suppress cancer.

CAS news release, August 8, 2015

Shanghai researchers convert fibroblasts from Alzheimer patient into neuronal cells

A team around PEI Gang at Shanghai’s CAS Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology found that human fibroblasts can be directly converted into neuronal cells by a chemical cocktail of seven small molecules. The chemical-induced neuronal cells (hciNs) were similar to hiPSC-derived neurons and TF-iNs with respect to morphology, gene expression profiles, and electrophysiological properties. The protocol was successfully applied to generate Alzheimer’s disease patient fibroblast derived neuronal cells for disease modeling.

CAS news release, August 7, 2015

CAS publishes “Blue Book” on China’s International Competitiveness in basic sciences

Based on quantitative measures for scientific outpout, the authors conclude that China needs to strengthen basic science. Between 2009 and 2013, the number of papers grew by 80 %, but citations are still low (5.3 % of global citations). Global share of Chinese life sciences is only about 2%, while the US share in this subject is around 50%.

CAS news release, August 5, 2015

COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute wins MAKE award

The MAKE award (for Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise) was inaugurated in 1998 as a global research program seeking to identify those organizations which are out-performers by above average growth in intellectual capital and wealth creation. Global MAKE winners are, e. g., Apple, ConocoPhillips, Deloitte, Google, IBM, Novo Nordisk, SamsungGroup, SAP, Siemens, Tata Group, and Toyota. COFCO obtained the prize for job retention marks, for catalyzing innovation, delivering business value etc.

China Bio news release, August 4, 2015

China’s next 5-years-plan (135) for pharmaceutical industry seems ready

The focus will be on medical information including telemedicine information systems, hopsitals with improved management system, support of the medical device industry, in particular for high-end equipment, and enhanced R&D support for Chinese drug makers

China Bio news release, July 30, 2015

Shanghai opens National Center for Protein Science

The center is conceived as one of 12 large national science facilities and located in the Pudong area. Construction cost were 100 million Yuan. Since the start of trial operations in mid-2014, 3.500 researchers from 60 indstitutes and universities across China are said to have carried out experiments in this well-equipped institution already.

CAS news release, July 29, 2015

Tsinghua Holdings and Baoji High-Tech Zone in Beijing sign strategic agreement to build 1.3 billion Yuan S&T Park

The partners will offer space and technology from China’s leading university in various fields of information technology, environmental protection, life science, technology services and knowledge industries, the Internet industry, biomedicine, new energy development, intelligent manufacturing, machinery and electronics, offering intellectual support from talents.

China Bio news release, July 27, 2015

China’s bioindustry maintains 20 % annual growth: Wan Gang

At the 2015 International Conference for Bioeconomy held in Dalian, MOST chef Wan Gang held that the output of China’s bioindustry reached 3,16 trillion Yuan (510 billion USD) in 2014 and will show further strong growth.

China Bio news release, July 27, 2015

National Gene Bank, Shenzhen, opens E-BioBank resource sharing platform

The resource center aims at integrating biological resources. The Sample Library Catalog will provide information on and access to human, animal, plant and microbial resources throughout China. Thus, the Beijing Clinical Data and Sample Repository for Major Diseases, Suzhou City’s Jiangsu Provincial Disease Prevention and Control Center Specimen Bank, Fujian Provincial Tumor Hospital Biobank, Cixian Cancer Hospital Specimen Bank and dozens of other units have already been integrated. China National Gene Bank will also team up with GGBN, ISBER, BBMRI and other international sample library alliances. A website in Chinese is available under http://ebiobank.cngb.org/biobankMember/biobankMember.htm

China Bio news release, July 24, 2015