The team of Professor Xueta CAO found that only those hepatocellular carcinoma patients with high expression of liver retinoic acid inducible gene (RIG-I) responded well to an interferon treatment.

China Bio news release, January 14, 2013

The team around Professor Shiping WANG has optimized grapevines for over 20 years, looking for plants growing in rainy areas, at high groundwater levels and at low light conditions. By using a “root restriction” technology and shelters shed with bamboo slices, 33 promising new varieties were developed.

China Bio news release, January 14, 2013

The enzyme was purified from an Anoxybacillus sp isolated in Lunma hot spring, Yunnan Province. The optimum temperature is around 60 °C, and optimum pH between 5.6 and 6.4. The enzyme was expressed in Bacillus subtilis, with an activity of 42 U/ml medium. The crystal structure showed an .alpha.-amylase family structure.

China Industrial Biotechnology Network, January 14, 2014

Breeding was started 1954 but accelerated in 2008. New varieties such as „North Hope“ etc. are optimized for high fruit sugar content ( soluble solids content over 22% ), moderate acid content, early fruit, high yield, hardiness and disease resistance.

CAS news release, January 13, 2014

The Neodynium-based catalyst for isoprene polymerization is utilized to nearly 100 %. Polymerization time is less than 3 hrs, and cis-content of the rubber is over 97 %. Catalyst cost is lower than $ 800/to. The process is covered by 73 patents.

China Bio news release, January 13, 2014

Peptides such as epinecidin-1 isolated from the fish show activity against MRSA and promote wound healing, angiogenesis etc. Activity is probably based on a positively charged overall structure which disrupts bacterial cell membranes.

China Bio news release, January 13, 2014

Academician Fuchu HE, President of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, announces that, by 2014, the China Human Proteome Project will have covered all major diseases. By 2015, China will have put into operation the Phoenix project, by far the largest Chinese investment in the life sciences, which provides a national infrastructure for proteome research at leading universities and academy institutes.

China Bio news release, January 13, 2014

The director of the center will be Professor Hung WU, dean of Peking University’s College of Life Sciences. Apart from joint research activities with Bayer personnel, Bayer will sponsor a „Bayer Chair“ and a „Bayer Scholar Award“.

China Bio news release, January 11, 2014

The plasmid was isolated from 29 archaea strains and named pHRDV1. Ist size is 13 kbp, and it has 19 ORFs. It also carries three polymorphic virus protein genes.

CAS news release, January 9, 2014

Compared to four other genome annotation services, the program was able to annotate 87 % of all gene functions, with only 13 % oft he time required for manual comparison, and was applied, for comparison, to six kinds of genomes.

CAS news release, January 9, 2014

By analyzing the genomes of six strains of N. oculata, it was found that high producers carried multi gene copies (11) of diacyl glycerol acyltransferase (DGAT), of which 10 originated from algal symbionts. The origin of some genes may have come from horizontal gene transfer from bacteria.

CAS news release, January 10, 2104

In an article published in Lancet on Dec. 13, 2013, high-rank officials acknowledge that China’s air pollution is a major risk factor for public health including lung cancer and point on the 5 years’ plan on “National Ambient Air Quality Standards” with investments of 277.5 billion USD to reduce air pollution, among other features, to PM2.5 (see “Window-to-China” September 2013).

China Bio news release, January 8, 2014

Xiaqiu LIU et al., PNAS 2013, 110 (29) 11928-11933 PNAS

D-Tagatose is a preferred sucrose substitute with GRDAS status. A recombinant new enzyme originally isolated from Pediococcus pentosaceus transforms L-arabinose to D-tagatose with 52 % conversion rate at 50°C and pH 6.0 in 24 hrs without any browning side reaction.

CAS news release, January 7, 2014

The group of Professor Ning LI, Professor and Academician of the CAE, has established herds of cows which express human lactoferrin or human whey protein in their milk. Other achievements are transgenic minipigs.

China Bio news release, January 7, 2014

The mother company, CITIC Medical and Health Group, is the largest antibody drug development and manufacturing enterprise directed towards cancer, transplantation and autoimmune diseases. The nomination by the National Development and Reform Commission implies the company to function as a leader for innovative antibody drugs.

China Bio news release, January 7, 2014

On spraying two types of filamentous cyanobacteria on sites at the Qubqi desert, researchers around Dr Chunxiang HU observed succession of vegetation communities. As a next step, 133 km2 will be attempted to recoveer over the next 5 years.

Shubin LAN et al., Environ. Sci. Technol., DOI: 10.1021/es403785j

Within the „Herbalome“ project, an attempt to catalog all active ingredients in TCM, the compound was isolated at CAS Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics from a Corydalis plant (poppy family) which is used in TCM since centuries. It acts against D2 dopamine receptors, not on the morphine receptor.

CAS news release, January 3, 2014

From a thermophilic microorganism which grows at high salinity, a glycolipid biosurfactant was produced at 23 g/L yields which was tested at the Changqing Oilfield and showed promising emulsifying activity and good stability.

CAS news release, January 3, 2014

The Guangdong-based company specializes in medical implants and regenerative biofilms for orthpedica materials, bone filling materials, artificial esophagus, ligaments, spinal membrane pateches etc. Under a license with Orthocell, an Australian startup, the company has introduced ACI (autologous chondrocyte implantation) technology. It cooperates closely with hospitals in the Guangdong area.

China Industrial Biotechnology Network, January 2, 2014