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No.326

 
 
 


CHINA  SCIENCE  AND  TECHNOLOGY
NEWSLETTER
The Ministry of Science and Technology
People's Republic of China


N0.326 March 30,2003
 
IN THIS ISSUE

* China's 10% Due for HapMap

* CAS' New Development Strategies

* Galaxy Supercomputer Series Made Weather Forecast

  Better

* The Largest Transonic Wind Tunnel in Asia

* Genetic Diagnosing Chip

* 600 Million for Collider Upgrading

* Chinese Base for Oceanic Studies

 
 SPECIAL ISSUES

China's 10% Due for HapMap

It is reported that the scientists from the mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan have recently kicked off their “Chinese volume” for the International HapMap Project. As a follow-up to the previous international human genome project, HapMap constitutes another major endeavor in the field of genome studies. Scientists will, on the basis of the previously completed human genome sequence maps, define their forefathers' genome maps that have been passed from generation to generation and their types and distributions in different ethnic groups, and label out the maps.

In October 2002, the representatives from five countries including China, USA, UK, Japan and Canada officially launched the project in Washington D.C, USA. As agreed upon, USA will work on 31% of the project with 25% for Japan, 24% UK, 10% Canada and the rest 10% for scientists from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Chinese scientists will mainly work on No. 3, 21 and 8 chromosomes under HapMap. It is disclosed that Hong Kong University, Hong Kong Science and Technology University and Hong Kong Chinese University will jointly take a portion of 2% and Taiwan scientists 1.5%.

It is briefed that HapMap will mainly target at the populations in Asia, Africa and Europe by a proportion of 1/3 for each. Chinese Han nationality will make up half of the Asian samples, or 1/6 of the total samples under the project. The new project will eventually provide complete human genome information and effective tools for studying genetic diversity of different ethnic groups, related analysis of diseases and associated genetic information, defining genes that may help to treat diseases, analysis of drug effects and associated side effects and diseases risks, and the origins and evolution history of human beings. The products derived from the project will become the most powerful and economical tools for studying common human diseases.

CAS' New Development Strategies

On March 26, 2003, Mr. Lu Yongxiang, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced that CAS has worked out its development strategies for the new period, covering the following three major areas: leap forward technical innovation development, S&T innovation personnel and sustainable S&T innovation development. He expressed that CAS would practice a three-phase strategy to materialize its strategic objectives of S&T innovation capacity enhancement in a so-called leap forward manner.

As defined by the plan, by 2005, CAS will complete the phase targets of its knowledge innovation pilot projects, making itself the top level domestic S&T innovation base and an internationally renowned comprehensive research institution with remarkably enhanced S&T innovation competence and capacity.

By 2010, CAS shall become a knowledge and technical innovation base of internationally advanced level, making itself the nation's S&T brainpower, a major base for turning out high caliber S&T innovation business and personnel, an important base promoting high tech industrial development, an important source and base for China's modern scientific civilization and innovation culture, and China's major representative in the international scientific community.

Around 2020, CAS will realize the leap-forward development in terms of its S&T innovation level and competitiveness, with its general aspects reaching the internationally advanced level, becoming a comprehensive national research institution of major contributions to the world S&T development, an important strategic force serving the construction of a well-to-do society and accelerating the construction of socialist modernization, and one of the major landmarks demonstrating the preliminary realization of S&T modernization in the country.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
 

Galaxy Supercomputer Series Made Weather Forecast Better

Galaxy supercomputer series that were developed one after another by China Defense S&T University have played an important role in improving China's weather forecasting. Equipped with high resolution medium range weather forecast model of Galaxy high-efficiency software system, Galaxy I has shortened the 24-hour weather forecast process from 10,700 seconds to 3,900 second, which may save an expense of RMB 3 million and more a year. While developing the mainframes of Galaxy II of 1 billion times, the researchers were also working on parallel application software for medium range numerical weather forecast, which made it ready for operation upon its debut at the China National Meteorological Center. It only takes 413 seconds for the new system to work out a 24-hour weather forecast, which has made China now capable of medium range numerical weather forecast for 5 to 7 days.

Since the debut of the first Galaxy III supercomputer system of 10 billion times, the National Meteorological Center has introduced 9 Galaxy III systems in its operational forecasting, which has remarkably improved its forecasting capacity for major natural disasters and produced huge economic and social benefits.

China's Electric Vehicle Forges Ahead

It is briefed by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology that its electric vehicle project under the National 863 Program has achieved remarkable progresses. So far the project has completed the design of five prototype electric car models and some car designers have finished their job ahead of the schedule. The study policies concerning the industrialization of the complete car such as electric vehicles, standards, network lining and vehicle performance testing have also worked out their phase results. In addition, the study of fuel battery motor system has led to breakthroughs in key technologies in making large power hydrogen-air fuel battery sets and system assemble improvement. At present, China has worked out its proprietary fuel battery motors integrated with galvanic pile and air supply systems for different specifications such as 30kw for sedan car and 50kw for autobus. China has also made progresses on magnetism design and control techniques for autobus motor and associated control device, basically meeting the performance demands of such vehicles. The sedan car's electric motor and associated control system have basically worked to their designed functions, though further improvements are expected to upgrade its technical indicators and technical structures.

It is reported that last year six new shareholding enterprises were established with their partners from different backgrounds such as manufacturers, universities, research institutions and banking firms. These electric vehicle businesses including Shanghai Fuel Battery Automobile Driving System Co. Ltd. and Dongfeng Electric Vehicle Co. Ltd. have been contracted to design and develop electric vehicles with their apparent advantages in project management, implementation and financing and played important roles in developing electric vehicles in the country.

The Largest Transonic Wind Tunnel in Asia

Our homemade large-scale transonic wind tunnel is currently the largest of its kind in Asia. The wind tunnel has been applied with the latest technologies in the field with its major technical indicators on structures and design reaching the world advanced level. Since its trial operation from December 1999, the wind tunnel has demonstrated a stable and reliable performance with its simulation approaciing actual flying conditions and achieved numerous innovation findings in the field of air dynamics.

Up to date, China has completed the construction of 40 and more wind tunnels of different designs such as low velocity, high speed, super high speed, shock and lower density, which have formed the largest fully equipped wind tunnel group in Asia that are also rare in the world. The wind tunnel group has rendered important contributions to China's aviation and space industry, new weaponry development and national economic construction. The successful development of the large-scale transonic win tunnel has demonstrated China's internationally advanced design, construction and testing capacity in the field.

Genetic Diagnosing Chip

Beijing Guangbo Century Genetic Chip S&T Co. Ltd. has recently worked out its genetic diagnosing chip technology and associated device that have found a fine solution to differed hybrid temperature readings of genetic chips that cause incorrect results. With apparent merits such as simple operation, low cost and strong distinctiveness, the technology and associated device have created a fine working platform for massive clinic applications of genetic chips.

The technology and associated device have introduced temperature as the 4th dimensional parameter on the basis of 3-D parameter testing of  nuclein hybrid pairs and collected the unwinding temperature of hybrid pairs through reading the variation curves showing fluorescent intensity changes over the dual chains of hybrid pair that will be gradually melt upon the increasing temperature. The technology is able to derive the characteristics of single chain nuclein sample by comparing the said unwinding temperature with the standard nuclein hybrid pair unwinding temperature. Composed of genetic chip, temperature sensor and thermal cycling unit, the device is compatible with many other types of genetic chips.

Life Traces of 1.4 Billion Years Old

Chinese scientists have recently found the traces of primitive marine life of 1.4 years old in collecting mineral samples near the Great Wall that sits over Hebei Province. Experts expressed that the finding was of positive importance to unveiling the life origin and exploring for extraterrestrial. Prof.  Li Jianghai of Peking University discovered the bacteria fossil on spherical and thread shape with the help of electric microscope when he and his colleague were studying the sulfide minerals collected at a place 10km away from the Great Wall in Xinglong County, Hebei Province. After the careful study, Prof. Li believed that these bacteria fossils that have sizes of only several microns or less had existed in the so-called “sea floor black chimney” or the sulfide piles near sea floor volcano about 1.43 billion years ago.

It is briefed that the said ancient bacteria is the oldest of its kind so far discovered in China, which has not only shaken the traditional theory that all living creatures' growth depends on the Sun but also provided geological evidences for the scenario that the early life form on the earth originates from sea floor black chimney.

China's First Adult Insulin Cell Transplant Case

Fuzhou Army General Hospital announced recently that it has successfully made the transplantation of adult insulin cells for treating type I diabetes. On the basis of their 2-year painstaking efforts, the researchers of the Hospital have established rat diabetes model, the first of its kind in Asia and defined the optimal portal vein spot for in-liver insulin cell transplanting and the treating method of non-hormone immune restraining agent. In the meantime, they have also worked out a series of technical solutions to addressing diabetes treatment such as adult insulin digestion and insulin cell separation, purification and effective preprocessing.

The patient who has received the adult insulin cells got her diabetes 9 years ago and had been dependent on insulin injection three times a day to sustain her life.  Researchers transplanted adult insulin cells that were extracted through scientific means into her body in January and March respectively this year. Upon the first transplantation, the patient became able to reduce her  insulin dose by 4/5. In the second transplantation, the patient was able to totally rid of the insulin supply after seven hours of the operation. It is briefed that the searching result of international adult insulin cell transplantation network has shown that the said operation is the first successful adult insulin transplantation case in Asia.

 
 NEWS BRIEFS

600 Million for Collider Upgrading

China is planning to greatly upgrade the performance of its Beijing Positron-Electron Collider with a budget of RMB 640 million in the next 5 years. It is reported that the costly upgrading efforts will create conditions for further exploring the mysteries of micro world and maintaining China's international position in the field of high-energy physics.

It is briefed that Chinese scientists will use the world most advanced dual ring crossing colliding technique to upgrade the collider. The improvement will add one more storage ring to the existing storage ring so as to make its brightness doubled. The raised brightness will lead to the great increase of data, which in turn will improve the measurement accuracy and lay a material basis for achieving major innovation findings. By that time, the collider will surely work out many new findings. Chinese scientists will apply in the upgrading efforts a series of advanced techniques such as radio superconductivity, high power microwave, high accuracy electric magnetic field, high performance superconductor magnetic iron and high accuracy particle detectors.

China's First Nanometer S&T Park

China's first nanometer S&T park, Xi'an Nanometer S&T Park will be established in Xi'an. Occupying an area of 1,000 mu(1mu=0.0667ha.) and with a predicted investment of RMB 1.2 billion, the Park is a large, comprehensive and advanced S&T project invested by Xi'an Lutong S&T Development Co. Ltd., a major Taiwan investor in the city.

The Park will establish a manufacturing base for the nanometer industry related technologies and the key nanometer components manufacturing. Meanwhile, it will attract the presence of nanometer industrial enterprises from both its upper and lower reaches so as to group up an industrial community centering on nanometer technologies. The park will see two-phase construction. In Phase I, the construction will cover an area of 170 mu with an investment of RMB 188 million. When Phase I completes its due, the Park will be able to house 10 and more enterprises, expecting an annual industrial output of RMB 550 million and taxes and profits of RMB 180 million while creating 1,200 new jobs. In the meantime, the Park will turn out a group of high caliber professionals good at nanometer R&D and production activities.

Chinese Base for Oceanic Studies

On March 21, 2003, a national base for oceanic prospecting technology and deep ocean studies was established in Hangzhou. The new base is physically located at the Key Sea Floor Science Lab under the State Marine Bureau and supported by four other operational centers on deep ocean prospecting R&D technology, deep ocean scientific studies, deep ocean technical support and deep ocean technical training. The base will gather together the extensive efforts of domestic universities or research institutions who have their strength in deep ocean scientific studies and engineering technologies, absorbing the participation of overseas high caliber marine institutions and scientists, so as to make the base domestically first class and an internationally advanced open research entity in deep ocean S&T.

Nuclear Power Plant Feeding Call Success

On March 23, 2003, No. 2 generation unit of Phase III Qinshan Nuclear Power Station successfully completed its first nuclear fuel feeding ahead of schedule, which made the generation unit formally into the state of with-nuclear operation.

The reactor pipe container of Phase III Qinshan

Nuclear Power Station has altogether 380 fuel channels. Each channel is equipped with 12 fuel rod bundles and 2 shield and seal plugs. The first fuel feeding that was done manually has accurately and safely positioned 4,560 fuel rods and 760 shield and seal plugs in their desired places.

The installed capacity of Phase III Qinshan Nuclear Power Station is 2x728 megawatts with a designed life span for 40 years and an annual volume factor of 85%. No. 1 generation unit put into commercial operation on December 31, 2002, or 43 days ahead of schedule and kept a full-load safe and reliable running until now, which has effectively eased the power shortage over east China area. No. 2 generation unit is expected to get into grid in June this year, also ahead of its schedule.


       Comments or inquiries on editorial matters or Newsletter content should be directed to:Mr. Cheng Jiayi, Department of International Cooperation, MOST 15B, Fuxing Road Beijing 100862, PR China  Tel: (8610)68512650 Fax: (8610) 68512594

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