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

China-Japan Collaborate on Super-Rice

A joint study team, made up of Qian Qian, a research fellow of the Rice Institute under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Japanese scientists, has cloned out the world first quantitative trail loci (QTLs) able to increase rice grain productivity. Combining genetic analysis techniques and conventional crop planting techniques, scientists have produced a new rice strain for both high yields and lodging resistance. The finding was published in the recent issue of journal Science.

QIAN told reporters that scientists have successfully cloned genes relating to rice yield in a process of analyzing rice genes. The high yield gene is able to make rice grow more vigorously with an apparently increased number of grains, which adds to the subsequent yield. However, such rice may tend to be a heavy head on light stalks, vulnerable for lodging. To address the conflicts between high yield and lodging resistance, scientists mated the high yield genes with lodging resistant genes, and eventually produced two super-rice strains claiming higher yield while resistant to lodging on relatively shorter stalks. Comparing with the finest Japanese rice species in lab, the new strains produced a yield 23% higher than the compared, with equally fine quality.

QIAN pointed out that the finding makes another new breakthrough in increasing grain quantity, in addition to the discovery of the impacts of cytokinin on rice yields. Scientists believe that the finding is a credit to genetic studies relating to corn and wheat yield, as crop plants share many common features in their genomes.

China-US Exchange Young Scientists

Under an initiative of the 11^th meeting of China-US Joint S&T Committee, 29 young American scientists were dispatched to work at Chinese universities and research institutes from June 19 to August 13, 2005. The initiative is mainly designed to allow qualified US graduate students to work with their counterparts at Chinese universities, research institutes, and laboratories, taking advantage of summer vacation time. In a move to facilitate graduate students exchanges between the two nations, enhance friendship, keep the other party aware of China’s S&T accomplishments, and nurture talented people for future exchanges between the two nations, the project creates a new international cooperation channel for Chinese universities and research institutes. The Ministry of Science and Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Natural Science Foundation are the main implementing agencies on the Chinese side, and the US National Science Foundation is the one on the US side.

Based on the practice of similar activities in 2004, this year has seen 29 US graduate students being selected to work at Chinese institutes. They were trained for a week in Beijing, before heading for Peking University, Tsinghua University, the University of Science and Technology of China, and involving institutes affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. They worked with their Chinese counterparts in the fields of biology, life sciences, genetic engineering, and ecological environment protection. This year enjoys an increased number of institutes and fields involved in the exchange activities. 8 US graduate students worked at research institutes located in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Anhui, and Yun’nan.

Showcase to Decode Hair

The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, the City of Science and Technology in Paris, and L’Oreal Group jointly staged a show to decode the mysteries of hair at Beijing based China S&T Museum. MA Songde, Chinese Vice Minister of Science and Technology made the opening speech at the show, a part of the China-France Culture Year that runs from June 30 to September 15, 2005. French Ambassador in Beijing, President of the City of Science and Technology in Paris, and President of L’Oreal Group also addressed the audience. The show bears the fruit of many-year joint efforts in design and development by L’Oreal Group and the City of Science and Technology in Paris. It reveals the mysteries embedded in hair, using vivid objective means such as pictures, models and audio-video contents. The popular science show attracts audience with its detailed, vivid, and interactive displays.

“Decoding the hair” creates a classroom for China’s youngsters to understand the nature, allowing them to absorb more scientific knowledge. The event also plays a role in enhancing S&T exchanges between the two nations in a number of areas, deepening mutual understanding, and promoting cooperation and exchanges. During the show, L’Oreal Group also invited hair stylists to talk to visitors.

GM Cotton Succeeds

On June 15, 2005, experts teamed up by the Ministry of Science and Technology nodded their approval to a genetically modified cotton pilot project in An’yang, Henan.

The project has resulted in five technical platforms, including a national technical platform for GM cotton, a biobreeding technical platform, a new species pilot experiment platform, a support technical platform, and a platform for commercial applications of new species. The project also led to the systematic integration of diverse genetically modification techniques, the establishment of an efficient GM cotton technical system of industrial scale. Researchers screened out 112 new materials for GM cotton, from which 7 are developed into new strains that passed national or provincial verification checks. Derived also from the project are 7 ecological stations for GM cotton, and 150 demonstration sites for growing new species. The project has developed a diffusion network for GM cotton, under which some 25.48 million mu (1mu=0.0667ha.) of pest resistant GM cotton were grown on a combined basis. In addition to a GM cotton seeds breeding and processing system, a national GM cotton testing and monitoring center, and a GM cotton environmental security assessment lab are also established. 

While establishing a national technical platform for GM cotton studies and commercial applications, and landing major progresses in genetic scale and efficiency, the project has provided technical guarantee and support for environmental release of GM cotton and for associated pilot experiments and diffusions, promoting the commercial applications of domestic grown pest resistant GM cotton.

AIDS Enzyme Structured

Not long ago, Prof. TANG Yun at Fudan University unveiled an IN structure model using computational biology, from which scientists can design HIV-I inhibiting medicines.  With HIV-1 integrase as its full name, IN is responsible for HIV-1 integration in human body. It has long been an important topic to reveal its complete structure before working to inhibit it.

Researchers, using molecular simulations in computational biology, developed a structure model showing the compounds made up of full-length IN protein and its viruses and human DNA.  The model unveils the interactions between IN and AIDS viruses and human DNA. TANG said that scientists could expect to produce new anti-AIDS drugs based on the structure model. Future new drugs derived from the model will be named as HIV integrase inhibitors, as IN is the integrase of HIV viruses.

Regulated Physiological Irrigation

Study of regulated crop physiological irrigation and non-sufficient irrigation techniques, a project initiated by the Ministry of Science and Technology under a special agriculture program, has resulted in three techniques relating to crop physiological regulation for water consumption, small-quantity efficient irrigation, and intelligent non-sufficient irrigation. The study also established 4 systems to mirror water consumption indictors under an efficient irrigation mode, crop indictors in an efficient irrigation mode, sensitive indictors for water shortage, and compensation irrigation indictors. Researchers developed crop growth regulator, pressure free local irrigation system, and non-sufficient irrigation predictor for farming applications, and five online supporting products, including digital crop water consumption map and crop non-sufficient irrigation design software. They also worked out modes and operational procedures for non-sufficient irrigation and compensation irrigation. Some of the findings derived from the project have found successful applications in a water efficient farming demonstration staged in Yangling, Shaan’xi and a similar demonstration in Yuci, Shanxi.

Comparing with similar overseas studies, the project produced more comprehensive, enhanced, and more practical findings. It heralded innovations in non-sufficient irrigation predictor, online crop non-sufficient irrigation design software, pressure free local irrigation system, and small-quantity efficient irrigation techniques.

Lean Pork Techniques

A project to transfer and diffuse the technology for lean pork production over the South China area, part of the national efforts to spin off agricultural S&T findings, has turned out a set of lean pork producing techniques, using diverse advanced techniques, including stress genes testing, molecular marking of anti-diarrhea genes, and BLUP pork species screening. The high performance lean pork producing techniques are made up of a range of sub-systems, including diseases control system for production safety, low-copper piglet feeds, and high performance wastes treatment and resources oriented utilization.

The research findings have found applications in 15 demonstration sites. The effort led to the establishment of 5 piglet breeding farms, with a scale of 50,000 heads for each. The demonstration sites have passed ISO9001 and HACCP certifications for quality control. As a healthy agricultural S&T demonstration base, the project registers a range of encouraging data: a daily weight increase of 900 grams, a ratio of 2.45:1 for feeds and meat, a lean meat producing rate of 65%, and an average number of 10.6 heads for piglets from a single pregnancy. The transfer and demonstration of high performance lean pork producing techniques paves way for scale lean pork production.

Attenuated Coccidiosis Vaccine

Thanks to their 15-year efforts since 1990, a research team, headed by Prof. DUAN Jiashu, Department of Zoology, a part of Beijing Institute of Agriculture, has successfully produced an attenuated vaccine to prevent coccidiosis. Beijing Institute of Agriculture has recently inked an agreement with the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences on selling the vaccine to the Lanzhou Veterinary Institute, part of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, at a price of RMB 3 million.

Though similar to the British made Paracox to vaccinate for coccidiosis, the Chinese made vaccine sells at a price only one tenth of its overseas counterparts. China annually breeds a chicken herd of 6 to 7 billion in number. The vaccine, as a worthy bio-vet product tailored to China’s poultry industry, makes itself important both economically and socially.

Screening On-Road Tail Emission

A steering panel responsible for coordinating nationwide clean automobile activities has recently completed the verification of an on-road vehicle tail emission testing methodology. The project represents a key effort to work on clean automobile R&D, and associated demonstration and applications, under a national program for key technologies in the 10th Five-year period(2001-2005).

The research team, made up of scientists from the Guangdong Industry University and China Research Center for Automobile Technology, has rolled out a number of easy application systems for on-road vehicle testing, including light duty gasoline vehicle ASM testing system, heavy duty gasoline vehicle ASM testing system, heavy duty diesel vehicle low-gear ASM testing system, light duty diesel vehicle low-gear ASM testing system, and IM195 and IG195 testing equipment for gasoline vehicles. The project also resulted in seven patent applications. Some of its products have been mass-produced, and found applications in Beijing and Shanghai.

NSF New Business Mode

Not long ago, the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (NNSF) and Er’tan Hydroelectric Development Co. Ltd. created a joint research fund for the development of Yalongjiang hydroelectric projects. The fund is made in an amount of RMB 50 million, shared by two investing parties, with RMB 20 million from NNSF, and RMB 30 million from Er’tan. The research fund will finance, within the next 6 years, core scientific and technical studies involving dam security, dam hub hydrology, riverway environment, security and warning for deeply embedded water drawing channels under high pressure and large flux cranny rock environment, high cliff edge security and warning, and hydraulic energy development and utilization in drainage areas. The establishment of the research fund will allow scientists to study cutting edge issues in water structure engineering, engineering hydrology, rock and earth engineering, and water resources and associated environment, using the Yalong hydroelectric project as a practical case. The research fund expects to produce solutions to the core scientific issues and key technologies encountered in water energy development and utilization in China’s west section. A joint fund as such, invested by NSSF and a major project implementer, will guide and encourage scientists to define their research topics according to national needs. The fund will become a new operational mode of NSSF, improved with constant evaluations and updates.

       Comments or inquiries on editorial matters or Newsletter content should be directed to:

Mr. Mao Zhongying, Department of International Cooperation, MOST 15B, Fuxing Road Beijing 100862, PR China  Tel: (8610)58881360 Fax: (8610) 58881364

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