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

Tracking Cancer Cells

Prof. SHI Qinghua of the Institute of Life Sciences, a part of the University of Science and Technology of China, and Dr. Randall W. King at Harvard Medical School have successfully unveiled the birth path of aneuploid cells that may cause cancers, through a movie telling the segregation and growth of human cell lines and using molecular biological techniques. Published in the October 13 issue of the journal Nature with an accompanying comment, the finding provides an important clue for tracking the origin of cancerous cells.

Two scientists tracked down the cell segregation process, and examined the composition of cells’ chromosomes, using time-lapse imaging approaches and molecular biological techniques. They revealed that when a cell missegregates a chromosome, it also inhibits cytokinesis, producing a tetraploid cell. A tetraploid cell would cease to segregate on a normal occasion. If the segregation continues, there is the possibility to produce the cells with errors in chromosome number, which may eventually cause the occurrence of tumors.  

Prof. SHI told reporters that as the findings were obtained in an in-vitro cell culture environment, further studies are needed to confirm whether the same mechanism exists in human and animals, and to explain how cells tell an error in chromosome segregation and inhibit cytokinesis, and what factors determine if a tetraploid cell shall continue to segregate. His lab is working hard to address these issues, and hopefully will come up with theoretical evidences for alleviating the tortures of aneuploid diseases on humans.

MOST-AMD Cooperation

Not long ago, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) inked a Memorandum of Understanding to transfer key microprocessor designing technologies. According to the MOU, AMD will transfer the key X86 processor technologies to a microprocessor R&D center under Peking University, in a move to allow China making new innovations and breakthroughs on the x86 platform, and the associated commercial applications.

MA Songde, Vice Minister of Science and Technology, CHEN Xiaoya, Vice Minister of Education, XU Zhihong, President of Peking University, and Hector Ruiz, AMD Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer attended the signing ceremony. AMD also signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education for a RMB 6 million contribution to support education and information activities in the poverty-stricken areas of China’s middle and west sections.

“AMD, a global major provider of advanced microprocessors, transfers its technology to a Chinese R&D institute, which allows China to integrate the proven x86 technology in designing proprietary micro chips. The event will greatly shorten the development cycle, and make the chip development keep abreast with the main trends”, said MA, Vice Minister of Science and Technology, at the ceremony.

China-France Discuss Industrial and Agro Reforms

The 10^th China-France Forum on Enterprises Reform and Agricultural Issues, co-sponsored by the Finance and Economy Committee and the Rural Area Committee, both under the Chinese National People’s Congress, and France Economic and Social Council, was held October 17-19, 2005 in Chongqing. Some 100 Chinese and French representatives attended the event. LIU Yanhua, Chinese Vice Minister of Science and Technology, delivered at the meeting a speech calling for strengthening proprietary innovations, intensifying the intellectual property protection, and facilitating the economic development and social advancement.  LIU added that thanks to many-year efforts, the S&T cooperation between China and France has resulted in a fine pattern made up of exchanges and cooperation in multiple fields and disciplines, and at different levels. China is currently in a critical period to strive for the full-fledged construction of a well-off society, in dire need of advanced technologies. As one of economic and S&T powers in the world, France has numerous advanced technologies and findings worth China learning. In this context, strengthening S&T cooperation between the two nations benefits the common development.

The forum, started from 1995, is held once a year by either China or France in a rotational manner, to discuss issues concerning enterprise reforms and agriculture, in an attempt to expand exchanges and cooperation between the two nations, and accelerating their respective S&T and economic development.

China-Russia Strengthen Regional Economic Cooperation

Not long ago, a China-Russia forum on regional economic cooperation was held in Wulumuqi. Some 100 participants from Beijing, Xinjiang, Ningxia, Shaan’xi, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, and the Siberia Branch and the Far-East Institute, both under the Russian Academy of Sciences, attended the event. The forum received 29 papers and heard verbal presentations by 14 Chinese and Russian experts. The participants discussed the latest development in the regional economic and technical cooperation, and pondered on the issues concerning petroleum based energy cooperation, high tech studies, developing special industries, commodity trade, banking and investment. Participants also made proposals and reach some consensuses on cooperation modalities and approaches, strategies to address problems, and targets and priority areas for future cooperation. Apart from strengthening communications and exchanges, and enhancing mutual understanding and friendship, the event also produced the proposals that can be considered by decision makers in the future economic and technical cooperation between the two nations. After the meeting, participants visited high tech businesses in Wulumuqi, and Russian representatives held talks with their counterparts at local research institutes and universities.

Successive Copper Reserves

A project to develop a successive resources finding technology for large copper mines, a key initiative under the National Key Technology Program for the 10th Five-year period, has achieved noticeable progresses. The project revealed the property differences of inner rocks deeply rooted in the Tongling Fenhuangshan copper mines, through an analysis of the surrounding geophysical tectonics. The findings provide reference evidences for further prospecting. Researchers made a prediction of new target areas based on the latest mining clues, using combined geological, geophysical, and geochemical approaches. Through an integrated analysis of the abnormalities comparing the newly found abnormal areas with the primary areas, and the existing mines, researchers predict a copper reserve of 500,000 tons or above, based on the scale and quality prediction of the exposed mines in the abnormal areas. A test drill along the 108-109 section south of the Kangjiawan Mine validates the prediction for over 600,000 tons of metals and 1,000 tons of silver in three lead and zinc mines. Using the same technique, the Shandong Zhaoyuan Xinzhuang Gold Mine validates 5 potential mining sites, of which two have produced high gold content ores. The efforts provide valuable scientific evidences for locating the second gold rich site in the area, with a predicted gold reserve amounting to 50 tons, promising a fine economic and social prospect.

Animal and Poultry Bone Utilization

Value added utilization of animal and poultry bones, a project to turn scientific findings into commercial applications under the state financing, has found solutions to address an environmental pollution caused by animal and poultry bones, and turned the wastes into high quality protein resources. The project processes the fresh and uncontaminated animal and poultry bones into high value-added animal proteins, through high temperature disinfections, degreasing, and enzyme hydrolysis. To meet the market demands, researchers worked out bone proteins in solid, liquid, low salt and high salt forms, and rolled out 3 meat-flavor essences, two nutritional soup recipes, and one chicken bone gourmet powder. The implementation of the project realized the sustainable development of the breeding and processing industry, effectively expanded industrial chains and facilitated the agricultural restructuring.

The project has registered an aggregate revenue of RMB 17.39 million, of which RMB 7 million derived from R&D, and RMB 2 million from technology services and training. It also reaped a net profit worth RMB 2.92 million, in addition to the tax payment of RMB 250,000.

Phase II Super Rice Grow Well

In 2005, China’s phase II super hybrid rice breeds can hit the expected target, reaching 12 tons for per hectare yield, or 2.25 tons more compared with the current yield level, said YUAN Longping, Director of the National Research Center for Hybrid Rice Engineering, at an international seminar on commercial applications of hybrid rice held recently in Nanchang, Jiangxi. YUAN added that if the hybrid breeds could grow over an area of 13 million hectares, an additional 30 million tons of grains would be produced to feed a population of 75 million people.

YUAN and his colleagues are currently working hard to bring out phase II super hybrid rice breeds, and have achieved encouraging progresses. Some of the breeds developed from the efforts promise the potentials to hit a yield of 13 tons per hectare. A most promising breed recorded a level of 12 tons per hectare in four experimental plots in 2003, and maintained the same level in 12 experimental plots in 2004. In addition, the National Research Center for Hybrid Rice Engineering applauded a substantive progress made in developing phase II super hybrid rice breeds. A newly developed breed featured with a short production cycle has registered a yield of 10.3 tons per hectare in 2004, and expects to hit 10.5 tons in 2005.

Striving for More Innovative Drugs

The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology launched in July 2002 a formal initiative to work on innovative drugs and the modernization of traditional Chinese medicines. Up to date, the project has resulted in 22 new drug certificates, with 27 others in the process of applying for new drug certificates, and 115 drugs entering clinical trials. In the meantime, researchers are making pre-clinic studies of some 100 innovative drugs with promising perspectives. Also derived from the project are 6 R&D platforms for drug development, 3 biotechnical platforms, and 2 platforms for traditional medicines’ quality control and standards. All these platforms constitute a preliminary network for innovative drug R&D at the national level. The efforts have led to 35 patent grants from 114 international applications, and 175 grants from 529 domestic applications. In addition, the project trained 265 doctoral students and 427 master’s students, with 43 research topics financed by a special doctoral fund. The initiative produced 1,573 papers, of which 172 were collected by SCI, and 34 monographs.

Unveil Blood Cancer Mysteries

A latest study result, published by the No. 2 Hospital affiliated to the Zhejiang University School of Medicine in a recent issue of the online journal Blood, shows that the protease Shp-2 in PTPN11 contributes to the occurrence of leukemia.

Chinese researchers analyzed leukemia patients’ blood specimens, leukemia cells from diverse ethnic groups, and corresponding PTPN11 sequence in normal human blood cells. They also studied Shp-2’s expressions and functionalities. Researchers observed an abnormal distribution of Shp22 and excessive expressions in leukemia cells. On the contrary, Shp-2 would comfortably distribute in cytoplasm, when in normal blood cells. In leukemia cells, proteases Shp-2 massively invade in cell membranes and cores. The discovery indicates that Shp-2 can be a new drug target in treating leukemia.

MAPGIS Supports Manned Space Landing

MAPGIS, a large Chinese made software platform developed by Zhongdi Company affiliated to China University of Geosciences, offers a state-of-the-art rescue information system for the return of the Shenzhou 6 capsule. As the latest version of MAPGIS geographic information system, the platform provides support for data communication, decision making, and information inquiry. It collects and consolidates the spatial information concerning the areas adjacent to the landing sites, and provides information needed for searching and decision making. With the information and data it provided, the search teams reached the main landing site soon after the capsule hit the ground, which ensured the safety of the astronauts.

Zhongdi provided 4 sets of its MAPGIS for the Shenzhou 6 mission, 2 for the launch site, one for the landing control center, and one for the search vehicles. It also sent out a 4-member team to assist the Xi’an Satellite Control Center to test and tune the software.

China Largest Wetland Museum

China’s largest wetland museum opened at a national nature conservation zone in Momoge, Jilin. Occupied an area of 2000m², and with an investment approaching RMB 10 million, it took two years to complete the construction of the museum. The new museum is designed of comprehensive functionalities for collection, popular science education, scientific research, and entertainment. It has collected over a thousand specimens of wild animals and plants, in addition to some thousand pictures. The establishment of the museum will facilitate wetland protection and research activities, desirable for popular science and ecological educations.

Physically located at a junction linking Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia, the nature conservation zone occupies an area of 144,000 hectares. 80% of the area presents a typical feature of wetlands. The zone has drawn great attention of international organizations for environmental and wetland protection.  As an important migrating path for migrant birds in east Asia, Momoge is also of a great value for scientific research and protection.

       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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