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

Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on S&T Cooperation

The 2nd session of China-Japan-Korea Ministerial Meeting for S&T Cooperation was held on May 24, 2009 in Tokyo. A Chinese S&T Delegation, headed by WAN Gang, Chinese Minister of Science and Technology, was present at the event. Science and technology ministers from three countries discussed a range of regional and global issues of common interest, including adaptation to climate change impacts, new energy, and energy efficiency and emission reduction. Three countries decided to launch a trilateral research program to support substantive collaborations among scientists. The meeting also decided to create a young scientist forum sponsored by the involving countries on a rotational basis, enhancing exchanges among young scientists. At the meeting, representatives from three countries signed a range of documents, including a joint statement, an MOU on collaborative research, and an MOU on promoting scientific exchanges and popular science activities. During the session, WAN held a bilateral talk with Ryu Shionoya, Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and jointly inked an MOU on strengthening the collaborations between the two countries in the area of seismology, allowing more exchanges and joint studies.

China-Korea Joint Committee Meeting on S&T Cooperation

At the invitation of the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Development, a Chinese Delegation, led by WAN Gang, Chinese Minister of Science and Technology, visited the Republic of Korea May 22-23, 2009. WAN and Ahn Byong Man, Korean Minister of Education, Science and Technology Development, co-chaired the joint committee meeting. Both sides reviewed the latest S&T developments in both countries since the last session. Both sides agreed to kick off a China-Korea joint research program, along with a range of new projects on energy efficiency and emission reduction, climate change, and biotechnology. Both sides agreed that efforts shall be made to reform and strengthen the China-Korea joint research center. Both sides reached consensus on enhancing joint studies in the area of basic sciences and associated commercial applications, and worked out a detailed cooperation plan for the purpose, in a move to push the cooperation heading for a direction of practical applications. Both sides expressed that efforts would be made to facilitate S&T cooperation and exchanges between local government, research institutes, and universities, in addition to enhancing such exchanges among young scientists. Both sides briefed the other side of the latest S&T development and S&T policies in their respective countries. During his stay in Korea, WAN attended a ceremony to publicizing a souvenir booklet on China-Korea S&T cooperation, and visited Seoul National University Automobile Research Center and a Samsung R&D center for mobile telecommunication.

Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Pig Somatic Cells

A research team, led by XIAO Lei, an associate research fellow at Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, has recently successfully turned pig cells into pluripotent stem cells that can grow into any cell types needed, like embryonic stem cells. This is the first effort in the world to harvest pluripotent stem cells from ungulate animals, rather than from sperm or egg cells. The study, published in a recent issue of Molecular Cell Biology, creates a new ground for establishing human inherited disease models, providing gene-modified animals for human organ transplantation, and breeding pig species resistant to swine flu.

Researchers reprogrammed the cells separated from a pig’s ear and bone marrow using transcription factors, and eventually induced pluripotent stem cells. Further tests have shown that the stem cells can grow into the cells like embryonic stem cells, and differentiate into cell types of all three germ layers. The efforts will make future studies in the area easier. XIAO said that researchers will work on gene-modified pigs, in an attempt to provide organs needed for transplantation, improve pig species, and raise pig’s resistance to diseases.   

Super Telescope Passed Approval

LAMOST, a super large telescope independently designed and made by Chinese scientists, passed a national approval check on June 4, 2009 at an observing site in Xinglong, Hebei, part of CAS National Astronomic Observatories. Having a height up to a 15-storied building, the telescope is an optic system made up of a 3.6m reflecting Schmidt corrector and a 4.9m spherical master lens. LAMOST has 4,000 fibers at a shot, connecting to 16 real-time data recorder. Designed to make 1.5-hour observation a night, the telescope has an available large focal plane that may accommodate up to 4,000 celestial spectrums. In the coming 3-5 years, scientists will collect the spectrum data of 2.5 million stars, 2.5 million galaxies, 1.5 million luminous red galaxies (LRGs), and 1 million quasars within an area of 24,000 square degrees. A range of new technologies, including thin mirror and mosaic mirror active optics, two large mirrors in the same system, and 4000-fiber based high precision positioning, are applied for the first time in the world.

New System for Evaluating Traditional Prescriptions

A system, jointly developed by No. 2 Hospital under the Military General Hospital and Guoyao Pharmaceuticals to evaluate traditional Chinese medicinal prescriptions and associated drug utilization, will soon find its application in 15 hospitals in Beijing. The new system, designed to evaluate TCM prescriptions at a full and large scale using information technology, makes an effectively solution to the partiality of random sampling, providing needed data and evidences for formulating government drug policies.

The system is built on an array of modules, including pharmacy, drug management, call center, short message based compliance management, networking, mobile drug name dictionary, prescription review and approval, prescription evaluation, and drug utilization. Tuberculosis patients, and patients who had transplantation surgery or have chronic diseases can enjoy real-time or non real-time drug consultation service through short message based compliance management function provided by the system. One may also automatically screen new drugs, search for the needed drug information on a real-time basis, and have a full-range drug review and assessment. 

Enhanced Thermal Expansion of Metal Nanowires

Thanks to the support of the National 973 Program initiated by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, “Hundred Talents Program” launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Natural Science Foundation, a study team, chaired by FEI Guangtao, a research fellow at CAS Institute of Solid State Physics, has achieved a major progress in studying thermal expansion of metal nanowires. Researchers studied the effects of scale, phase structure, and direction on metal nanowires imbedded in the pores of porous alumina templates, using the primary X-ray method. Study results show that the macro thermal expansion behavior of metal nanowires is associated with three factors: inherent thermal expansion of nanowires, restricting effects of surface tension and templates, and excessive vacancy left by depositing metal nanowires. In the context of the nanowires having the same diameter, the thermal expansion coefficient is not associated with phase structure. Researchers also found that the changed shape of vacant lots left by the heating process may result in different thermal expansion of copper nanowires before and after heating.     

Examining 8-Inch Wafer under Microscope

Not long ago, a microscope based 8-inch wafer examination system made its debut at a commercial application center affiliated to Beijing Institute of Automation Technology. Before this, the Institute has rolled out large mechanical arms for silicon wafer and wafer loader. As a new mechanical arm developed by the same Institute, the new system is equipped with a transmission unit, a macro examination unit, and a microscope. The entire system is operated under the 3rd generation computer program.  

One makes a preliminary check of wafer by instructing the mechanical arm to take out the wafer from the cassette and place it on a vacuum absorbing tray, turning the wafer using a mouse and pressing a key. The microscope in the system is able to detect tiny changes on the wafer, including grains, injury, and contamination. Applied with a straight vacuum absorbing structure, the flexible microscope platform is able to produce an enlarged observing effect by 40-1000 times. It also allows diverse wafer examination modes, including wafer ID, wafer notch direction, wafer spinning angle/speed, and wafer crystal lattice.   

Service Robot

During the 9th National S&T Week, a 2009 RoboCup, sponsored by the University of Science and Technology of China, was held May 16-17, 2009. The event attracted the participation of more than 30 competition teams from seven countries, including China, the United States, Japan, and Brazil. The competition, made among family robot team, four-foot robot team, and man-like robot team, was viewed by primary and middle school students and other interesting audiences.

The University of Science and Technology of China made the debut of its service robot at the competition venue. Being 1.5m tall and weighing 30kg, the robot is made up of a base, arms, and an array of sensors. Applied with a voice recognition program and a range of advanced functions for understanding natural language, automatic reasoning, task planning, movement planning, sensing, and control, the robot comes out of its counterparts for being capable of understanding natural language and reasoning. It is able to understand simple language, make a simple conversation with people, recognize simple gestures, and sort out its acquaintances in the crowd. It can be asked to find things or capture things as required.  

Magnetic Suspension Artificial Heart Pump

Shandong University Magnetic Suspension Research Center, in collaboration with Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital under the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, has recently rolled out the prototype of magnetic suspension artificial heart pump, the first of its kind in the country. It is a suspension artificial heart pump applied with an optimized system enjoying the strength of both permanent magnetic suspension and electromagnetic suspension for reduced power consumption and heat. Long and consecutive experiments show that the pump has a work temperature up to 33℃under normal indoor temperature. The rotor can be in a full suspension state at 5 free degrees, allowing a suspension precision under 10μm. When disturbed, the rotor can be restored to a balanced state within 0.1 second. Researchers also developed a system to detect the shift of rotor’s position, preventing sensors from contacting blood. The project was financed by the National S&T Support Program and the National 863 Program.  

Chinese Made Space Telescope

With the support of the National 973 Program, CAS Institute of High Energy Physics and Tsinghua University have jointly developed the prototype of China’s first space telescope. Applied with a range of proprietary innovative technologies invented by Chinese scientists, including direct demodulation and probe based direct imaging, the space telescope produces an improved quality and precision, compared with its counterparts currently available in the world, with a cost that is only one fifth or even one tenth of the latter. The space telescope, as scheduled, will be launched around 2010, allowing China to discover more black holes and large-mass celestial bodies before the United States and Europe launching a new generation black hole probe.

Advanced Techniques for Nuclear Fusion Diagnosis

Advanced technique for stable Tokamak plasma diagnosis, an international S&T cooperation project at the national level, has recently passed an approval check. The technique was jointly developed by researchers at CAS Institute of Plasma and Princeton University Plasma Lab. Four sets of diagnosis equipment were developed for the purpose, along with a range of advanced key techniques for plasma diagnosis, numerical modeling, and data analysis for EAST physical process. The efforts are important for raising the level of EAST experiment.     

China’s First Petaflop Computing Center

It was reported at a news conference sponsored by Shenzhen Municipal Government that the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology has officially approved to build a national super computing center in Shenzhen. With an investment worth RMB 200 million from the state treasury, the petaflop computing center, located near Shenzhen University, will be put into operation at the end of 2010. The new super computing center will serve as a platform for S&T service, industrial innovations, R&D, and training, playing a role facilitating the implementation of national S&T projects, industrial innovation, digitized urban management, and basic research.   

Rescue Robot for Mine Applications

A rescue robot designed for mine applications, the first of its kind in the country, recently made its debut in Tangshan Municipality, Hebei. The development made China the second country in the world possessing the technology after the United States. According to a briefing, the robot is able to walk past explosives and obstacles, wade through water, position on its own, and collect/transmit image data, providing needed evidences for rescue activities. According to a briefing, the Chinese government will spend RMB 400 million purchasing rescue robots designed with mine applications. Commercial applications of the new robot will provide a powerful technical support for coal mine safety.  

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