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

International Technology Transfer Center

Zhejiang University, Zhejiang-California School of Nanotechnology, and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) jointly inked on June 17, 2009 an accord to establish an international technology transfer center in Hangzhou. According to the agreement, the Center will serve as a partner and an agent of UCLA for diffusing UCLA’s patented technologies in China. It is also supposed to raise investment capital and private funds, establishing industrial promotion funds, and encouraging industrial development and application of innovative technologies and new products. The Center will diffuse some 1500 UCLA patented technologies in the area of nanomanufacture, advanced materials, new energy, nano-biomedicine, building construction, materials, energy, photovoltaic cells, biopharmaceuticals, microelectronics, and manufacturing. At the signing ceremony, the US side submitted to the Chinese side the technical documents of the first batch of patented technologies. Both sides have reached preliminary intention of cooperation on earlier prostate cancer diagnosis technique, nanofunctional coating technology, quantum dots biological test technology, human antibody technology, and stem cell treatment technology. The Chinese side submitted to its US partners the technology needs filed by some 100 enterprises in Zhejian for industrial upgrade.

Gender Controlled Piglets

6 male piglets

4 female piglets

Gender controlled piglets, the first of their kind in the country, were recently born at a pig breed farm belonging to Guangxi Institute of Animal Husbandry. Researchers, led by Prof. LU Kehuan at Guangxi University Institute of Animal Husbandry, in collaboration with Guangxi Institute of Animal Husbandry and Guangxi Animal and Poultry Species Improvement Station, collected the sperms from Duroc strains and transplanted them in the local sows. It takes some 115 days for a fetus to become mature enough for birth. Four female adult pigs were artificially inseminated, with two of them having given birth to their babies, and two others near the confinement. 

Prof. LU told reporters that one controls piglets’ gender by taking advantage of the DNA difference between X and Y sperms. X and Y sperms can be separated using flow cytometry, and transplanted into female recipients in line with desired gender control plan. 

New Pathway for Light-Regulated Growth of Rice

A study, led by LIN Hongxuan at Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, achieved a major progress in understanding major genetic properties and functional genes of paddy rice. Researchers unveiled a new pathway for the light-regulated growth of rice, based on the analysis of the functions of OsHAL3, a gene involving salinity resistance. A paper introducing the findings was published in the June 21 online issue of journal Nature Cell Biology, and will also be published in the July issue of the same journal. 

Extensive experiments show that OsHAL3, a gene from the same genetic source of HAL3, is designed with a light-regulated growth mechanism that is different from conventional models. Researchers found that light, especially blue light, suppresses the growth of rice seedlings by reducing the activity of OsHAL3, and that it is structurally inactivated by light through photo-oxidation and by direct interaction with photons. The doubly enhanced light regulation mechanism slows down the division of cells, and hence the growth of rice.

Researchers also found that active oxygen activated by light is of a direct bearing on a flavin mononucleotide (FMN), which explains the disintegration of HAL3. Further study shows that OsHAL3 works with HIP1 and activate the latter, facilitating cell division by recruiting a ubiquitin system, rather than by its 4'-phosphopantothenoylcysteine decarboxylase activity.

Novel Ligase Curbs Viral Infections

The Second Military Medical University Lab led by CAO Xuetao has found Nrdp1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is able to inhibit the production of proinflammatory cytokines but increase interferon-beta production in Toll-like receptor-triggered macrophages. The findings, published in a recent issue of journal Nature Immunology, provide insights into a new molecular mechanism through which human immune cells fight against viruses and place response to inflammation under control.

CAO and his lab independently cloned a new molecule from the human dendritic cell bank in 1998, believing that it is associated with the death of cells. The molecule was then named as a death resistance protein. Three years later, overseas researchers reported a molecule named Nrdp1 sharing the same source with the death resistance protein, and confirmed its association with the apoptosis of tumor cells and the formation of cancers. Researchers led by CAO found that Nrdp1, a novel ubiquitin ligase, directly bound MyD88 and TBK1, two signal molecules that play an important role in immune recognition and regulation, which led to the degradation of MyD88 and activation of TBK1. Knockdown of Nrdp1 inhibited the degradation of MyD88 and the activation of TBK1. Nrdp1-transgenic mice showed resistance to lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxin shock and to infection with vesicular stomatitis virus, suggesting that Nrdp1 functions as both an adaptor protein and an E3 unbiquitin ligase to regulate TLR responses in different ways.

Solar Power Purifies Silicon

Not long ago, CHEN Yingtian and coworkers at the University of Science and Technology of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Physics rolled out the world’s first monocrystalline silicon melt with solar power. CHEN and others invented a solar oven under a new theory of active sunlight optics, able to steadily concentrate 10,000 times or more of sunlight on a tennis court sized area, which can melt a tungsten plate within a few seconds, indirectly confirmed the fact the solar oven can raise the temperature to 3500℃, making high purity silicon melting in an cost effective manner possible.

Glow discharge based tests show that the polycrystalline silicon melt using the novel technique has reached a solar purity as high as 99.9999%. The pollution free approach reduces the electricity consumed in purifying the silicon from 200-400 kilowatt hours per kilo to 30-40 kilowatt hours per kilos, with a reduced cost by half from USD 40-80 a kilo to USD 20 a kilo.

Moon Image Depicted by Microwave Data

Chinese scientists have worked out the world’s first moon image derived from the microwave data sent back to earth by Chang’e I satellite, said JIANG Jingshan, Deputy Chief Designer of China’s moon circling mission and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering at a moon probe and geosciences forum opened recently. Microwave data show that the lunar soil layer has an averaged thickness ranging from 5m to 6m, with a helium-3 resource approaching 1 million tons, rather than 5 million tons as previously expected. 

JIANG proposed to measure the thickness of lunar soil layer using the microwave sounder aboard the moon probe satellite, and obtained for the first time in the world the microwave brightness temperature data across the moon, which resulted in the socalled ’microwave moon’. Researchers examined the impacts of antenna direction pointing to different backgrounds on findings, and found that antenna input temperature would be greatly differed when pointing to different backgrounds, including constellations, sun, earth, and moon. As a result, large errors would occur, if making cold-space temperature a fixed reference. Based on the analysis of the impacts of antenna directing, researchers have obtained relatively accurate brightness temperature data of the moon, and built a natural and real ’microwave moon’.  

Sea Floor Observation Networking Technology

Experiment and preliminary applications of sea floor observation networking technology, a major S&T project led by WANG Pinxian, a Chinese Academy of Sciences academician at Tongji University, passed an approval check on June 23, 2009. The project has rolled out a range of technologies needed for building a comprehensive 3-D ocean observing system including a sea floor observation network. The project has established an East China Sea seafloor observation station in Xiaoqushan, the first pilot system for comprehensive seafloor observation in China. The new system is made up of an ocean landing platform, control and transmission modules, 1.1 kilometer long seafloor optic cables, and base station components, including ADCP, CTD, and BOS.  It is a visual information system able to collect real-time data, distribute energy supply, control instruments, and conduct online transmission in an automatic manner. The system has been running smoothly for some 70 days since its trial operation starting from April 19, 2009, with a data integrity reaching 95% or more.

Deep Water Oil Driller in Cylinder Shape 
 

Nantong Zhongyuan Shipping Engineering Co. Ltd. completed on June 28, 2009 the construction of a state-of-the-art deep-water oil driller in cylinder shape, the first of its kind in the world. Named SEVAN DRILLER, the internationally advanced oil drilling platform will soon be delivered to its users and put into operation. Designed to work at a water depth of 12,500 feet with a drilling depth reaching 40,000 feet, the platform is positioned by eight propellers. Equipped with the state-of-the-art DP-3 dynamic positioning system and anchoring system, it is able to deal with the rough waves over the North Sea at a temperature of －20℃. It has a deck with a variable capacity up to 15000 tons, and a storing capacity up to 150,000 barrels of crude oil. It only took 24 months for Chinese engineers to have completed the design and construction of the platform, half of the time needed for building the similar platforms by its overseas peers.     

Advanced Rail Heavy Duty Transport

The 9^th International Heavy Haul Conference lifted its curtain on June 22, 2009 in Shanghai. Some 500 participants from rail operators, equipment manufacturers, R&D institutions, designers, and rail industry attended the meeting. Technocrats and experts from 9 member states, including China, the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Russia, Brazil, Sweden, and India presented their papers at the meeting, and visited an innovative findings show organized by Daqin Rail Heavy Haul. A rail technology and equipment show was also staged during the session.  

Daqin Rail Heavy Haul exhibited before the participants its internationally advanced accomplishments made on heavy haul. China has put high speed (200-250km per hour) trains into operation at the trunk lines of Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Haerbin, and Longhai. Meanwhile, cargo trains have extensively been upgraded to a heavy haul capacity of 5000-6500 tons. Chinese rail system has enjoyed a unique transport mode combining speed, density, and heavy haul, attracting fine comments from its peers in the world. In 2008, Daqin Rail Heavy Haul registered a coal transport worth 340 million tons. In 2009, it expects a coal transport reaching 380 million tons, or 3.8 times the original design capacity.   

Largest Tumor Prevention Center in Asia

A project was kicked off on June 27, 2009 in Tianjin to build the largest tumor prevention and control center in Asia. Occupying an area of 8100m², with a floor area of 90,450 m², the Center is scheduled to be completed and put into operation in June 2011. The Center, upon the completion of construction, will become an advanced center for tumor related basic research, clinical diagnosis/treatment, and training. Made up of a range of functional components, including tumor epidemics, tumor popular science, community tumor prevention education, high-risk population, and tumor screening, the new center will benefit more people through its advanced tumor prevention and control system.

High Voltage Optical Current Transformer

Three optical current transformers, developed by a team headed by Prof. GUO Zhizhong at Harbin Engineering University, have recently been put into operation at a 500kV transformer station in Xuhang, Shanghai. Researchers have worked on the transformers starting from 1991, during which they have found solutions to two world class technical puzzles: temperature drift that affects measurement accuracy and stability for a long term operation. The optical current transformers, developed by the team, have passed tests organized by China Grid Institute of Electricity (Wuhan) in line with international IEC criteria. Up to date, 22 such transformers have been put into operation, working smoothly at East China Grid, North China Grid, Mid-China Grid, and Northeast China Gird, at four voltage levels, including 500kV, 220kV,110kV, and 35kV4.

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