The method works by mitochondrial DNA enrichment followed by shotgun sequencing. No PCR step is required for this analysis, minimizing errors. Only 10 % of the diversity detected by this method was reported by other procedures so far. Xin ZHOU et al, GigaScience 2013, 2:4 doi:10.1186/2047-217X-2-4
Beijing Institute of Technology opens Municipal Cellulose Engineering Research Center
The center will be committed to the functionalization of plant biomass such as cellulose. The Office of the Chinese Cellulose Industry Association Ccommittee will be located in the center. China Chemical News, March 28, 2013
Ningbo group develops graphene-hydroxyapatite bioceramics with long-term stability in orthopedic surgery
Professor LI Hua of CAS Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences published on such biomaterials with excellent biological and mechanical performance. Yi LIU et al., J. Mater. Chem. B, DOI: 10.1039/C3TB00531C
600.000 t Biodiesel plant under construction at Xinhe river, Jiangsu province
The project is a joint venture of Jiangsu Hengshunda Bio-Energy Co. and Sinopec. Investment is 2 billion Yuan, and 500 jobs will be created. China Bioindustrial Network, March 26, 2013
CAS Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering develops „neuron transistor” (vFET)
The architecture of the thin-film transistor is based on a floating gate and an algorithm which weighs multiple input signals. Only above a certain threshold, the transistor opens its gate, thus permitting neural network applications. CAS press release, March 26, 2013
China-US consortium publishes genome draft of “common wheat”
A team composed from researchers of CAS Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Beijing, of BGI in Shenzen and of UCLA Davis has sequenced and established a draft map of the wheat A-type genome (Triticum urartu), the oldest of the 3 genomes occurring in hexaploid modern wheat plants Hong-Qing LING et al., Nature (2013)doi:10.1038/nature11997
SINOPEC wins title of Key Laboratory for Microbiologically Enhanced Oil Production (MEOR)
Based on nearly 15 years of laboratory and field studies (e.g., 10 production plants in Shengli oil field alone), the company is now considered the national leader in this area. China Industrial Biotechnology Network, March 25, 2013
CAS Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics develops single-cell oil process starting from lignocellulose
The team of Professor ZHAO Zongbao used a strain of and synchroneous saccharification of cellulose or corn straw, reaching a yield of 0,13 g/l/h and a triglyceride with C-16 and C-18 fatty acids mainly. China Industrial Biotechnology Network, March 25, 2013
China’s share in 400 billion USD global biomedical materials market is only 2 %
According to experts attending the 2013 China Summit on Biomedical Material Innovation in Shanghai, the 11 % growth rate of this market is not reflected in China’s share, and more efforts are required to expand R&D in this area China Industrial Biotechnology Consortium, March 22, 2013
Chinese consortium develops inexpensive L-PLA polymer resistant to 120 °C
Guangzhou Bio-Plus Materials Co. and CAS Ningbo Institute of Materials Engineering and Technology have developed a procedure to foam L-PLA, using CO2 or butane, resulting in a PLA polymer which is heat-resistant up to 120 °C and can be used in vacuum molding of tableware and boxes. CAS press release, March 22, 2013