Window to China
The number of Chinese invention patents increased from 40.000 in 2003 to about 630.000 in 2013. Patent applications on plant extracts accounted for about 80 % of the global share. Only 5 % of all patents were also filed abroad. Chinese Bio news release, Oct. 30, 2014
Jujube is a major commercial fruit with nearly 30 milion acres under cultivation, of which China accounts for 99 %. Researchers around Mengjun LIU succeeded in the de novo sequencing of over 98 % of the Jujube tree genome, indentifying nearly 33.000 genes. China Bio news release, Oct. 29, 2014
The CEO of Bayer Crop Science, Mr Liam CONDON, announced that between 2013 and 2016 Bayer will invest about 400 million € in Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Chinese employyes are 2000 at present, and the Hangzhou plant produces over 40 kinds of products, including plant protection chemicals. China Bio news release, Oct. 28, 2014
The fifteen most influential international citation awards” went to researchers from Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Agriculture, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, Xi’an Jiaotong University and Beijing Genomics Institute Shenzhen” China Bio news release, Oct. 28, 2014
The group of Dongzhi WEI at ECUST has made major developments in steroid biotransformation and has, e. g., produced megestrol, a C20 steroid intermediate, at levels of 60 g/L or higher. China Bio news release, Oct. 27, 2014
The group is the world’s largest production base for alginic acid and sodium alginate, for applications in food, medicine and technology. With support from a range of national and provincial programs, the company is now building a large R&D center in Qingdao. The focus will be on food applications through Jihai Nutrition Technologies Co., on marine cosmetics and fertilizers. Functional sugar alcohols are another field of business. China Bio news release, Oct. 27. 2014
In a talk at China’s 18th Biopharmaceutical Drug Development Forum held in Beijing, VP Luo Lu SONG stated that China may have as many as 25 % of the world’s cancer patients, but therapy is mostly based on traditional chemotherapy, and Chinese patients share only a few percent of the global cancer therapy market based on modern targeted therapy or antitumor antibodies.
The group around Xiyun YAN reported that doxorubicin encaged in H-ferritin nanocages was able to inhibit tumor growth in model mice with a single-dose treatment. CAS news release, Oc. 24, 2014
The daily output of the pilot plant used for this feasibility study will be just up to 650 l/day, but market expectations are 1,8 billion l of cooking oil to aviation biofuel per year. China Bio news release, Oct. 24, 2014
With a total investment of about 14 billion Yuan over three phases, supported by Henan Coal Chemical Group and Qinghai Province, eventually 4,65 mill to/y of coal will be turned into 800.000 t of fuel methanol and 60.000 t of methanol yeast, and 3500 jobs will be created. China Bio news release, Oct. 24, 2014