Window to China
The proposed new rules concern storage, transportation and labeling of GM-food. Provision, production and management of genetically modified foods should be identified. Failing to identify products, production tools, equipment and other items will be fined five times higher than now, and in serious cases manufacturing license will be revoked. China Bio news release, Dec. 31, 2014
The PR8 virus was adapted to Vero cells by continuous passaging, resulting in a Vero-adapted, high-yield PR8-4mut virus as a promising candidate for an influenza-vaccine donor virus CAS news release, Dec. 31, 2014
BGI, one of the largest service providers on genome sequencing and analysis, claims to have done genetic testing on 82 million people already through its worldwide organization. China has 17 million newborns each year, the official rate of birth defects is 5.6%. With the further liberalization of the two-child policy, one million children may be born each year with birth defects, a large proportion of which carries defects caused by genetic factors. As a consequence, BGI has built a learning and communication platform for genetic diseases, containing the latest research results on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of about 30 types of genetic diseases. China Bio news release, Dec. 31, 2014
Executive VP is LI Shousheng who is also executive VP of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association. Major positions in the committee are held by influential academicians such as TAN Tianwei, OUYANG Pingkai, CHEN Jian, CAO Xianghong and WANG Xieqing. Head of the Advisory Group is CAO Zhuan. China Bio news release, Dec. 31, 2014
In the first 2 years phase, the center will be built on about 1 – 2 km2, with an investment of 1,5 billion Yuan (200 mill. €). Main partner is Tsinghua University, Beijing, and the focus will be on biological wastewater treatment, followed on technologies for air pollution control China Bio news release, Dec. 30, 2014
The Qingdao company, specialized in Nylon products, claims that in a sterile environment their 3D printer provides a survival rate of cells of 92 %. Print size is 300 × 250 × 150mm, print thickness 0.1mm-0.2mm. China Bio news release, Dec. 29, 2014
On New Year 2014, the Chinese search engine Baidu created a „heat map“ of these trips provided by the smartphones of their 200 million subscribers. The densest knods on this map are Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong/Shenzen. CAS news release, Dec. 29, 2014
Researchers at the CAS Institute of Hydrobiology, Wuhan, have demonstrated that Chlorella sp. C2 can utilize nitrite and NOx as a nitrogen source, concomitant with the ability to accumulate lipids. The study was done at Sinopec’s Shijiazhuang refinery. China Bio news release, Dec. 29, 2014
The group of Xuefeng LU has established the mechanism by which N. oculata regulates its metabolix flux towads lipids under N-limitation. Using transcriptomics, it was shown that storage polysaccharides such as limarin compete with the formation of triacylglycerols. Under N deficiency, membrane lipids were tansformed into TAG, adding to effects of enhanced acetylCoA synthesis and reduced ß-1,3-glucan formation. CAS news release, Dec. 26, 2014
Lichi are the most important export fruit of China, but 20 % is lost by decay after harvesting. The group of Hongxia QU at South China Botanical Garden found that epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG, extracted from green tea, is a powerfull stabilizer and antioxidant which, after soaking the dry fruit in a 0.05 – 2 % solution, improves stability and reduces browing. China Bio news release, Dec. 26, 2014