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A biomimetic membrane allows lithium ion separation by electrodialysis

http://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/chem/202504/t20250427_1042154.shtml

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59188-1

A research team led by Prof. GAO Jun from the CAS Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) , in collaboration with researchers from Qingdao University, has developed an innovative membrane that mimics biological ion channels to achieve highly selective lithium ion separation from complex brines. Lithium, which is essential for batteries and clean energy technologies, is often found in low concentrations alongside high levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium ions.

Inspired by biological ion channels, the team designed a sulfonic acid-functionalized covalent organic framework (COF)—r-TpPa-SO₃H. The membrane’s randomly oriented nanocrystalline structure creates ultra-narrow, winding channels that can differentiate ions based on size and hydration energy. This unique structure enables an unconventional reverse-sieving mechanism that allows the selective passage of Na⁺, K⁺, and even divalent ions like Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ under an electric field while effectively blocking hydrated Li⁺ ions.

In laboratory tests, the membrane demonstrated remarkable Na⁺/Li⁺ and K⁺/Li⁺ selectivity, comparable to that of biological ion channels. Its performance remained stable in complex solutions, including real salt-lake brines. Under electrodialysis conditions, the membrane consistently removed major interfering ions, resulting in a lithium-enriched solution ready for downstream processing.

Launch of a mobile deep-sea aquaculture vessel in Qingdao

http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0418/c90000-20304151.html

A 150,000-tonne deep-sea intelligent aquaculture vessel was delivered for use in Qingdao. The ship is 244.9 meters long and houses 15 breeding cabins with a total water holding capacity of nearly 100,000 cubic meters.

The ship-borne smart aquaculture system is expected to have an annual output of 3,600 tonnes of high-quality fish. The breeding cabins can be used to cultivate fish species such as large yellow croaker and salmon.

The new aquaculture vessel is an updated version of its 100,000-tonne predecessor delivered in 2022. Its predecessor has now already traveled over 17,000 nautical miles. The vessel pushed the aquaculture area from nearshore to deep sea, using high-quality seawater resources for breeding.

QIBEBT-led consortium achieves bacterial degradation of PET bottles to provide terephtalic acid in 97% yield

http://english.qibebt.cas.cn/ne/rp/202502/t20250218_902019.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030438942500353X?via%3Dihub

https://enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1751-7915.13580

A research team from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Nanjing Tech University and Greifswald University, has introduced an innovative solution for the depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This solution utilizes an engineered whole-cell biocatalyst based on the thermophilic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum.

This study builds on prior work, where the research team first demonstrated the concept of whole-cell catalytic PET depolymerization. In that study, the genetically engineered C. thermocellum expressed leaf compost cutinase (LCC) via a plasmid for high-temperature PET depolymerization.

In this study, the researchers integrated LCC directly into the chromosome of C. thermocellum, ensuring stable enzyme expression. They further enhanced the system by introducing LCC variants and co-expressing hydrophobic modules.

By optimizing reaction conditions and controlling pH, the researchers achieved a significant improvement in PET depolymerization efficiency with minimal accumulation of the intermediate product mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (MHET).

When tested with pretreated PET bottle particles, about 97% of the added PET was converted into terephthalic acid (TPA), a key monomer used in producing new plastics or high-value chemicals. This high level of performance positions the system as a promising green solution for PET recycling.

Additionally, C. thermocellum is naturally capable of degrading cellulose, making it a potential candidate for directly processing mixed textile waste that contains cotton fibers and PET.

An exosceleton for mounting climbing tested at Taishan mountain, Qingdao

http://j.people.com.cn/n3/2025/0207/c517455-20273369.html

https://www.recordchina.co.jp/b948125-s6-c20-d0189.html

During the Chinese New Year holiday, a mountain climbing support robot jointly developed by Taishan Wenlun Group and Shenzhen Kenqi Technology Co. was test-introduced in the Taishan Scenic Area. Guangming reported.

According to Taishan Wenlun Group, the mountain climbing support robot can be used in a wide range of areas in daily life and work, such as mountain climbing, fitness, running, walking, and climbing up and down stairs. It weighs just 1.8 kilograms and is ergonomically designed with power, electronics and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. It can sense every movement of the lower limbs and provide support at the right time.

According to the group, it can operate continuously for more than five hours. The product is currently in the trial operation phase, and the company plans to launch 200 units on the market in early March.

A deep-sea salmon farming facility near Qingdao

https://jp.news.cn/20250116/9dc88fa0753f468da2fc4772c53548ec/c.html?page=1

In a large-scale deep sea smart fishery farming facility “Deep Blue 2” in the Qingdao National Deep Sea and Ocean Green Aquaculture Test Area, approximately 400,000 salmon are farmed in farming cages, with a high survival rate and healthy growth.

According to Gu Qihuan, production manager at Shandong Caijing Wanzefeng Marine Technology Co., Ltd., salmon farming requires strict environmental conditions, and it is very difficult to find suitable sea areas for large-scale farming. However, this location is home to 130,000 square kilometers of Yellow Sea cold water mass, and the water temperature in summer is 10 to 16 degrees Celsius, which is very suitable for salmon growth. Deep Blue 2 sinks to the level of the cold water mass less than 30 meters in summer and rises to the surface again in winter.

Deep Blue 2 is 71.5 meters high, 70 meters in diameter, and has a fully submerged farming area of 90,000 cubic meters. It is equipped with multiple smart farming equipment such as an automatic feeding system and an underwater photography system, making unmanned farming in the deep sea and distant ocean possible.

For harvest, schools of salmon are sucked up one after another onto work boats, passed through a fish-water separator, and transported to a workshop for processing. Workers place the salmon in insulated boxes filled with ice and transport them to land overnight for processing and sale.

The freshly caught salmon weigh an average of 3-4 kilograms each, and each harvest is about 5,000 fish. At the earliest, they can be delivered to major cities in China in just over 30 hours.

A combination of FISH and Raman sequencing allows for enzyme detection in environmental samples

http://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/life/202501/t20250110_898273.shtml

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2024.100759

A new technology termed FISH-scRACS-seq (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization-guided Single-Cell Raman-activated Sorting and Sequencing) combines species-targeting fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with Raman spectroscopy, allowing for the direct identification and isolation—from environmental samples—of functional single cells and the enzymes they encode.

The research team utilized this technique to identify the cells, pathways, and enzymes from γ-proteobacteria that are actively involved in degrading cycloalkanes in marine environments. Their analysis uncovered a previously unknown P450 enzyme encoded by Pseudoalteromonas fuliginea, crucial for bioremediation efforts in aquatic ecosystems contaminated by hydrocarbons.

World’s first carbon fiber metro train in Qingdao

http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0110/c90000-20264742.html

The world’s first carbon fiber metro train named “CETROVO 1.0 Carbon Star Express began passenger service on the Metro Line 1 of Qingdao, Shandong Province. The debut of the carbon fiber metro train marks a groundbreaking upgrade in China’s metro train lightweight technology. The carbon fiber metro train is approximately 11 percent lighter, with operational energy consumption reduced by 7 percent. And each train can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 130 tons annually, the CCTV report noted.

The key load-bearing structures of the carbon fiber metro train, such as the car body and bogie frame, are made from carbon fiber composite materials. And this design offers multiple technical advantages, including being lighter and more energy-efficient, having higher strength, better environmental adaptability, and lower operation and maintenance costs throughout its life cycle.

Carbon fiber has advantages such as being lightweight, high-strength, fatigue-resistant, and corrosion-resistant. Its strength is more than five times that of steel, while its weight is less than a quarter of steel, making it an excellent material for lightweight rail vehicles, The use of carbon fiber materials not only enhances the strength of the car body, providing greater impact resistance and extending the structural lifespan, but also improves the vehicles’ vibration reduction and isolation, resulting in smoother operation, reduced noise, and a more comfortable ride.

The Qingdao Metro Line 1 spans approximately 60 kilometers and has 41 stations. It serves as a major north-south backbone line in Qingdao.

Research Centers and universities in Qingdao (incomplete list)

R&D institutions

CAS Institute of Oceanology http://english.qdio.cas.cn/Internation/gjwyh/
CAS Center for Ocean Megascience http://www.coms.ac.cn/home/
CAS Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Environmental Technology QIBEBT http://www.qibebt.cas.cn
Shandong Energy Institute https://english.cas.cn/Special_Reports/Dual_Carbon_CAS_in_Action/Org/202204/t20220402_303477.shtml
Shandong University National Research Center for Colloidal Materials https://nccm.sdu.edu.cn/english/
Qingdao Haier Institute of Industrial Intelligence Co., Ltd. http://www.iecz.cn/content.action?formId=52&dataId=132&columnId=25&parentId=3
Hisense Medical https://medical.hisense.com/html/about_us/rd/
Vland Biotech http://www.vlandgroup.com/en/view/64.html

Universities in Qingdao

China University of Petroleum https://english.upc.edu.cn
Ocean University of China http://eweb.ouc.edu.cn
Shandong University of Science and Technology https://en.sdust.edu.cn
Qingdao University of Science and Technology https://en.qust.edu.cn
Qingdao University of Technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qingdao_University_of_Technology
Qingdao Agricultural University https://en.qau.edu.cn

Photo: Haier Global Creative Research Center in Qingdao

Evonik and Vland Biotech form JV in Qingdao on animal gut health products

http://www.vlandbiochem.com/article-5545-10977.html

On March 14, 2024, Evonik Vland Biotech (Shandong) Co., Ltd. was put into operation in Qingdao, China. The joint venture of Evonik China Co., Ltd. and Shandong Vland Biotech Co., Ltd. aims to develop and expand gut health solutions products including probiotics for farm animals in China. Evonik holds the majority with a share of 55 %.

Head of Evonik’s life science division Nutrition & Care, the Animal Nutrition business line is Johann-Caspar Gammelin.

The joint venture is headquartered in Vland Biotech Innovation Park in Qingdao, China, and Vland’s production facilities in Binzhou, Shandong Province, China., will be utilized.

“Benefiting from the strong innovation capabilities, applied technology expertise and excellent reputation of the two parent companies, we will deliver innovative products and solutions to the market, and create more value for our customers,” says Dr. Wang Xu, general manager of Evonik Vland Biotech (Shandong) Co., Ltd.

A biomimetic membrane allows lithium ion separation by electrodialysis

2. May 2025

http://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/chem/202504/t20250427_1042154.shtml https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59188-1 A research team led by Prof. GAO Jun from the CAS Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) , in collaboration with researchers from Qingdao University, has developed an innovative

Launch of a mobile deep-sea aquaculture vessel in Qingdao

22. April 2025

http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0418/c90000-20304151.html A 150,000-tonne deep-sea intelligent aquaculture vessel was delivered for use in Qingdao. The ship is 244.9 meters long and houses 15 breeding cabins with a total water holding capacity of nearly 100,000 cubic

QIBEBT-led consortium achieves bacterial degradation of PET bottles to provide terephtalic acid in 97% yield

23. March 2025

http://english.qibebt.cas.cn/ne/rp/202502/t20250218_902019.html https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030438942500353X?via%3Dihub https://enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1751-7915.13580 A research team from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Nanjing Tech University and Greifswald University, has introduced an

An exosceleton for mounting climbing tested at Taishan mountain, Qingdao

7. February 2025

http://j.people.com.cn/n3/2025/0207/c517455-20273369.html https://www.recordchina.co.jp/b948125-s6-c20-d0189.html During the Chinese New Year holiday, a mountain climbing support robot jointly developed by Taishan Wenlun Group and Shenzhen Kenqi Technology Co. was test-introduced in the Taishan Scenic Area. Guangming reported.

A deep-sea salmon farming facility near Qingdao

24. January 2025

https://jp.news.cn/20250116/9dc88fa0753f468da2fc4772c53548ec/c.html?page=1 In a large-scale deep sea smart fishery farming facility “Deep Blue 2” in the Qingdao National Deep Sea and Ocean Green Aquaculture Test Area, approximately 400,000 salmon are farmed in farming cages,

A combination of FISH and Raman sequencing allows for enzyme detection in environmental samples

18. January 2025

http://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/life/202501/t20250110_898273.shtml https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2024.100759 A new technology termed FISH-scRACS-seq (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization-guided Single-Cell Raman-activated Sorting and Sequencing) combines species-targeting fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with Raman spectroscopy, allowing for the direct identification and isolation—from environmental samples—of

World’s first carbon fiber metro train in Qingdao

11. January 2025

http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0110/c90000-20264742.html The world’s first carbon fiber metro train named “CETROVO 1.0 Carbon Star Express began passenger service on the Metro Line 1 of Qingdao, Shandong Province. The debut of the carbon fiber metro

Research Centers and universities in Qingdao (incomplete list)

15. December 2024

R&D institutions CAS Institute of Oceanology http://english.qdio.cas.cn/Internation/gjwyh/ CAS Center for Ocean Megascience http://www.coms.ac.cn/home/ CAS Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Environmental Technology QIBEBT http://www.qibebt.cas.cn Shandong Energy Institute https://english.cas.cn/Special_Reports/Dual_Carbon_CAS_in_Action/Org/202204/t20220402_303477.shtml Shandong University National Research Center for

Evonik and Vland Biotech form JV in Qingdao on animal gut health products

18. November 2024

http://www.vlandbiochem.com/article-5545-10977.html On March 14, 2024, Evonik Vland Biotech (Shandong) Co., Ltd. was put into operation in Qingdao, China. The joint venture of Evonik China Co., Ltd. and Shandong Vland Biotech Co., Ltd. aims

Professor Juergen Popp, University of Jena, gives talk at QIBEBT on “Translational Biophotonics”

18. November 2024

http://english.qibebt.cas.cn/ne/ns/202310/t20231027_397294.html On Oct. 27, 2024, Prof. Juergen Popp Speaks, director of the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology and chair for Physical Chemistry at Friedrich-Schiller University, gave a talk at QIBEBT Distinguished Expert Forum

QIBEBT: novel electro catalyst offers hydrogen production from seawater

16. November 2024

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.checat.2024.101169 https://english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/chem/202411/t20241111_694029.shtml Seawater electrolysis has long been seen as a promising pathway for sustainable hydrogen production but has faced significant limitations due to chloride ion (Cl⁻) corrosion, which can degrade a catalyst’s performance.

Green Carbon co-organizes 17th International Clostridium Conference

12. November 2024

http://qibebt.cas.cn/news/zyxw/202409/t20240922_7378447.html From September 19th to 22nd, the 17th International Clostridium Conference was held in Qingdao, hosted by the International Clostridium Conference Organizing Committee, supported by the Bioenergy Research Laboratory of Qingdao Institute of

QIBEBT wins first prize of 2023 Qingdao Technology Invention Award

12. November 2024

http://qibebt.cas.cn/news/zyxw/202408/t20240815_7273375.html The prize was provided on August 16 at the Qingdao Science and Technology Innovation Conference. QIBEBT has focused for many years on the problem of high-performance tire treads which presently rely on

A record high! 15 Qingdao achievements won National Science and Technology Awards

12. November 2024

http://qdstc.qingdao.gov.cn/kjdt/bskjdt/202407/t20240702_8109856.shtml The 2023 National Science and Technology Awards were announced in Beijing. From a total of 262 projects and candidates,15 achievements in Qingdao won the National Science and Technology Award Qingdao hosted and

1 year birthday party of “Green Carbon” with a 2024 National Green Carbon Science Conference

12. November 2024

http://qibebt.cas.cn/news/zyxw/202410/t20241017_7402455.html From October 17 – 19, the first birthday of the journal was celebrated with a conference to which over 100 scientists attended. Signing ceremony of the Qingdao Synthetic Biology Technology Innovation Strategic

CAS QIBEBT screens bakers’ yeast with better antifreeze performance using Raman-based FACS

13. October 2024

https://www.cas.cn/syky/202410/t20241008_5034990.shtml https://doi.org/10.1016/j.synbio.2024.09.004 The quality of baker’s yeast products is uneven, and there is a lack of fast, accurate and cost-effective methods to evaluate its quality of baker’s yeast. The Single Cell Research Center

Sterilized tobacco leaves as biomass source for a biorefinery: CAS QIBEBT

24. August 2024

https://www.cell.com/the-innovation/fulltext/S2666-6758(24)00125-5 https://www.cas.cn/syky/202408/t20240823_5029609.shtml A research team led by Zhang Haibo and Fu Chunxiang, researchers at the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Wang Qian, a researcher

CAS QIBEBT: a homogenous cathode material enhances the life cycle of Li batteries dramatically

24. August 2024

https://english.news.cn/20240826/bcc0b831623a49e590ff4c21d0c6b68b/c.html https://www.nature.com/articles/s41560-024-01596-6 A research team from CAS QIBEBT has developed a new homogeneous cathode material, which will enable solid lithium batteries to have higher safety and superior performance, has not yet been named.

600 kmh MAGLEV nears production in Qingdao, Shandong Province

20. July 2024

http://Xinhua news release, July 20, 2021 Launched in October 2016, the high-speed maglev train has a designed top speed of 600 km per hour and conducted a successful test run in June 2020.

Carbon fiber subway cars shown in Qingdao

27. June 2024

http://en.people.cn/n3/2024/0627/c90000-20186316.html A CETROVO 1.0 subway car is on display in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 26, 2024. The CETROVO 1.0 subway car was launched in Qingdao on Wednesday. With a carbon fiber

Qingdao’s automated wharf loads one standard container per second

26. June 2024

https://japan.visitbeijing.com.cn/article/4IIUyyUiwCY Qingdao’s Port is currently one of the most automated and efficient automated wharves in the world. It began its climb to the pinnacle of global port technology in 2013. In 2017, the

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