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CHINA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2002-12
CHINA
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
NEWSLETTER
The Ministry of Science and
Technology
People's Republic of China
N0.292 April 20,2002
IN THIS ISSUE
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*
China's Breakthrough in Genome Studies
* IT: No.1
Economic Pillar
* Fast Growth of Space Seedlings
* Memorizing Glass
* China's Satellite
Tracking Birds Migration
* China's Nuclear Power
Station
* Breakthroughs in Sea Water
Desalination
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SPECIAL
ISSUES
China's Breakthrough in Genome
Studies
Mr. Chen Zhu, Vice President of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director of National
Southern Genome Center expressed recently that being a
country with 22% of the world population having numerous
independent genomes, China had not only completed its share
for 1% sequencing of human genome but also landed
breakthrough progresses in the studies of human genome
diversity, evolution and genes causing diseases. The past 7
years had witnessed China's construction of a complete
national gene collection and preservation system applied
with gene research means. In some large cities of
the country such as Beijing and Shanghai, people whose genes
have been collected amounted to 5% of the total population
in the city and DNA samples were successfully collected from
diversified sources.
It is briefed that
China's disease causing genome studies have positioned in
the world advanced. In addition to their cloning of single
gene based diseases causing genes, Chinese scientists have
conducted in-depth studies on the structures and functions
of the genes related to leukemia and physical tumors. The
gene position charts for hypertension, type II diabetes and
some cancers have also been completed. In 1997, China
completed partial gene sequencing for human 3P chromosome,
cloned 1000 and more full length genes and sequenced the
genes leading to micro spirillum and staphylococcus.
Now China is studying functional genome on
its own technical platform for gene transcription and
analysis. At present the construction of phase I
Chinese SNP catalog has seen completion and become one of
the most important part of the National 863 Program.
China's SNP analysis of human No.21 chromosome was
also completed.
In the previous year, China
has become the first country in the world that has
independently worked out a complete rice genome sequencing
chart and enjoyed many good news for its studies of diseases
related genes. Chinese scientists have found and cloned IHH
genes causing A-1 brachydactylia, solving the century old
puzzle in the field of genetic studies. Chinese scientists
have also successfully cloned the genes causing type II
opalescent teeth and launched systematic clinic studies of
treating leukemia with arsenic on the basis of treating APL
with ATRA gene modulation.
IT: No.1 Economic
Pillar
At the 2002 China-Euro Forum on
Information Society held in Beijing on April 16, 2002, Mr.
Wu Jichuan, Chinese Minister of Information Industry
disclosed that the added value of Chinese information
industry raised its weight in GDP from 2% in 1995 to 4.2% in
2001 with its growth rate sitting on the top among the
nation's industries in terms of both its speed and economic
scale. Mr. Wu added that information industry became the
number one pillar supporting China's economy with its
expression found in the following aspects:
*
China's telecommunication operation has been built into a
network approaching the internationally advanced level. A
fair and orderly market environment has been preliminarily
created. At present, China's fixed and mobile telephone
networks have been rated the world second largest in terms
of their scales while enjoying the world first for its
number of mobile telephone subscribers. China has put its
CDMA network into operation and realized the digital process
of its mobile telecommunication network. China's
international telecommunication network has gradually been
changed from the satellite based to the optic cable based.
Both China's multimedia data service and IP network have
seen fast and vigorous development.
* China's electronic and information
products manufacturing and software industry have recorded
respective fast annual growth of 20% and 34% on a
sustainable basis. In 2001, China's total industrial output
value of electronic and information products manufacturing
went over RMB 1250 billion, the third place in the world.
China's export volume of electronic and information products
reached USD 65 billion in the same year, or 24% of the
nation's total export volume. China has landed major
breakthroughs in the development of optic telecommunication
and the third generation mobile technologies and witnessed
substantive improvement of its overall level.
* China's economic and social information
process has enjoyed remarkably fast progress. As of 2001,
China's public network based computer information systems
reached 187 in number and public large database 3000 and
more. In the meanwhile, the social possession of
computers in the country has amounted to 35 million sets and
Internet subscribers 33.7 million with radio and TV
broadcasting coverage approaching 94%.
Mr. Wu
pointed out that in the next 5 years, China's information
industry would expect a growth rate higher than 20% with a
doubled market scale against that of 2000 and its weight in
GDP rising to 7% or more. By that time, China's fixed and
mobile telephone networks will sit in the world first place
in terms of their scales with the number of its internet
subscribers among the first fews in the world.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Fast
Growth of Space Seedlings
Chinese scientists
have been impressed by the fast growth of tube seedlings
brought back by China's Divine III spacecraft. These
seedlings have recorded a growth rate 5 or even 7 times that
of the normal seedlings in a short period of ten days.
It is briefed that these seedlings are China's
first seedling payload returned for land applications and
diffusions, though China has tried seeds payload during the
spacecraft's previous flights. After returning to the earth,
these seedlings have shown vigorous growth of 3-5 cm on
average, or 5 to 7 times taller than that of the normal
seedlings, which demonstrates that the spacecraft has a
well-established life supporting system with its
temperature, light and air meeting the normal growth
requirements of plants.
Being the ones from
grape, bramble and orchid, these seedlings will be grown in
the greenhouse this Fall. The grape seedlings are
supposed to be shifted to adult grape vines in the next
Spring and bear their fruits in the same year. Up to date,
China has developed 12 space plants including wheat, rice,
tomato, green pepper, cucumber and etc. The so-called space
plants are those that have gone through the experimental
phase upon the verification check of the state authorities
concerned for scale growing. At present there are quite a
number of large space vegetable growing bases over the
provinces such as Hebei, Gansu, Shandong and Sichuan.
New Hope for More Knowledge of DNA
The Institute of Environment and Engineering
for Cold and Arid Regions under the Chinese Academy of
Sciences has recently announced one of its major
breakthroughs in paleontological DNA molecule studies. The
Institute discovered DNA molecules from ancient plants
buried in frozen earth over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
capable of extraction, augmentation and sequencing. The said
development has provided important means for obtaining
genetic information of paleontological DNA molecules and
study of biological evolution, and made scientific
interpretation of species evolution possible.
As is briefed by Dr. Lin Qing who involved in
the studies, the negative temperature conditions of frozen
earth over the Plateau and closed burying environment have
well preserved DNA molecules in the plants and prevented
matter movement. As a result, they have obtained
corresponding genetic information from mammal fossils
unearthed from the frozen earth area. Dr. Lin has extracted
DNA matter from a plant of 1500 years ago and he discovered
from further studies that the DNA has not only contain
decomposable DNA of small molecule amount but also the one
of large DNA amount, which means that two sequencing can be
worked out from the said DNA molecules. Further
analysis has proved that the said plant originated from the
same family of today's pondweed (Potamogeton L). In addition
to these plants fossils unearthed from the frozen earth area
of the Plateau, ancient vertebrate samples collected from
the same sources call for further studies.
Memorizing Glass
A red glass of
long shine capable of memorizing has recently been worked
out by Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry under the
Chinese Academy of Sciences, which marked a new progress
achieved by China in the field of illuminating displaying
material.
It is briefed that said glass was
made of red illuminating material of long shine with special
techniques. When treated with high energy radiation of short
wave ultraviolet ray, X-ray and Y-ray, the glass may
automatically memorize words or pictures above it. When
shone by daylight and other long wave light sources, it may
reproduce the words or pictures that it has stored. The said
technology is of fine application perspectives in high tech
fields and will be able to record an entire encyclopedia
book on a nail size glass. In addition, it can intactly
preserve dynamic 3-D images for a long time.
China's Satellite Tracking Birds Migration
Not long ago China published its research
result on tracking down birds' migration activities with
satellite technology. Named as Biological Studies of
Turtledove Protection, the said project was jointly
launched by scientists from both China and the United Arab
Emirates in 1997. It is reported that the
turtledove has been listed under protection in Red
Book of Endangered Species published by the United Nations.
The said birds are mainly distributed over
Zhun'ger Basin in Xinjiang Autonomous Region. In the past,
people had no means available to track down their migration
routes, which affected their protection and resulted in
continuously decreased population of the birds in the last
decade.
Dr. Yang Weikang, a
research fellow of Xinjiang Ecology and Geology Institute
involved in the project expressed that to understand their
migration activities, the researchers tied up the birds with
mini signal transmitters weighing about 30-40 grams, from
which relevant data can be collected through satellite based
tracking system. Thanks to their five-year studies
with satellite tracking technologies, they have worked out
the basic migration routes of turtledove. In mid-September
each year turtledove will start off from Zhun'ger Basin
(their reproduction base) heading for the direction of west
or northwest. When entering the border of Kasakhstan, they
will be divided into two groups respectively heading for the
southern section of Iran and northern section of UAE as well
as for the southern part of Pakistan. The birds will return
in the next March to their reproduction base via similar
route.
NEWS BRIEFS
Joint Gene Studies
As is revealed at the International Conference
on Human Genome held not long ago, Chinese scientists would
soon kick off two collaborative research projects
respectively with their US and Japan counterparts in the
field of gene studies. It is briefed that Chinese and US
scientists will launch the joint studies of SLE (Lupus
Crythematosus), the most serious immune disease that may
attack every part of human body with higher occurrence among
females of Asian origin ( 1: 6 for men to women). Of the
Asian origins, Chinese women have suffered the highest
occurrence (8 or 10 times higher than that of the white
population). The said collaborative study has attracted
positive response from the scientists of both countries.
Internationally renowned US expert
Mary-Klehr·King in the field of genetic
breast cancer studies has joined the team. Chen
Zhu, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said
that he hoped the said project would become a role model for
international cooperation and render its contribution to the
well-being of women population in the world.
The Workshop on Establishing SNP Database for
Asia Population recently co-sponsored by Chinese and
Japanese scientists has attracted the participation of
numerous Asian scholars in the field. Standing for
mononucleotide in English, SNP constitutes the base unit for
genes. Both Chinese and Japanese scientists expressed their
desire to strengthen the cooperation among Asian scientists
through the Workshop and accelerate the establishment of
Asian population gene bank.
China's Nuclear
Power Station
At zero hour April 15, 2002, No.
1 generation unit of Qinshan No. 2 Nuclear Power Plant, the
first home-made nuclear power station for commercial
applications, was put into commercial operation. The
adjustment and preliminary running results have shown that
the said generation unit is of reliable technical and
economic performance with its theoretical calculation value
matching with the values recorded in actual operation, which
has reached the corresponding international level on reactor
designing with some of its performance indicators
approaching or reaching the criteria of Clients' Requirement
Documents prepared by developed countries for future nuclear
power development.
It is reported that with an
installing capacity for two 600,000 kw pressurized water
reactors, the said nuclear island is applied with two
looping circuits (300,000 kw for each). With an
investment of RMB 14.8 billion and a construction period for
72 months, the nuclear power station is designed with a life
span of 40 years.
Breakthroughs in Sea Water
Desalination
Changchun Institute of Applied
Chemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences has recently
turned out its film based sea and salt water desalination
technique, which demonstrated a breakthrough progress
achieved by China in the said field.
It is
reported that the said technique produces pure water or
highly purified water as well as treats contaminated water
through high performance anti-infiltration compound film,
which creates a highly efficient approach to addressing
water shortage and improving water quality. The
Institute started the research as early as in 1989 and put
forward the theoretical scenario that the performance of
anti-infiltration compound film was largely dependent on the
thickness of such films. As a result, they have placed focus
on studying the interface of compound films and created a
number of chemical and physical treatment techniques for
obtaining desirable interfaces.
It is reported
that the said technology has been listed as a major high
tech development in China's 10th Five-Year Plan(2001-2005)
and will soon witness its industrialization.
Chinese Won Top Environment Award
On April 12, Liu Dongsheng, a research fellow
of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics under the Chinese
Academy of Sciences and Prof. Wallas Brook of US Columbia
University were conferred with 2002' Tylor Prize for the
Environment in Los Angles. Mr. Liu is the first Chinese
scientist who was honored with the Prize.
Tylor Prize for the Environment is the top
award in the field of environment sciences, or a Noble Prize
for the field. Founded by John Tylor and Alice
Tylor in 1973, the fund is currently under the supervision
of South Carolina University.
In addition to a
bonus of USD 200,000, the winners are also honored with a
gold medal.
The Third World
Academician Conference in Beijing
It is
reported from the sources of the organizing committee for
preparing 2003 the Third World Academician Conference held
on April 4, 2002 that under the support of the Chinese
government, the 14th Third World Academician
Conference and associated the 9th Academic Conference will
be held in China together with the celebration of the 20th
anniversary of its foundation from October 14 to 19, 2003.
The 14th Third World Academician Conference
will be co-sponsored by Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese
Ministry of Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of
Engineering, National Natural Science Foundation and Chinese
Association for Science and Technology. The said conference
will be chaired by Mr. Lu Yongxiang, President of Chinese
Academy of Sciences and Vice President of TWAS. The
Conference Secretariat will be physically located at
International Cooperation Bureau under the Chinese Academy
of Sciences. With a theme for "Sciences and
Development", the Conference will expect the
participation of 500 to 1000 representatives including
academicians of TWAS, representatives from international
organizations, governmental officials and invited guests.
TWAS' academicians are elected from renowned
scientists of academies, national research councils,
universities and research institutions in the third world
countries. At present TWAS has an academician population of
583 originated from 75 countries and regions in the world.
China has 70 TWAS academicians.
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