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16 CAS/In Focus Figure 4. CAS scientists have made advances in wheat breeding, developing new varieties including the “Xiaoyan” series, “Chuanyu” series, and “Kenong 199.” Biodiversity and Biological Resources In the field of biodiversity conservation, the most important progress has been the publication of the compilations Flora of China, Fauna of China, and Spore Flora of China. Flora of China, which was first published in 1959 and has been updated regularly since then, is the world’s most comprehensive description of flora. It contains 80 volumes, summarizing 301 families, 3,408 genera, and 31,142 species of plants, providing an in-depth description of vascular plants in China. Advances in conservation have also been made by the Institute of Hydrobiology, which has developed an ex-situ conservation site at Tian’ezhou and conducted captive breeding for the Yangtze finless porpoise, the only successful case of ex-situ conservation for cetaceans (41, 42). While performing biodiversity conservation, CAS also recognizes the importance of better utilizing biological resources. Attention is being paid to the domestication of valuable species, the first step towards sustainable utilization. For example, an elite variety of Plukenetia volubilis, whose seeds contain a specific healthy, edible oil, has been domesticated and registered. In addition, new varieties of orchids as well as of Lycium barbarum, Dendrobium officinale, and Curcuma alismatifolia were certified and/or registered. CAS recognizes that the in depth study of biological resources may identify good candidates for biopharmaceuticals. For instance, indole alkaloids from Alstonia scholaris have been approved by the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration for clinical trials for the treatment of respiratory diseases (43). Oricinoside from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb has been developed as a new antidepressant class 1 drug and approved for phase I, II, and III clinical trials. To achieve improved biodiversity conservation and resource utilization, ongoing basic research in this field is required. In recent years, many research achievements have gained international recognition, including studies on the influence of climate on outbreaks of locust plagues (39), the mechanism of cellulose and hemicellulose metabolism by the giant panda gut microbiome (44), behavioral thermoregulation in turtle embryos (45), germ-line mutational patterns in Drosophila melanogaster (46), and pollination ecology of Cypripedium fargesii (47) . Summary In summary, CAS has made great strides in research at the forefront of both basic life sciences and key applied biotechnologies. These advances can be attributed in large part to mature innovation chains in biomedicine, Research agriculture, industrial biology, and biological resources. Going forward, CAS will continue to extend these innovation chains by placing emphasis on the major frontiers of regenerative medicine, molecular design breeding, bioenergy, and biological resources-based innovations. With its broad spectrum of research, CAS is keen to establish cooperation with domestic and international research institutions, universities, medical institutes, and enterprises to pursue interdisciplinary collaborations. RefeRences 1. F. Sun et al., Cell 121, 1043 (2005). 2. Z. Liu et al., Nature 428, 287 (2004). 3. H. Yang et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100, 13190 (2003). 4. Y. Zhai et al., Nature Struct. Mol. Biol. 12, 980 (2005). 5. X. He et al., Nature 454, 1123 (2008). 6. X. Wang et al., Nature Struct. Mol. Biol. 19, 424 (2012). 7. C. B. Guan, H. T. Xu, M. Jin, X. B. Yuan, M. M. Poo, Cell 129, 385 (2007). 8. A. H. Song et al., Cell 136, 1148 (2009). 9. Y. Li et al., Nature 434, 894 (2005). 10. W. P. Ge et al., Science 312, 1533 (2006). 11. F. Wang et al., Science 334, 693 (2011). 12. K. Zhang, J. Z. Guo, Y. Peng, W. Xi, A. Guo, Science 316, 1901 (2007). 13. S. Tang, A. Guo, Science 294, 1543 (2001). 14. G. Liu et al., Nature 439, 551 (2006). 15. Z. Gong et al., Science 330, 499 (2010). 16. X. Y. Zhao et al., Nature 461, 86 (2009). 17. Y. Shi, Y. Zhao, H. Deng, Cell Stem Cell 6, 1 (2010). 18. R. Li et al., Cell Stem Cell 7, 51 (2010). 19. T. P. Gu et al., Nature 477, 606 (2011). 20. P. Huang et al., Nature 475, 386 (2011). 21. M. A. Esteban et al., J. Biol. Chem. 284, 17634 (2009). 22. L. Kang et al., Cell Metab. 3, 463 (2006). 23. D. Chen et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104, 943 (2007). 24. Q. Qi et al., Diabetologia 53, 2163 (2010). 25. J. Yu et al., Science 296, 79 (2002). 26. Q. Feng et al., Nature 420, 316 (2002). 27. Y. Jiao et al., Nature Genet. 42, 541 (2010). 28. X. Li et al., Nature 422, 618 (2003). 29. Z. H. Ren et al., Nature Genet. 37, 1141 (2005). 30. S. Y. Sun et al., Nature Cell. Biol. 11, 845 (2009). 31. Y. Y. Zhang et al., Cell Res. 18, 412 (2008). 32. X. J. Song, W. Huang, M. Shi, M. Z. Zhu, H. X. Lin, Nature Genet. 39, 623 (2007). 33. E. Wang et al., Nature Genet. 40, 1370 (2008). 34. P. Li et al., Cell Res. 17, 402 (2007). 35. J. Jin et al., Nature Genet. 40, 1365 (2008). 36. P. Savolainen, Y. P. Zhang, J. Luo, J. Lundeberg, T. Leitner, Science 298, 1610 (2002). 37. G. S. Wu et al., Genome Biol. 8, R245 (2007). 38. S. Y. Chen, Y. H. Su, S. F. Wu, T. Sha, Y. P. Zhang, Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 37, 804 (2005). 39. H. Tian et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108, 14521 (2011). 40. W. Guo et al., PLoS Genet. 7, e1001291 (2011). 41. D. Wang et al., Environ. Sci. Pollut. R. 12, 247 (2005). 42. J. H. Xia, J. S. Zheng, L. M. Xu, D. Wang, Prog. Nat. Sci. 15, 149 (2005). 43. S. B. Jian-Hua, X. H. Cai, Y. L. Zhao, T. Feng, X. D. Luo, J. Ethnopharmacol. 129, 293 (2010). 44. L. F. Zhu, Q. Wu, J. Y. Dai, S. N. Zhang, F. W. Wei, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108, 17714 (2011). 45. W. G. Du, B. Zhao, Y. Chen, R. Shine, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108, 9513 (2011). 46. J. J. Gao et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108, 15914 (2011). 47. Z. X. Ren, D. Z. Li, P. Bernhardt, H. Wang, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108, 7478 (2011). CREDIT: PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTE OF GENETICS AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, AND THE CHENGDU INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGY
CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS Research CAS/In Focus Figure 1. Different measures for cooling of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway roadbed: (A) thermosyphons; (B) shading-board; (C) ventiduct embankment; (D) crushed rock covered embankment; (E) crushed rock-based embankment; and (F) bridge substituting for embankment. Resource and Environment Research Resource and environment research is considered one of the most important components in modern science and technology for creating a solid foundation for sustainable socio-economic development. It covers the research areas of geology, geophysics, geodesy, geochemistry, atmospheric science, oceanology, geography, environment science, resource science, remote sciences, and ecology. Under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) framework, there are a total of 27 institutes focusing on this area, with an aggregate research workforce of over 7,000 permanent staff, more than 1,000 temporary staff, and nearly 7,000 graduate students. There are 20 state key laboratories generating observational data: five field station networks—including the Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN), the Chinese Special Environment and Disaster Research Network (SEDN), the CAS Offshore Marine Observation and Research Network, and the Solar-Terrestrial Space Environmental Observation Network and Global Atmosphere Watch (CAS-GAW)—as well as a number of ships carrying out scientific investigations. Solid Earth Science CAS scientists have made great strides in palaeontology and stratigraphy, continental dynamics and deep earth processes, and quaternary and global changes as well as studies of hydrocarbon resources and mineral resources. Example: Palaeontology and Stratigraphy CAS scientists have made exciting progress exploring the origins of life and understanding the coevolution of humans and their natural environment. Stratigraphic studies have shed light on the paleontological mystery of the Cambrian Explosion, known as one of the “top 10 scientific conundrums” among the international science community. Seven of 10 “golden spikes” (GSSP)—exact points in geological time—in China have been defined by CAS scientists, positioning China as a global leader in stratigraphy. Studies on the origin and evolution of vertebrate taxa have allowed existing hypotheses to be modified and improved and provided data to clarify the origin and early evolution of some important vertebrate categories. Geographical Science CAS research in the geographical sciences focuses mainly on the scientific exploration and investigation of national natural resources, geographic differentiation, geographical processes, land and water resources, and regional spatial development and regional planning as well as remote sensing and geographic information technology. Example: Geographical Processes Comprehensive and systematic research has been conducted on geographical processes, such as transformation processes in the atmosphere-surface-soil-groundwater cycle, surface processes related to soil erosion and land use, cryosphere CAS scientists have made exciting progress exploring the origins of life and understanding the coevolution of humans and their natural environment. 17
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