The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has kicked off five research
programs to further its on-going Knowledge Creation Project.
The programs include rice genome sequencing, life science,
biological technology, environmental protection and technologies
for engineering projects.
These programs have strategic significance to the national economy,
the academy announced at a press conference on Thursday in
Beijing.
One of the technologies for the engineering projects, for example,
focuses on the interaction between permanent frozen soil and the
Qinghai-Tibet Railway Project and its environmental impact. Harsh
conditions in the area brought about many engineering problems that
need to be tackled by in-depth research.
Rice genome sequencing stands out as a new endeavor by Chinese
biologists who will decode one of the most important crops in the
world following China's successful participation of the Human
Genome Project.
Xue Yongbiao, vice-director of the Heredity and Growth Institute
under CAS and chief scientist of the genome project, said that the
plans, once completed, may lay a solid foundation for future
biological research in China, the largest rice producer in the
world.
Currently, China has joined the International Rice Genome
Sequencing Plan (IRGSP), an international collaboration involving
the United States, France, Japan and other countries and is
currently conducting research on the whole genome sequencing of
rice.
In
the plan, China will be undertaking the task of sequencing the No 4
chromosome of Japonica, a sub-species of rice named Nipponbare,
which accounts for 8 per cent of the whole sequence.
"We will complete the task of sequencing No 4 chromosome of
Nipponbare early next year," Xue said.
Meanwhile, China is independently carrying out its own plan of
sequencing of rice genome.
Unlike IRGSP, China chose Indica, a sub-species of rice named
Guangluai No 4, as its target of research as the major rice species
cultivated in China are Indica and hybrid rice.
(China
Daily November 3, 2001)