Genome research: In the frontier field of genome, China began to go to the world. Chinese scientists have undertaken the sequencing of human genome 1%, becoming the sixth country to formally participate in the international human genome cooperation program after the United States, Britain, France, Japan and Germany, and the only developing country to join the program. More than 800 full-length cDNA800 of new functional genes have been cloned, and many domestic and foreign patents have been applied. It proves that the genome of East Asians originated in Africa like other modern people. North and South Human Genome Research Centers have been established one after another. Recently, China Academy of Sciences has made great progress in rice genome research, published the frame sequence of rice genome, and took the lead in completing the work of chromosome 4 in the international cooperation of rice genome sequencing. China has also become a major participant in microbial genome sequencing. So far, the whole genome sequencing of six microorganisms, including leptospira, has been completed.
Disease-related gene research: Chinese scientists have made full use of the advantages of human genetic resources and made a series of progress in the localization and cloning of disease-causing genes in recent years. First, a breakthrough was made in the cloning and functional study of the pathogenic genes of acute promyelocytic leukemia, then a number of pathogenic genes of single-gene diseases such as deafness and short finger (toe) were cloned, and recently the genes of type II diabetes, essential hypertension and nasopharyngeal carcinoma were located. Recently, many genes and gene markers related to the occurrence and development of primary liver cancer have been discovered by using gene expression profiles and biochips.
Other frontier fields: In recent years, China's life sciences have also made many world-class achievements in biochemistry and molecular biology, neurobiology and evolutionary biology. For example, antibacterial genes related to sperm maturation and protection were found, and the cognitive behavior of Drosophila was similar to that of higher animals, and a new reproductive mechanism of plants to prevent self-pollination was observed for the first time. In terms of phylogeny and flora evolution, 255 volumes of Fauna and Flora of China have been completed, which have been highly praised by international peers.
Key areas of biotechnology research and development: genetic breeding of high-yield and high-quality crops, transgenic technology and animal cloning, bioreactor, gene and protein engineering vaccines and drugs, gene therapy, etc.
Agricultural biotechnology: China is in the leading position in the world in the research and combination application of super hybrid rice, and has bred a number of new two-line subspecies hybrid rice combinations, which have better realized the combination of heterosis and ideal plant type. The yield of super hybrid rice combination is increased by 15%-25% compared with the hybrid rice combination currently used in production. In 2000-200 1 year, 3 million mu of super hybrid rice was popularized, and the yield of high-quality rice increased by 300-400 million Jin. High quality wheat varieties have been popularized. In the research and development of plant genetic engineering, there are transgenic storage-resistant tomatoes in China. Five self-developed transgenic plants, such as Petunia, antiviral sweet pepper, antiviral tomato and insect-resistant cotton, passed the national commercial production license, and more than 20 transgenic plants entered the stage of environmental release. In 2000, the planting area of transgenic crops (mainly transgenic cotton) in China reached 500,000 hectares, ranking fourth in the world. At the same time, the research system and safety evaluation system of transgenic plants in China have been basically established, including the upstream part with genetic research as the main body, the midstream part with plant genetic transformation as the main body and the downstream part with biotechnology breeding as the main body.
Good progress has been made in genetic engineering of agricultural microorganisms, including genetic transformation and application of microorganisms such as insecticidal, disease-resistant, symbiotic and combined nitrogen fixation. At present, China is the country with the largest release area, the largest variety and the widest research scope of agricultural recombinant microorganisms in the world, and its achievements have been widely concerned by scientists from all over the world. There are more than 40 kinds of agricultural recombinant microorganisms declared in China and approved by the Agricultural Bioengineering Safety Committee.
It has also made gratifying achievements in the research and development of animal biotechnology: the research on genetically modified fish has reached the international leading level; Obtained transgenic animals that produce human medicinal proteins; A large number of cloned animals such as goats and cattle have been obtained, and the production level has reached the international advanced level. In addition, some genetically engineered vaccines for livestock and poultry have reached the stage of commercial production.
Medical biotechnology: After years of efforts, the genetic engineering drug industry has begun to take shape, and 18 products have been approved for marketing, 2 1 products have entered the first and second clinical phases, and 35 products are under pre-clinical development. The market share of products is increasing. For example, the domestic market share of interferon α 1b has reached 60%. The therapeutic hepatitis B vaccine is emerging: the blood-borne hepatitis B antigen-antibody complex has been approved for special clinical trials; Genetically engineered hepatitis B antigen-antibody complex is about to enter clinical trials, and the results have been patented in China and internationally. A new triple vaccine is currently being developed. The technology of artificial blood substitute has been successfully transferred, and a pilot-scale base has been built, and successive batches of products have reached the quality control standards. Through the combination of Industry-University-Research, China's genetic engineering pharmaceutical industry has more than 60 enterprises with certain production capacity.
Biotechnology drugs are gradually changing from imitation to innovation. Among the top ten varieties with the largest sales volume in the world, China can produce eight. In addition, the research on monoclonal antibodies and monoclonal antibody derivatives for diagnosis or drug targeting is progressing smoothly, which lays the foundation for the industrialization of antibody products in the future. The gene diagnosis technology of genetic diseases has reached the international advanced level; A series of breakthroughs and important progress have been made in tumor immunotherapy, anti-vascular therapy, tissue engineering, biochip and stem cell research. Breakthroughs have been made in key technologies of gene therapy, and five therapeutic schemes, including hemophilia B, malignant tumor and infarcted peripheral vascular disease, have entered clinical trials. The sales of biotechnology products in China increased from 260 million yuan in 1986 to 20 billion yuan in 2000.