Tsinghua Science and Technology Tsinghua University, China ISSN: 1007-0212 Vol. 6, Num. 3, 2001, pp. 288

Tsinghua Science and Technology, Vol. 6, No. 3, August 2001 pp. 288

Introduction of Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology

Code Number: ts01085

The Department of Biology of Tsinghua University was founded in 1926, discontinued from 1952 to 1983 due to a major restructuring of universities nationwide. It was re-established in 1984 and renamed as the Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology (DBSB). Many renowned biologists, including more than 30 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), have studied or worked in this department.

The DBSB has made remarkable achievements since 1984 and has become one of the country's most important bases of research & education in biological sciences and biotechnology.

At present, the DBSB has 25 professors and 14 associate professors. The majority of the faculty obtained their Ph.D or gained working experience in oversea universities as staff, faculty, visiting scholars, or postdoctors. Four of our faculties are Cheung Kong Scholars; three professors won the Qiu Shi Science & Technology Foundation Award in Biology and Medicine. Moreover, 20 postdoctors, 109 doctorate students and 86 master students have been recruited and are working in our department.

DBSB have employed leading scientists for research and teaching. Currently, the faculty of DBSB is working on 127 scientific research projects. Among them, 29 projects are supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (including six projects supported by the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, one Major Program, two Key Programs, and 20 General Programs). Five projects are funded by the National Science and Technology Program of the Ninth-Five Year Plan of China. Eleven are supported by the National High Technology and Research Development Program of China (863). Three items are supported by the National Transgenic Project. Ten professors have received the 973-Project, the State Key Basic Research and Development Plan Program of China. Five have the international cooperation research programs.

Since it was re-established in 1984, the Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology has obtained more than 20 science research awards including one first class award and one second class award of the National Natural Science Awards, two first class awards and six second class awards and three third class awards of Science & Technology Advancement Awards of Education Ministry. In addition, the faculty has received two Authenticated Patents and more than 20 accepted patents.

The DBSB consists of six research institutes, a Chinese medicine lab, a teaching & experiment center, a biochip research and development center, and two key laboratories. The six institutes are the Institute of Biophysics & Structural Biology, the Institute of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, the Institute of Cellular & Developmental Biology, the Institute of Genome Research, the Institute of Marine Biotechnology, and the Institute of Biotechnology. The two key laboratories are the State Key Laboratory of Biomembrane & Membrane Biotechnology and the Protein Science Laboratory of the Ministry of Education.

Research fields in the DBSB are membrane molecular biology, membrane biophysics, structural biology, genomics, molecular enzymology, molecular immunology, cell biology, molecular developmental biology, neurobiology, marine biology, ecology, bioinformatics, biochips, plant molecular biology & gene engineering, microbiology & fermentation, micro-algal biotechnology, Chinese medicines, and biomedical materials, and tissue engineering.

The DBSB offers four Master's degree programs (biophysics, biochemistry & molecular biology, cellular biology, and marine biology) and three Ph.D. degree programs (biophysics, biochemistry & molecular biology, and cellular biology).

Copyright 2001 - Tsinghua Science and Technology