CAS to Address Water Eutrophication

At a meeting on April 5, the CAS authorities gave the green light to a proposal to carry out studies on the development and control of eutrophication on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The five-year project,to cost 20 million yuan (about USS 2.4 million), will involve scientists from various CAS institutes, including the Nanjing Institute of Geography & Limnology, Wuhan Institute of Hydrobiology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Wuhan Institute of Botany, Institute of Chemistry, Institute of Geodesy & Geophysics, and Institute of Microbiology.     

New Findings on Devonian “Platypus Fish” Cast Light on Evolution of Modern Jawed Vertebrates

正New findings on the brain and inner ear cavity of a 400-million-year-old platypus-like fish cast light on the evolution of modern jawed vertebrates,according to a study led by Dr.ZHU Youan and Dr.LU Jing from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).     

First P4 Lab of China Unveiled at WIV

<正>The day Jan 31,2015 witnessed the inauguration of the National Laboratory of Biosafety,CAS held at the CAS Wuhan Institute of Virology(WIV)as the first biosafety level-4(BSL-4)facility in China,after over one decade's construction.Specially designed and administered for research on class-four pathogens(P4),this facility is anticipated to equip scientists with armor and weapon to better combat the most dangerous     

MPG, CAS Set Up a New Partner Group

Max Planck Society (MPG) and CAS re- cently set up a Part- ner Group on First-Principles Theory of High-pressure Oxidation Catalysis at the CAS Dalian Insti- tute of Chemical Physics (DICP). Headed by Dr. Li Weixue of DICP and in cooperation with Dr. Karsten Reuter from the Theory Department of the MPG Fritz-Haber Institute, the group will be devoted to the development of precise and predictable catalysis theories based on quantum mechanics and under real oxidation conditions.…     

At Tip of Scanning Probe

<正>The MPS/CAS Partner Group on Thermoelectric Systems was launched in 2010 as a collaborative eff ort between the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research(MPIP)and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics(SINAP),CAS.Under the leadership of Prof.Dr.ZHANG Yi from SINAP,the group worked in close collaboration with colleagues from the Polymer Physics Division of MPIP,which is directed by Prof.Dr.Hans-Jürgen Butt.The group’s original aim was to carry out joint studies on thermoelectric systems,with focus on a better understanding of the thermoelectric     

Achieving Ambitions in Space Science:Bottom-up and Top-down Approaches——An Interview with Prof.Roger-Maurice Bonnet

<正>At the time when Chinese scientists are hailing the successful launch of the DAMPE,a satellite to detect possible dark matter particles in space,and meanwhile expecting the launch of further space missions,we have the honor to invite Prof.Roger-Maurice Bonnet,former Science Director of ESA(the European Space Agency)to glve comments and advice on project management in the field of space science.     

Quantitative Analysis of Early Cretaceous Paraves Shows a Recent Origin for the Kinetic Skulls behind the Success of Modern Birds

<正>A team of scientists led by Dr.HU Han from University of New England,Australia and Dr.ZHOU Zhonghe from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of Chinese Academy of Sciences reported a new quantitative analysis of early Cretaceous paraves.This research was published in the latest issue of PNAS,in a paper entitled"Evolution of the vomer and its implications for cranial kinesis in Paraves".     

Carbon of Magical Structures

<正>As one of the Partner Groups which were initiated to promote scientifi c exchanges and collaborations between the Max Planck Society(MPS)and the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS),the Partner Group led by Prof.Dr.ZHI Linjie was established on May,2010.During the past three years,the group received substantial support from the CAS and the Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research(MPIP)for extensive exchanges and collaborations on carbon-rich nanomaterials.Productive collaborations between the researchers and the students from the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology(NCNST)and the MPIP as well as the collaborations between the Partner     

Prevent Scientific Misconduct, Scientist Urges

The government and scientificauthorities should attachmore importance to the is-sue of scientific misconduct, saysCAS Member Chenlu Tsou (ZouChenglu) at the annual conferenceof the China Association of Scienceand Technology (CAST), whichopened on Sept. 13 in NortheastChinas Liaoning Province.The famed biochemist called forspecific measures to curb the mis-conduct because self-disciplineamong scientists alone is notenough.One basic motive behind suchmisconduct is the intent to reapwitho…     

International Cooperation Key to Success of Earth Observation System---An Interview with Dr. Ghassem R. Asrar

＂It is a very wonderful story to tell,＂ in the interview with BCAS reporter SONG Jianlan before the opening of the 35 th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment （ISRSE）, Dr. Ghassem R. Asrar, Director of the World Climate Research Program （WCRP） and former Earth Science Associate Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration （NASA） could not help expressing his joyfulness and satisfaction at the wonderful job the global community has done in just thirty years： building the Earth observing system （EOS）,turning the observations into useful information and making it available to scientists and decision makers around the world. Let＇s follow him to celebrate the contributions of Earth observations to our understanding of the Earth system and climate, a sub-system of our planet, and recognize China＇s current and future role in this system. Meanwhile we will have an opportunity to learn about his experiences of EOS and expectation of China＇s bigger participation in internationally cooperative projects in the field of space-based remote sensing, for future decades.     

CAS and MPS Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Cooperation in Germany

Berlin witnesses a grand reunion between Chinese and German scientists to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the rewarding cooperation between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Max Planck Society (MPS) in Germany. A series of celebrations were held on Nov. 8 and 9, 2004 to mark this historic moment,not only renewing old friendships but also seeking new approaches to higher quality of collaboration.     

Environmental Filtering Governs Fish Gut Microbiota

正How environmental microbes colonize the fish gut"island"ecosystem,and which ecological processes are driving the microbial community assembly have remained unclear to scientists for long.Dr.YAN Qingyun and coworkers from the CAS Institute of Hydrobiology and their collaborators from the University of Oklahoma recently revealed that environmental filtering is the major process governing the fish gut     

CAS paleoichthyologist gives Artedi Lecture in Sweden

Prof. ZHANG Miman （CHANG Mee-mann）, a CAS Member from the CASInstitute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, was invited to give a talk at the Artedi Lectures at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, on 5 December, 2008.     

CHANG Wenrui:Cracking mysteries of photosynthesis in protein crystals

In the lab led by Prof. CHANG Wenrui at the CAS Institute of Biophysics, the scientists are selecting spinach leaves, making sure every piece is fully verdant, perfectly fresh, and without any injuries.     

ChinaNANO 2011 convenes in Beijing

With more than 1,000 participants from all over the world, the International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology (ChinaNANO) was successfully convened in Beijing from September 7 to 9, 2011. The scientists held hot discussions on the forefront of nanoscience and nanotechnology     

New Research into Potential Epigenetic Origins of Type-1Diabetes

<正>Research led by scientists from University College London(UCL),Queen Mary University of London(QMUL)and Dr.Andrew E.Teschendorff from the CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational Biology(PICB),Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences(SIBS),Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)has identified epigenetic changes in three types of immune cells that could     

Exhibition Showcases CAS Efforts to Serve the National Goal of Building an Innovation-Driven Country

<正>Focusing on what CAS scientists kept pursuing over the past five years,an exhibition in Beijing offers a glance of their latest ST innovational results.To promote advancement of science and technology and offer the public an opportunity to approach science,an exhibition is to be held     

Mesoscience: Peering into a Once Neglected World

正To understand the physical world in which we live every day,scientists have spared no effort to delve into the details of elementary particles known to human beings,aiming to establish an overall picture based on the properties and behaviors of such building blocks;on the other hand,they have also went to all lengths to understand and predict the global development of complex systems like galaxies and climate dynamics,by averaging the details of local structures in certain     

China Takes the Lead in the Structural Determination of Lumbrokinase

After five years of arduous work, CAS scientists recently succeeded in determining the structure of lumbrokinase (earthworm fibrinolytic enzyme), shedding light on the understanding of this drug at the molecular level and laying a foundation for drug design based on its structure.Cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases are among the three most lethal illnesses now rampant in the human population. Eight years ago, Chinese scientists succeeded in extracting lumbrokinase from earth-     

A Profile of CAS Projects Winning State S＆T Awards in 2004

Editor‘s note: At the 04‘ National Conference for Science and Technology (5&amp;T) Awards held on March 28, 2005 in Beijing, CA5 scientists were honored by 10 prizes of the National Natural Science Awards and 11 prizes of National Awards for 5&amp;T Progress. BCAS is to present in installments a brief introduction to some of the winners.