New Method for Early Cancer Diagnosis

The NSFC funded Key Program project ＂A real-time analysis of the early diagnosis of cancer markers＂, undertaken by Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences （CAS）, recently received recognition from an expert team for assessment. Experts pointed out that the research was of great value for the fast ascertain of cancer markers and the early warning and diagnosis. The research team was headed by Academician Wang Erkang, CAS and Prof. Kong Jilie, Fudan University.     

NSFC Strengthens its Funding in Wenchuan

NSFC Earth Sciences Department is about to approve two Director＇s Fund projects to provide better scientific support to the rescue and relief efforts and collect first-hand data with major scientific significance in post-earthquake Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province. One project is on the relation between the stress field of post-earthquake （M=8.0） deformation and the strong aftershocks in Wenchuan County and the other is on the field investigation and studies on geological hazards and secondary disasters of blocking up river caused by earthquake in the County.     

Scientists unravel the mysteries of human embryogenesis and evolution

正Recently,with the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Sciences,the group led by Liu Jiang(刘江)from Beijing Institute of Genome,cooperating with Chen ZiJiang’s group in the Center for Reproductive Medicine,Shandong University and Liu JianQiao’s group in Guangzhou Medical University,has revealed how the epigenetic information directs the gene expression pattern in human early embryos.     

Cation-πinteraction playing vital roles in the regulation of integrin affinity,signaling,and biological functions

<正>In a project fundedby NSFC,Dr.Pan Youdong and his colleagues at the Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology in Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences,Chinese Academy of Sciences,and his collaborator Timothy A.Springer of The Immune Disease Institute,Children's Hospital Boston in the US revealed their findings of important roles of Cation-πinteraction in the regulation of integrin affinity,signaling,and biological functions in a paper published on PNAS in October 2010. According to the paper,main findings of their research focus on the role of integrinα4β7.Integrinα4β7 mediates rolling and firm adhesion of leucocytes,two of the critical steps in leukocyte migration and tissue specific homing.Affinity ofα4β7 for ligand is dynamically regulated by three interlinked metal ion-     

A new type of immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography （IMAC） adsorbent for highly specific enrichment of phosphopeptides for phosphoproteomics analysis

Phosphorylation is a key reversible modification of proteins that acts as a switch to regulate almost all biological processes. Phosphoproteomics analysis aims to identify and characterize all the protein phospho- rylations presented in cells or tissues. Conventional adsorbents for phosphopeptide enrichment lack enough specificity, which seriously compromises the performance of phosphoproteome analysis.     

H7N9 virulent mutants detected in chickens in China pose an increased threat to humans

正Supported by the Science Fund of the Creative Research Group,the research team led by Prof.Chen Hualan(陈化兰)in Harbin Veterinary Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences found that the low pathogenic H7N9viruses emerging in 2013have mutated to highly pathogenic viruses in chickens and are more dangerous to humans,which was published in Cell Research(2017,doi:10.1038/cr.2017.129).     

A bright example for all of us- Professor Shi Changxu

Professor Shi Chanxu received the Top Scientists Award of China in early 2011.This is a very important event.As a materials scientist originally from China,I am very happy to hear this news.I see this award as a great encouragement,not only for people working in the field of Materials Science and Engineering, but also for all scientists and technologists in China. Professor Shi is one of the most famous materials scientists in the world,and has also made great contributions to the strategic development of science and engineering in China.I had the opportunity to listen     

Vice President Shen Wenqing Meets with NSERC Executive Vice-President

NSFC Vice President,Prof.Shen Wenqing met with Ms.Margaret McCuaig-Johnston,Executive Vice-President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada(NSERC) on August 9,2012. Prof.Shen extended his welcome to Ms.Margaret McCuaig-Johnston for her visit to NSFC and then gave a brief introduction on NSFC.Speaking of the tie between NSFC and NSERC,Prof.Shen said that the MoU between the two organizations was signed in as early as 1987,with intention to promote exchange     

Breakthrough in the Ambient Catalytic Destruction of Formaldehyde

Indoor air quality is a major factor influencing the human health.Formaldehyde(HCHO) is a hazardous and dominant common indoor air pollutant in China.How to effectively and economically eliminate the indoor air HCHO is of great interest and challenge to researchers. The Research Group of Environmental Catalysis,led by Professor Hong He in Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences,Chinese Academy of Sciences,has been devoted to the development of new methods and technologies for indoor air purification for years.Funded by the National Nature Science     

Geophysics and Seismic Hazard Reduction

1 Introduction to the International Research on Geophysics and Seismic Hazard ReductionThe earthquake is a natural phenomenon, which often brings serious hazard to the human life and material possession. It is a physical process of releasing interior energy of the earth, which is caused by interior and outer forces in special tectonic environment in the earth, especially within the lithosphere. The earthquake only causes casualty and loss in the place where people inhabit. Seismic hazard reduction is composed of four parts as seismic prediction, hazard prevention and seismic engineering, seismic response and seismic rescuing, and rebuilding.