Construction of a national bio-chip research center began Saturday in Shanghai's Medicine Valley in the Pudong District's Zhangjiang hi-tech park.
Covering 40,000 square meters, the center is expected to be a world-class bio-chip research and manufacturing base upon completion at the end of this year, at a cost of 290 million yuan (34.9 million US dollars).
According to Zhou Yupeng, vice mayor of Shanghai, the program will develop a technology platform for medically-applicable chips of genes, proteins, tissues and cells.
Apart from the platform, the center will build a quality control mechanism, a standardized design system, a testing system and other related support systems for the development of bio-chips.
Zhou said the center will generate an annual output of 820,000 bio-chips applicable in the fields of clinical prescription, new medicine development and environmental protection.