The Ministry of Science and Technology announced the top 10 major scientific research discoveries for 1999.

The most important scientific discovery went to the cloning of transgentic goats. Scientists from the Institute of Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yangzhou University successfully cloned two goats from cells of adult transgenetic goats.

The cultivation of transgenetic cattle with human albumen genes also headed the list of discoveries.

Chinese scientists also made major discoveries on namo tube which can reserve large amounts of hydrogen in normal temperature.

Other major discoveries include cloning endostatin, a gene that can prevent the formation of tumor blood vessel in the human body and research on six new nuclides and new finds on ice caps in the South Pole.

Chinese scientists were the first in the world to determine the genetic makeup of a fatal prawn virus responsible for a drastically reducing prawn production in China and other parts of Asia.

The discovery will help scientists develop diagnostic tools and drugs against the leukodermal bacilliform, the largest known animal virus. (Xinhua)