China to Invest Heavily in Biochip Research and DevelopmentChina will build a biochip research and development center in a bid to promote the country's biochip research and production, according to sources from the Ministry of Science and Technology and Qinghua University.The Chinese government is going to earmark 280 million yuan (about 33.7 million US dollars) for the Beijing National Research and Engineering Center of Biochip which will also attract 40 million yuan from its four founders, Qinghua University, Huazhong Science and Technology University, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences. The center will also attract 150 million yuan of overseas venture capital. The center will employ a total staff of 300 people within three years, 200 of whom will be postgraduate students. It will invite 30 scientists from overseas to work as chief scientists with salaries on a par with overseas standards. The center will be involved in the research and development of lab-on-a-chip platform technology of the filtration and development of new drugs, biochip which can be planted into human bodies, and other fields. The biochip, one of the world's most advanced technologies, is a thin, solid instrument which can be used for rapid and simultaneous processing and analysis of biological molecules. The Chinese government will create favorable policies for the biochip industry and will encourage research institutes to introduce venture capital and establish high-tech enterprises. Experts predict that the biochip market can reach 60 billion U. S. dollars in the next decade. Developed countries such as the United States, European countries, and Japan have already invested two billion US dollars in biochip research and development. |
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