Tuesday, February 20, 2001, updated at 20:55(GMT+8)
Sci-Edu
Shanghai Builds Agricultural Gene Bank
Shanghai, China's leading industrial and commercial city, started the construction of an agricultural bio-gene pool, at an investment of 41 million yuan (US$4.93 million).
The gene pool, said to be the largest of its kind in China with a floor space of 3,300 sq m, will store agricultural biological genetic resources including plant seeds, animal germ cells, microbe fungus and plant gene engineering materials.
A series of laboratories and databases will also be built at the same time for conducting evaluations, and exchange and development of idioplasmic resources. The construction of the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Shanghai has launched three campaigns to collect agricultural idioplasmic (substance related to cell of plant and animal) resources since the founding of new China in 1949. The city now boasts a great variety of idioplasmic resources covering food crops, horticultural crops, domestic fungus, pigs and chickens.
Shanghai, China's leading industrial and commercial city, started the construction of an agricultural bio-gene pool, at an investment of 41 million yuan (US$4.93 million).