Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Dapeng research center breaks ground


James Watson

THE groundbreaking ceremony for an international life science research center led by James Watson, the co-discoverer of DNA's structure, was held in the Shenzhen International Bio Valley in Dapeng New Area on Friday, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported Saturday.

"I'm very delighted to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of this new lab, where we will witness the development of new technologies and new medicine," said Watson during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Watson won a Nobel Prize in 1962 following his discovery of the structure of DNA with Francis Crick in 1953, which led to a revolution in molecular biology.

After spending the past 50 years studying life science to reveal the mystery of human genes, Watson said he is looking forward to working with his Chinese partners to make new achievements.

"Together, I hope that we can develop more effective medicine and build more high-end hospitals to improve the treatment environment for patients," said Watson, who will celebrate his 90th birthday next month.

Watson visited the Baguang area of the Bio Valley last April to choose the location of the research center. He said the construction of the research center will be modeled after the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the United States, while at least 1,000 scientists, including Watson himself, will work at the center after it comes into use.

Watson said he is dedicated to finding new ways to develop anti-cancer medicine. "I have a dream. I hope that the medicine developed by us can benefit all patients and provide treatment for them equally," he said.

According to the report, the research center is one of Shenzhen's major projects for this year. The center will have at least two scientific projects led by Nobel laureates and 15 labs led by academicians, and it is expected to generate output value and tax revenue within three years.

A total of 90 infrastructure and supporting projects, involving over 8.4 billion yuan (US$1.33 billion) in investments, have been launched in the Baguang area.


Source:Shenzhen Daily

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