Nanda City set to become world's synthetic biology highland
Deng Zixin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, addresses the eighth annual meeting of Shanghai Synthetic Biology Innovation Strategic Alliance on Sunday.
China's top conference for innovative studies in the synthetic biology sectors was held in Shanghai's north Baoshan District on Sunday.
It is a key event to help achieve the city's scientific innovation strategy.
Leading domestic scientists and research teams attended the eighth annual meeting of Shanghai Synthetic Biology Innovation Strategic Alliance at the Nanda Digital City.
The city aims to become a highland for synthetic biology technology.
"Shanghai, the birthplace of China's synthetic biology, has the key development opportunity to create a world-class synthetic biology innovation industry cluster," Deng Zixin, chairman of the alliance and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences told the conference.
The alliance has established its key scientific research institution at Nanda which will become a new source of synthetic biology technology innovation for the Yangtze River Delta region and the world, said Deng.
Leading scientists and researchers.
Synthetic biology combines biology, engineering and other fields to design and create new organisms and biological systems. Scientists can create practical biological systems to diagnose and treat diseases, addressing environmental issues and other applications.
More than 20 leading companies in synthetic biology sectors, such as the Baoji Pharma, have moved to the city's first synthetic biology industrial park in the Nanda Digital City.
The park will accelerate the application of synthetic biology technology mainly in life and health, food and agriculture, materials and energy, beauty and personal care, chemical substitutions and environmental sustainability, according to the district government.
Nanda, covering 6.3 square kilometers, is rising from the former Nanda Industrial Site, which was notorious for its soil and air pollution.
According to its blueprint, the future digital city will feature parks, waterways and transit-oriented-development (TOD) projects, along with sprawling underground spaces for Metro stations and commercial facilities.
Baoshan is converting the area into an intelligent park and community with global architectural, urban planning and engineering firms.
Domestically developed synthetic biology testing equipment on display.
