Review the history of life science in China

This book introduces a group of pioneers and founders of modern life sciences in China, who may be unfamiliar to many young people today, such as Bingzhi, founder of modern biology and zoology; Wu Xianwen, founder of zoology; Hu Xiansu and Qian Chongshu, founder of botany; Dai Fanglan, founder of microbiology; Bei Shizhang, founder of cell biology; Wu Liande, founder of medicine; Famous scientists include Lin Kesheng, founder of physiology, Wu Xian, founder of biochemistry, Xie Heping, pioneer of pathology, Chen Kehui, founder of pharmacology, Chen Zhen, founder of genetics, and Zou Bingwen, founder of agronomy. Most of them studied overseas in their early years, and made important contributions to their respective research fields after returning to China, becoming the founders of modern life science and various sub-disciplines. Many of the students they trained became leading figures in the life sciences of our country in the second half of the 20th century.

Readers can also learn from this book about the outstanding achievements of China's modern life sciences, which have important international influence. For example, Wu Liande's discovery and use of scientific methods to defeat pneumonic plague is still relevant to public health today, more than 100 years later. Tang Feifan was the first to discover the pathogen that causes trachoma - chlamydia trachoma, which solved the epidemic disease that seriously threatens the world's eye health. Tong Zhou established nuclear transfer technology and bred the world's first group of cloned fish. Gu Fangzhou developed and produced polio vaccine, which eliminated polio in China, becoming another initiative in the history of world public health after the eradication of smallpox. Wang Yinglai and other researchers from three units worked together to achieve the first complete synthesis of crystalline bovine insulin in 1965. Debao Wang and other scientists spent 13 years to complete the artificial synthesis of yeast alanine transfer ribonucleic acid (yeast alanine tRNA), and its composition, sequence and biological function are exactly the same as the natural yeast alanine tRNA. Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015 for discovering artemisinin in 1971, which can treat malaria. In 1999, Chinese scientists participated in the Human Genome Project, and later scientists from six countries published the completed map of the project.

The book also introduces some important events in the history of modern life science development in China, such as the debate between descriptive biology and experimental biology in the 1930s, the important turning point of genetics - the Qingdao Genetics Symposium in 1956, and the establishment of the Sino-Japanese joint laboratory. At the same time, readers can also learn about the origin of famous universities such as Harvard University and Cornell University with China's modern life science, as well as the enthusiastic help of some international friends for China's life science cause. For example, the American biologist Qi Tianxi has worked and lived in China for several decades, and promoted the development of biology in China in the aspects of biological education, animal and plant investigation, and biological research establishment. James Watson, the "father of DNA", invited Chinese scholars to visit Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and made great efforts and contributions to the establishment of Cold Spring Harbor Asia.

Reviewing history is to explore the future. "Scientific achievements cannot be separated from spiritual support", which has been fully confirmed in the early scientists. In the extreme predicament of social turmoil and constant war, they have made great efforts to develop the life science cause of the motherland and achieved outstanding achievements. What supports them is the earnest love for national conditions and firm belief of "saving the country scientifically". Reviewing the development history of life science in our country has important enlightenment for us to pursue the path of talent growth, explore the law of scientific and technological development, and international cooperation and communication. Therefore, the scientific research workers of our new era should inherit the scientific spirit of the older generation of scientists and strive to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.