Sci-Tech

China Sets up First Highest-level Biosafety Lab

China completed its first biosafety level-4 （BSL-4） laboratory on January 31 after more than a decade of construction. The lab， based in Wuhan， capital city of Hubei Province， is used to study dangerous and exotic pathogens that pose a high individual risk of aerosol-transmitted laboratory infections. Its completion was hailed by the countrys top science think tank as crucial in the fight against epidemics such as Ebola.

Launched after the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome （SARS） in 2003， the lab was jointly built by the Chinese Academy of Sciences（CAS） and the Wuhan municipal government. Most of its technology and equipment was imported from France， which cooperated closely with China in its design. The Wuhan lab puts China among just a handful of developed countries operating such facilities to help handle the most virulent pathogens.

The lab is important for Chinas public health defense system， said CAS President Bai Chunli. “It will play a crucial role in enhancing the countrys ability to prevent and control new epidemics as well as to develop related antiviral agents and vaccines，” he said.

New Zealand Hails Chinese Scientist Award to Kiwi Expert

The New Zealand government on January 16 welcomed the awarding of Chinas science prize to a New Zealander grasslands seed expert as an example of the deepening scientific partnership between the two nations.

Dr. Phil Rolston， senior scientist at New Zealands AgResearch Lincoln institute， received the award at a ceremony held in Beijing on January 9.

“The International Science and Technology Cooperation Award of the Peoples Republic of China is the countrys highest accolade for foreign scientists，” said Steven Joyce， New Zealand Science and Innovation Minister.

“Dr. Rolston has dedicated more than three decades of his working life to grasslands seed development and pasture improvement systems， especially in Gansu Province. Improved soil fertility has meant higherquality pastures for farmers， which is having a significant impact on productivity and profitability in the region，” said Joyce.

Chinas Second Underground Neutrino Lab Breaks Ground

Construction of a large underground laboratory for neutrino experiments broke ground on January 10 in Jiangmen of south Chinas Guangdong Province.

“It will help us to better understand the rules of the universe and the particle world，” said Wang Yifang， director of the Institute of High Energy Physics （IHEP） of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the projects spokesman. Once completed， the Jiangmen lab will be the second Chinese neutrino project and will help scientists determine the neutrino mass hierarchy.

The lab is 700 meters underground and will be put into operation in 2020. It is designed to operate for at least 20 years and will be equipped with the worlds most precise and biggest liquid neutrino scintillation detector.

It is about 53 kilometers away from the nuclear reactors in Yangjiang and Taishan cities， a perfect location for such experiments. In addition to the neutrino lab in Jiangmen， seven other neutrino mass hierarchy experiments are planned in the U.S.， Europe， India， Japan and South Korea.

Chinas Most Powerful Offshore Platform Workship Delivered

Chinas most powerful offshore platform workship was delivered on January 8. Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Co.， Ltd. produced the vessel， which has a gross tonnage of 5，300 tons， at a cost of nearly RMB 500 million. The workship， which measures 89.2 meters in length and 22 meters in molded breadth， has a bollard pull of 296 tons， which makes it able to tow oil drilling rigs that weigh tens of thousands of tons.

Christened Huahu （China Tiger）， the workship will serve offshore tugging and freight transportation services and assist offshore oil drilling operations in the South China Sea.

Yang Zhigang， board chairman of Wuchang Shipbuilding， said Huahu boasts an advanced remote-control underwater robot， which can submerge to depths of 3，000 meters， and can operate in high winds and typhoons.

The companys independently-developed workship has broken European shipbuilders market monopoly， said Yang， adding that the company had received 10 overseas orders for the vessel.