Based on the consideration of the nation's strategic development plan for advancement of science in the next decade and the strength in Protein Sciences research in the Institute of Biophysics (IBP) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) announced in December of 2006 the selection of IBP to establish and house the National Laboratory of Protein Sciences. Subsequently, CAS and IBP have taken a series of major steps to facilitate the start up of the National Lab. These steps included 1) holding a strategy discussion meeting in the Xiangshan conference center in April of 2007. The meeting centered on the discussion of major frontiers of Protein Sciences research. The in-depth discussion and exchange of opinions provided valuable inputs into the formulation of the goals, research directions and teams of the new National Lab of Protein Sciences; 2) To provide sufficient lab space for the new National Lab, a nine story building with approximately 1,500 square meter broke ground at the end of 2007. The building has put into use at the end of 2009; 3) an executive conference of CAS at the end of 2007 approved the implementation of the second phase of Protein Research Platform, totaling approximately 200 million yuan for capital equipments of the core facilities at IBP. Such an investment lays a solid foundation for building a modern National Lab; 4) a committee consists of leaders of MOST, CAS, the National Science Foundation of China, and prominent experts in Protein Sciences research interviewed candidates for the director of National Lab of Protein Sciences in March of 2008. The committee recommended and CAS subsequently approved the appointment of Rui-Ming Xu, a structural biologist and former professor at the New York University School of Medicine, as the director of the National Lab.
The overall goal of the National Lab of Protein Sciences is, through the assembly of a high caliber, highly interactive, multidisciplinary research team, to make original, profound contributions to the resolution of important scientific questions and to serve the national need in biomedical research. Based on the existing strength at IBP and the strategic development plan, immediate focuses of the new National Lab will be on Structural Biology (especially multi-subunit macromolecular complexes, membrane proteins, proteomics and structural basis of gene regulation), molecular mechanisms of infections and immune responses, molecular basis of cognition, therapeutic proteins and polypeptides, and method and technique development in protein research. A full-fledged National Lab of Protein Sciences is expected to have 40-50 multidisciplinary research teams.
A specific goal in the next ten years or so is to build the National Lab of Protein Sciences into a dynamic, world-class research institution. To achieve this goal, we will learn from the success stories of some of the most prestigious research institutions (such as MRC-LMB and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory): as a matter of principle and policy, the National Lab encourages and supports research projects of great scientific significance that may be more difficult in nature and require longer time and greater resources; practices a recruitment principle that highlights close interaction and collaboration, and emphasizes multidisciplinary and complementary expertise; actively involves PIs in all aspects of policy making and the operation of the National Lab; promotes a strong academic environment that pays special attention to graduate student education; evaluates PI's productivity and career development potential fairly and in a timely fashion; provides strong core facility and research logistics support to increase research efficiency; greatly encourage international and domestic collaboration and exchange in order to follow and command new developments and trends in Protein Sciences research. 'A long march begins at one's feet', we have every reason to believe that the National Lab of Protein Sciences is on track to success.
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