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Advances in Biochip Research and Commercial Development in China
Chao Chen and Ning Dan
National Engineering Research Center of Miniaturized Detection Systems
Biochip Research & Development Center, Northwest University
Shaanxi Lifegen Co., Ltd
Science Bldg. Mail box 368, Xi’an, China 710069
In the 1980’s, biochips emerged as a novel microtechnology platform for analysis of bio-molecules. The underlying technologies involve a range of disciplines such as life sciences, information technology, microelectronics, and micromechanics. Being of high through-put, miniaturized, automated and cost-effective features, biochips are regarded as important potential tools in modern life science research, medical diagnosis, drug discovery, food safety monitoring and agriculture. Biochips are considered to be able to markedly increase the speed and scope of analytical process and provide enormous economic value. Therefore, many governments and industrial companies in the world have heavily invested in this field in recent years. China has made significant progress in biochip research and development. This article is intended to introduce the basic environment and major achievements in biochip research and commercialization in China.
The basic environment for biochip research and commercial development in China
China, as a developing country, has experienced unprecedented economic development with a phenomenal steady economy growth rate around 7 percent for more than a decade. The remarkable economy achievements have significantly increased the living standards of the people, who comprise a quarter of the world population. The increasing economic strength has provided the country power to build up networks of infrastructures for economic advances in all-major fronts in the future.
Biochips, which promise accurate, fast and cost-effective means in a variety of research and industrial fields, have been recognized by the Chinese government as one of important potential measures to curb the increasing cost in areas such as medical expense and environmental protection. In 1997, the government formed a consensus in supporting biochip research as an important economic development strategy during a meeting in Xangshan (called Xangshan Meeting). Since then, all major state funding programs, such as “973” and “863”, have given significant weight in supporting biochip research in the aim of commercial development. In 2000, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China decided functional genomics and biochips as one of twelve key state programs having priority in receiving state funding for the next five years.
Private companies in China have increasingly become important players in the ever growing Chinese economy in the past decade. The wide-range applications and attractive potential commercial value of biochips have received close attention from China’s industrial and private companies. However, industrial and private funding in biochip research and commercial development in China has been very limited, mainly due to lack of expert knowledge and long-term investment confidence. The current situation of limited funding from private and industrial sectors may change in the near future, since a lot of investors are keeping an eye on this fascinating field to weigh their chance in the enormous market in China.
Several dozen of entrepreneur scientists, many of whom have strong Ph. D. training and experience in the related fields in the west, are taking the lead in biochip research and enterprise development in China. They have joined forces with scientists in various disciplines in universities and research institutes in China. The Chinese scientific community constantly exchanges research information with the west so that they can keep their knowledge up to the world front.
Biochip research in China
About several dozens of research institutes have research projects involved in biochips. These projects have closely followed the world developing trends in this area. Compared to other technologies, biochip research in China has basically matched the pace of the west. In order to effectively utilize limited state funding and China’s own valuable technology resources, the government has recently adopted a policy for combining strengths in various related scientific research areas. Three National Engineering Research Centers with strong professional expertise in research and development of biochips and related products have been established. With the product-oriented nature, these centers are organized and run as corporate entities. With strong management and scientific team and privileged state funding, these centers are considered as the front runners in China’s biochip field.
The National Engineering Research Center for Beijing Biochip Technology, Capital Biochip Co., was founded in 1999 with $42 million from government and venture capital. It is the single most bold biochip project ever launched in China. The center has ambitious programs in research and development of a range of microarrays, micro-fluidic chips and related equipments. Recently, they have made significant progress in active chip.
The National Engineering Research Center for Shanghai Biochip Technology, Shanghai Biochip Co., Ltd, was established in August 2001, with 11 different research institutes, universities and venture capital company joining force in order to capitalize their research achievements in medical fields using biochip technology. The center plans to focus their research on developing platforms for various biochips. It has marketed membrane arrays and cDNA chips for gene expression studies and medical diagnosis.
The National Engineering Research Center of Miniaturized Detection Systems will start running at the end of this year in Biochip Research and Development Center of Northwest University and Shaanxi Lifegen Co. in Xi’an. The center, composed of four universities and 3 biotech companies, has a strong management and scientific team, which has several entrepreneur scientists with Ph D training in life sciences and industrial experience in the west. Based on the technologies developed by the Biochip Center of Northwest University and Shaanxi Lifegen Co. Ltd, the center is planning to develop technology platforms for biochips, biosensors and microanalysis systems with the emphasis in medical, pharmaceutical and environmental applications.
Apart from the three major centers mentioned above, many scientific institutes and universities have programs gaining very good advances in research in biochips of various types. In fact, a lot of promising results have come from this part of research sector. For example, Dr. Wu Jianxuong’s laboratory in Southeast University is one of the pioneers in biochip research in China. They have been developing a novel molecular printing technique used for in situ synthesis of high density oligo chips.
Although current research has covered a large variety of biochips, progress made in research and development of equipments for biochip sample preparation, signal detection as well as data processing is in early stage of development in China.
Current Status of Biochip Industry in China
Although the national research centers are considered to be the major players in development of key technology platforms for biochip research and commercialization, about a dozen of biochip companies in China have been the major force to vigorously push biochip research into commercial products. Most of the companies are derived from or associated with research institutes or universities with biochip expertise and related technologies. Although the biochip industry in China has only had a few years of history, various kinds of gene expression chips, protein chips, cell chips and tissue chips are under commercial development. A few of biochips for medical diagnostic use have been approved for production and clinic use by the State Drug Administration (SDA) in China.
DNA arrays for gene expression studies are currently the most popular one for commercial development. Shaanxi Lifegen Co. has developed high-density DNA chips with excellent quality. Many other companies have also developed cDNA expression chips. For instant, BioStar Genechip Inc., Shanghai, has developed and marketed a series of cDNA arrays for gene expression studies. DNA chips are also been developed for medical diagnosis. Shenzhen Yishengtang Biological Product Co, Ltd has developed DNA chip products for medical diagnosis, such as for diagnosis of infection by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). The DNA chips for HBV and HCV infection diagnosis developed by Shaanxi Chaoqun Science & Technology Co., Ltd has been approved by SDA for production and clinic use. Several companies have engaged in development of protein chips. Shanghai Healthdigit Ltd has developed tumor marker protein chip, which has gained SDA approval. Xi’an Potomac Bio-Technology Co., Ltd has developed peptide chips for diagnosis of parasite infection. The tissue chips have been released in market by Shaanxi Chao Ying Biomedicine R&D Ltd. Micro-fluidic chips have also emerged in biochip research in China. Capital Biochip Co. has strong technology base on this aspect. Several other companies, including Shanghai Biochip Co., Ltd, are also in the process or planning to develop this technology.
The future of biochip research and commercial development
Biochip research and commercialization in China has seen an excellent start with a great momentum mainly thanks to the dedicated hard and creative work of the scientist community and funding support from the government. The potential wide-range applications and economic value of biochip products are the main drive for this rapid movement. Biochip industry in China needs to closely watch what is going on in the west. Collaboration with experts and biochip companies in other countries are necessary for rapid growth. At the meantime, China’s biochip industry also needs to have systematic patent-protected key technologies in related fields. With stable political/social environment, steady economy growth and favorable policies for high-tech industry development in China, more and more of talent scientists/management experts, investors and entrepreneurs will join force in this remarkable movement, which will significantly increase the potential of biochip industry in China. For now, biochip technology is still in its early development. This is an ever-changing field. The future of biochip research and development in China is bright. Competition on this market is furious. Whoever controls the key technologies will be the winner.
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