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| Biography |
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Prof. Zhangliang Chen received his Ph.D in Prof. Roger Beachy’s lab from Washington University in St. Louis in 1987,as one of pioneer researchers in transgenic plants. He is professor and was Vice president in Peking University and served as Director of China National Laboratory of Protein Engineering and Plant Genetic Engineering, one of largest centers in China for R&D of agrobiotechnology. He has been actively involved in agrobiotechnology research and biosafety issues. He is member in China National Agro-GMO Bio-Safety Committee, which approves GMO field trials and commercialization. He and his colleagues have published 7 books and nearly 200 papers.
Since 2002, Professor Chen has been the President of China Agricultural University. He also serves as Chair of Plant Biotech Committee of UNESCO, Consultant for the International Society for Plant Molecular Biology (ISPMB), and member of the Sino-Euro Administration Committee for Biotechnology Cooperation. He recently was also elected as Vice Chairman of the Council of Scientific Advisers of the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in Italy.
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| Abstract |
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Chinese Agriculture Biotechnology: The Challenges and Opportunities |
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Chinese Agriculture has made significant contribution to the world agriculture development, with 10% of world farmland feeding more than 20% of world population. This tremendous success is attributed by adoption of advanced technologies, such as improved varieties of plants and animals, irrigation, pesticides applications as well as agriculture policies to promote agriculture development. With rapidly increasing the population and decreasing farming land, food security has been one of top priorities in the Country. Application of new technology such as agriculture biotechnology has been highly encouraged and strongly supported. Transgenic cotton field have reached over 60% of total cotton field in China last year, even just several years since the approval for commercialization of this technology. Transgenic rice against insect and diseases has been tested and large scale of production trials, waiting for final approval of commercial production. Transgenic corn, oilseed, poplar, wheat as well as other plants, over 41 species plants in total are in field tests.
Chinese government has established law related to the agriculture biotechnology, both for food and environmental safety. The biosafety committees were established and all of transgenic plants tested, production and commercialization as well as import and export have to be approved strictly. Due to the concerning of safety and other issues, transgenic rice which should have the most significant impacts has not been approved for production. Details and further information will be discussed in the meeting. |
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