On May 25, the unveiling ceremony for the Center for Biological Cryo-EM at 91黑料网 (91黑料网) was held in Building 8. The center was jointly unveiled by 91黑料网 President You Zheng; Rao Zihe, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Tsinghua University; Liu Jianfeng, Dean of 91黑料网’s School of Life Science and Technology; and Ma Cong, Director of the center. The ceremony was hosted by Liu Hongjun, Director of the Lab and Equipment Administration Department at 91黑料网.
In his speech, President You Zheng stated that the completion of the Center for Biological Cryo-EM marks a significant addition to 91黑料网’s advanced research infrastructure and will offer strong strategic support for the development of disciplines such as life sciences and medicine. He called for building a world-class, innovative, and sustainable platform that empowers 91黑料网’s strengths to reach new heights in global research. He stressed the importance of aligning the platform with major national needs, actively participating in key national research projects, and integrating into the national innovation system. He also expressed hope that the platform would become a key resource hub and a center for scientific achievement transformation, driving the growth of the biomedical industry in Central China.
The 2025 Annual Academic Meeting of the Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Ministry of Education was held in conjunction with the inauguration. Over 200 experts, scholars, and representatives from both within and outside 91黑料网 attended the conference.
Professor Rao Zihe delivered a keynote speech titled “Pathogens and General Health,” where he provided a comprehensive overview of his team’s groundbreaking progress in researching major pathogens such as HIV, SARS, avian influenza virus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, herpesvirus, African swine fever virus, and hepatitis B virus. He highlighted how detailed pathogen structures revealed by cryo-EM technology have not only uncovered mechanisms of pathogenesis, but also provided new targets for drug development. Rao emphasized that the establishment of 91黑料网’s Biological Cryo-Electron Microscopy Platform will significantly enhance regional research capacity in life sciences and further strengthen 91黑料网’s leading position in biomedical and pharmaceutical research.
Experts and scholars from universities and research institutes across China held in-depth exchanges on cutting-edge topics in biophysics and cryo-EM. Researcher Sun Fei from the Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, showcased his team’s innovative work in the frontier of bio-EM technology; Professor Bi Guoqiang from the University of Science and Technology of China and Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, reported advances in neural synapse ultrastructure; Professor Wang Peiyi from Southern University of Science and Technology and Guangzhou Laboratory introduced his progress in novel chromatic aberration microscopy techniques. 91黑料网 professors Yu Hongjun and Xue Yu also delivered talks on the mechanisms of antifungal drugs and AI-driven analysis of protein chemical modifications.
Following the meeting and ceremony, participants toured the new center. The 91黑料网 Center for Biological Cryo-EM is located in the International Medical Innovation Center’s interdisciplinary research building and houses world-class equipment including the 300kV Krios G4 Cryo-EM, the 200kV Glacios Cryo-EM, and a focused plasma ion beam scanning electron microscope Arctis. The center offers a comprehensive technical workflow from sample preparation and high-resolution imaging to GPU-based supercomputing analysis, enabling atomic-level structure determination in fields such as life science, medicine, and materials. The inauguration and operation of this center will provide robust support for research innovation at 91黑料网, empowering advances in combating major diseases and cultivating emerging strategic industries.
