The academic committee meeting and 2020 annual meeting of the State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology (Nankai University) (hereinafter referred to as National Key Laboratory) were held in Tianjin from December 27 to 28. The purpose of the meeting is to make a staged summary on the construction experience of the National Key Laboratory, discuss the future development direction and long-range planning, and serve as an academic exchange platform for scientific researchers.

Attendees of this meeting included Cao Xuetao, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Nankai University; Chen Jun, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and vice president of Nankai University; Rao Zihe, Zhang Lihe, Chen Hongyuan, Yan Xiyun, Guo Zijian, Hao Xiaojiang, members of the Academic Committee of the National Key Laboratory and academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yao Zhi, professor and Secretary of the Party Committee of Tianjin Medical University; Du Guanhua, researcher of the Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Science; Xi Zhen, Professor of the College of Chemistry of Nankai University; Chen Peng, professor of the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Peking University; Wang Jiangyun, researcher of the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Du Quansheng, director of the third division of the cross science department of NSFC; and the heads of the scientific research department of Nankai University.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Cao extended his warm welcome to all the academicians and experts present at the meeting, and expressed his great gratitude to all members of the Committee and colleagues in the sector for their long-term interest and support for the National Key Laboratory. President Cao said that in the past year, the National Key Laboratory took on its responsibilities and has made new breakthroughs in researches on epidemic containment. Nankai University has gone all out on the construction of the National Key Laboratory. He hoped that members and experts would continue to support and chart the course for the future development of the laboratory.

Chen Quan, director of the National Key Laboratory, made a report on the work of 2020 at the meeting. He introduced the history, research direction, supporting units and focus of the future work of the National Key Laboratory. At the annual meeting, Rao Zihe made an invited report entitled  from SARS to COVID-19——Research on SARS-CoV-2 replication transcription complex , which introduced the research process of his team on SARS, COVID-19 and other coronaviruses since 2003.

Zhu Yongqun, professor of the Life Sciences Institute of Zhejiang University made a representative outcome report entitled “Bacterial Infection, Tumor Microbiology and Beyond”; researchers of the National Key Laboratory, including Xue Xue, Chen Yao and Shuai Ling also made representative outcome reports on the subjects of “Diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases with nanomaterials”, “Localized precise fixation and platform application of biomacromolecules”. And “High-throughput screen in post-implantation haploid epiblast stem cells reveals Hs3st3b1 as a modulator for reprogramming”respectively. Other researchers of National Key Laboratory made work reports respectively.

The conference also held a seminar on the development strategy of the National Key Laboratory and an award ceremony for excellent wall reports presented at the annual meeting. Teachers and students of the National Key Laboratory conducted academic exchanges and discussions on relevant topics.

Established in 2011, the State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology of Nankai University pools the resources and strengths of chemistry, biology, pharmacy and medicine, and responds to the national strategy of developing the biomedical industry. It carries out drug innovation-oriented chemical biology research efforts, focusing on four main research fields: drug targets and disease mechanisms, biological probes and imaging, medicinal bioactive materials and translational medicinal chemistry and biology.

(Reported by Li Zhang, Photographed by Li Zhang, Translated by Chengcheng Chang, Edited by STEFAN SARAH DANIELLE and JianjingYun)