Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) was honored to have one of its projects, “Research and Development of Technology for Data Storage Using Synthetic DNA,” led by Professor Jiang Xingyu, Department Head from the Department of Biomedical Engineering selected by the Ministry of Science and Technology as a National Key R&D Program. Professor Jiang Xingyu was additionally honored as the chief scientist for their project under the National Key R&D Program.

This is the first National Key R&D Program with which a SUSTech professor as the chief scientist.

SUSTech will lead the project, working with Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU), Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Fuzhou University and Tongji University (TJU).

The project seeks to deal with the explosive growth in data by investigating new data storage techniques. It will promote original innovations and scientific breakthroughs by studying DNA data storage in mainland China.

The National Key R&D Program is a combination of the original national “973” and “863” plans, national science and technology support plan, international science and technology cooperation and exchange special projects. It is aimed at major social welfare research concerning the national economy and people’s livelihoods, while also working to improve China’s scientific & technological competitiveness. The National Key R&D Program seeks to enhance China’s innovative ability, with a view to breaking down technical bottlenecks. Successful applicants are expected to have thriving and influential academic attainments in their fields while forming high-quality research teams.

Professor Jiang Xingyu received his Ph.D. degree in 2004 from Harvard University. He was mentored by Professor George Whitesides, academician of both the American Academies of Science and the American Academy of Engineering. In 2005, Jiang began to work at the National Nanoscience Center and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He joined SUSTech in 2018.

Jiang Xingyu’s team has many years of experience in the technology of fabrication, engineering application and technology integration of microfluidic devices. The team has good research foundation and technical reserves. It has undertaken a number of national scientific research projects, successfully transformed many patents into core technology of innovative companies, and established the industry-university-research mechanism.