The Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology of Guizhou University was established in 2013 out of the Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering of Guizhou University (founded in 2000) and the Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology of Guizhou Province (approved by the Provincial Department of Science and Technology, the Provincial Department of Finance, and the Provincial Development and Reform Commission in 2002). It was officially approved by the Commission Office Public Sector Reform of Guizhou Province. It is a research institute directly subordinate to Guizhou University. At present, the Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology consists of the “Key Laboratory for the Conservation of Plant Resources and Germplasm Innovation of Mountainous Regions” (approved by the Ministry of Education in 2013), the National Research Center for Plant Resources Utilization and Breeding in the Karst Mountain Region (approved by National Development and Reform Commission in 2011), "Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology in Guizhou Province" (approved by the Department of Science and Technology of Guizhou Province in 2002, and accepted in 2004), "Guizhou Plant Molecular Breeding Engineering Research Center" (approved by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission in 2011), and the open service platform of Guizhou University (Southern District) Analytical Test Center. The "Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology in Guizhou Province" is also part of the "National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Bioengineering Training Base". The Institute has established a complete research platform for genomics and applied biology, a proteomics research platform, a genetic testing platform, a plant transgenic research platform, and a research platform for plant tissue-culture rapid propagation and artificial seeds. Its equipment values more than 60 million yuan. With a laboratory area of 5000 M2, a dedicated trial base of 10 mu of genetically modified plants was established under closed management.
The Institute has two key special disciplines (biology, bioengineering) in Guizhou Province and two science & technology innovation talent teams (Guizhou Genetic Engineering Innovation Team and Guizhou Animal Genetics and Breeding and Biotechnology Innovation Team). It assists the first-level discipline doctoral program (animal and plant science) of Guizhou University, the first-level discipline doctoral program of biology and the first-level discipline master's program of biology of Guizhou University. It is also the supporting institute for the postdoctoral station of biology of Guizhou University. There are currently 24 staff members (including guest or part-time professors). Among them, there are seven professors, four associate professors, five senior experimenters, five doctoral supervisors, 13 master supervisors, 15 teachers who hold PhD degrees, one recruited as a Guizhou Sci-Tech Innovation “Ten-Level” Talent, and one recruited as a Guizhou Sci-Tech Innovation “100-Level” Talent, two core experts on Guizhou Province, three provincial experts, three experts receiving special allowances from the State Council, four outstanding young science & technology talents in Guizhou Province, and four academic leaders in Guizhou University.
The Institute has developed innovative agricultural biotechnologies on the basis of the exploration and germplasm-innovation of the characteristic plant and animal germplasm resources of Guizhou Province, in order to achieve original and systematic research results that can influence the international community. It focuses on the germplasm resources evaluation of eucommia ulmoides, tea trees, Guizhou He, Coix seed, Pitaya, and Pitman-Moore strain and others, studies their main functional trait control mechanisms and functional genes, and explores their key functional genes. In addition, it also studies the new technology of biomolecule breeding based on gene-deletor and gene editing.
In recent years, the Institute has successively undertaken more than 60 scientific research projects, such as the National Science and Technology Support Plan Project, the subproject of National High-Tech Development Research Program (National 863 Plan), the preliminary project of National Major Basic Research, the subproject of National Major Project for the Cultivation of New GM Varieties, and International Science & Technology Cooperation projects of China, the projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Guizhou key science & technology special projects. The Institute has published more than 300 academic papers, of which more than 60 were collected by SCI. The Institute was awarded second prize for scientific and technological progress by the Ministry of Education, and one first prize, five second prizes, and five third prizes for scientific and technological progress of Guizhou Province. Over 200 postdoctoral students, doctoral students, and master students have graduated from the Institute.
The Institute enrolls and cultivates postdoctoral candidates in biology, and doctoral candidates in botany, cell biology, microbiology, biochemistry and molecular biology, plant regulatory chemistry and biology, and forest cultivation. Meanwhile, it recruits and cultivates academic graduate students in botany, biochemistry and molecular biology, genetics, cytobiology, and developmental biology, and professional graduate students in bioengineering. There are more than 10 postdoctoral researchers, 20 doctoral candidates, and 80 postgraduates studying at the institute. Its faculty supervises over 10 undergraduate dissertations each year.
Following the operating mechanism of “jointness, competition, openness, and exchange”, the Institute takes knowledge innovation and technological innovation as its foundation, attaches importance to the construction of high-quality and creative talents, and strives to create a strong academic atmosphere and an excellent academic environment. It also strengthens academic exchanges with domestic and foreign counterparts and has established research cooperative relationships with the University of Connecticut and University of Tennessee (both located in the US), as well as Zhejiang University, China Agricultural University, Nanjing Agricultural University, Southwest University, and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Extensive academic exchanges are carried out with universities and research institutes in the United States, Japan, South Korea, France, Israel, Singapore, and Malaysia. In 2011, the Institute established the Collaborative Innovation Center for Mountain Ecology and Agricultural Bioengineering in Guizhou Province along with Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences and Guizhou Academy of Sciences to carry out cooperation in production, education, and research in order to provide theoretical support for the industrial development of Guizhou Province.
Institute of Agro-Bioengineering, Guizhou University
Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Regions (Ministry of Education)
National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Karst Region Plant Resources Utilization & Breeding
Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agro-Bioengineering
Research Center of Plant Molecular Breeding Engineering of Guizhou Province
State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticides and Agricultural Bioengineering
2011 Collaborative Innovation Center for Mountain Ecology and Agro-Bioengineering in Guizhou Province
