Extracellular RNA
RNA is finding a new role in medicine. Once thought to exist only within cells, the molecule is now known to travel all over the body, under the protection of ‘extracellular vesicles’. Scientists are studying the potential of extracellular RNA for detecting and treating disease.
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Nanjing University (NJU)
Founded in 1902, Nanjing University is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education in China. Formerly the Biology Department (founded in 1921), the School of Life Sciences of Nanjing University is one of the earliest life science research and teaching institutions in China. The school is also home to China’s State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology which provides top level research platform in the country. Since its establishment, the school has been dedicated to pursuing the truth of life and made significant contributions to the advancement of life sciences, with the discovery of extracellular miRNA as a remarkable example. Prompted by the innovative findings about extracellular miRNA, Nanjing University has established NJU Advanced Institute of Life Sciences (NAILS) to lay the theoretical foundation for extracellular miRNA and Jiangsu Engineering Research Center for MicroRNA Biology and Biotechnology (JERCBB) to develop cutting-edge biotechnology for translational research. Recently, Nanjing University has established Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Center of Molecular Diagnostic and Therapy to accelerate the clinical application of these theoretical and technological innovations. With these platforms, a comprehensive research center for extracellular miRNA has been built. In the future, Nanjing University will keep working with scientists and institutions all around the world to further our understandings of extracellular miRNA.
Nanjing University Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine
Founded in 2019, the Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine (IAIB) is a collaboration effort between Nanjing University and the municipal government of Nanjing Jiangbei New Area. Led by biologist Dr. Chen-Yu Zhang, Dean of School of Life Sciences and computer scientist Dr. Zhihua Zhou, Dean of School of Artificial Intelligence, the institute aims to apply disciplines of artificial intelligence to solve problems of life sciences and revolutionize the current paradigm of biomedical research. The institute’s current research interest focusses on four major frontiers, AI structural biology, AI cell biology, AI precision medicine and AI drug discovery. State-of-the-art infrastructures are being built right now for automatic big data collection and high-performance AI based computing. In addition to basic research, the institute also functions as a tech transfer platform or a “bioscience park” for Nanjing University and Nanjing Jiangbei New Area, providing platform and intelligence support for biotech startups spun off from the University as well as from innovators all around the world.
