The Second CNLN Annual Meeting, was held at Leiden University Medical Center on Oct. 2, 2004.

The Second CNLN (Chinese network of life sciences in the Netherlands) Annual Meeting, with the emphasis on medical research, was held at Leiden University Medical Center on Oct. 2, 2004. More than one hundred researchers from both Dutch and Chinese universities and research institutions have attended the forum. The primary objective of the Dutch-Chinese life science forum is to present the state of the art life science research and development, to stimulate the communication and collaboration among Chinese life scientists in the Netherlands, and to bridge diverse cooperation between European academic and industrial life science institutions with the Chinese counterparts. Furthermore the intellectual property and commercialization issues were also discussed.

Dr. ZhiChao Dang, chairman of the organizing committee opened this forum with a brief introduction of the development of CNLN. Professor D. Breimer (Rector Magnificus of Leiden University)outlined cooperation between Leiden University with Chinese universities and emphasized the significance of this forum. His wish ‘a Dutch life science forum in China in the near future’ fired up the imagination of every participant in the forum. Afterwards, Professor Guangwu Tong, representative from the Chinese Embassy to the Kingdom of the Netherlands formally opened the forum.

As invited keynote speakers, Prof. Xu Zhi-hong, President of Beijing University, outlined the recent biotechnology development in China; Prof. M.R. Daha (LUMC) gave an overview on the immunology research of the kidney disease; Prof. O.J.S. Buruma (President of LUMC) addressed research policy issues in the Netherlands. 

Different perspectives

The afternoon program was divided into three different sessions, which was an almost seamless merging of three different themes. As suggested by attendants of the first CNLN forum held in Wageningen last year, the presentations were shorter this year. This gave more people the opportunity to share their work with fellow researchers. In the first session, both invited lectures and talks selected from the submitted abstracts were presented in the filed of medical sciences. In the second session, lectures concerning plant sciences were given. Dr. Mei Wang at TNO Center for Phytotechnology, Department of Applied Plant Sciences, gave a prospective outline on her most recent research activities on using metablomic tools to study Chinese medicine.  This kind of study is of interest to both Chinese and western society to bring up new technology for the traditional medicine. Last but not least, Dr. Groenewegen from IPD consulting and Ms. H.F. Hu have touched upon the issues concerning the intellectual property and the commercialization of research results. For most scientists in the audience, the last two talks were real eye-openers.

The enthusiasm of the presenters and the audience was contagious, and these sessions were evidently rewarding for all attendants. Due to the great success of this meeting, it was decided that this forum will be continued in the future and the next CNLN meeting will be held in Groningen in 2005.

Credit is due to the organizing committees for the success of the meeting. There was an appropriate balance between those topics focusing on medical sciences and the broader themes of contemporary molecular biology. Given the natural technological overlap between these research areas, it was certainly timely to have such a nice platform for people from different research areas to exchange their expertise.

Highlighting medical insight, the forum 2004 has received 37 abstracts, covering a broad range of research areas. This shows that the Chinese scholars have extensively participated in various research programs of life sciences in the Netherlands. It was very difficult for the organizing committee to choose 8 persons for oral presentations, because of the high scientific quality of the received abstracts and the willingness of  the participants to present their work in this forum.

During the dinner party the “Best Presentation” prize, selected from the eight excellent presentations, was awarded to Ms. Xiaoqian Ma from Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam. She won a free return ticket of Amsterdam/Beijing, sponsored by BM Bun-Air Travel Service Amsterdam. The title of her presentation is “Pten inactivation in mouse prostate recapitulates the process of prostate cancer development in human”. (Please read the related news at: http://www.hybtech.org/CNLN/announcement_news/bestprize.htm).

CNLN is an internet-based network which aims at promoting scientific and social communications among Chinese life-science researchers in Netherlands.  Its members come from major universities, research institutes and biotech companies.

Reported by Ling Qin and Xiao Yun