Ding Xianping, known as “Professor Pendulum,” is both an expert in eugenics at Sichuan University and the director of the key laboratory jointly established by Sichuan and Chongqing for the research on and utilization of special biological resources in Nanchuan. He travels to and fro between the two places every week for eight years during which he has not only expanded his research field but also witnessed the increasing cooperation between Sichuan and Chongqing.
A tree species – jackfruit takes a new lease of life
The key laboratory jointly established by Sichuan and Chongqing is located in Nanchuan Industrial Park. It is more a “garden factory” than a lab for there are many uncommon plants and trees.
The horticulturalist Ding Xianping presents his collection of green treasures.
Professor Ding Xianping makes an introduction to Nanchuan’s precious tree species. (Photo by Li Cheng)
“It is jackfruit, a tree species peculiar to Nanchuan,” said Prof. Ding. Its bark and fruit can be used as medicine to clear away heat and detoxify. In 2004, it was designated as a critically endangered tree species by China Species Red List.
Aa an expert in biogenetics at Sichuan University, Ding Xianping regards jackfruit as a priority project for the laboratory. Thousands of jackfruit trees have been cultivated in about five years based on genetic analysis and by cracking the “genetic code.”
The line of this rare tree species can, therefore, be carried on.
“As the breeding related problem was solved, jackfruit trees can even be used to embellish the streets. They are beautiful and medicinal,” said Ding Xianping.
A bamboo shoot species - square bamboo shoots no more in the minority
Square bamboo shoots of Jinfo Mountain are another measure explored by Ding Xianping from the biological treasury of Nanchuan.
Square bamboo shoots of Jinfo Mountain are known as the “king of bamboo shoots.” They are sensitive to the environment and grow from soil rich in selenium on mountains 1,000 to 2,200 meters above sea level. A short term is allowed for picking them in autumn. They are delicious and highly nutritive yet with low yield.
Ding succeeded in growing these bamboo shoots at lower altitudes and turning them into “industrial crop” insensitive to the environment by dint of the research resources from Sichuan and Chongqing and by working together with team members for several years.
According to Ding Xianping, the square bamboo shoots, a specialty from Nanchuan, are expected to help local farmers increase income with the genetic test, sulfur resistance test and seed selection conducted.
A cup of tea - radix scrophulariae becomes a tea drink
As early as 2013, the key laboratory jointly established by Sichuan and Chongqing developed radix scrophulariae tea granules and discovered more unknown effects of it.
Ding Xianping said that doctors of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have realized the role of radix scrophulariae in clearing heat, protecting liver and regulating blood sugar level, and the lab deconstructed the related principle from the angle of biogenetics. On that basis, the lab has developed radix scrophulariae tea drinks in collaboration with traditional Chinese medicine teams from Sichuan and Chongqing.
Unique border trees developed by the key laboratory jointly established by Sichuan and Chongqing. (Photo by Ran Changjun)
The person in charge of the said that radix scrophulariae is a locally traditional medicinal variety. With the technological progress, its output and applications have been increased. It was medicinal but is now drinkable, which highly encourages farmers to cultivate it.
One mind – Nanchuan works together with Dujiangyan
“We are witness to the Sichuan-Chongqing cooperation; which also leads to the cooperation between Nanchuan and Dujiangyan.”
Ding Xianping appears excited when saying that. The key laboratory jointly established by Sichuan and Chongqing was founded in 2012. In the past eight years, he saw the growing cooperation between the two places. Especially in the past two years, the R&D and interaction in the biomedical field have increased both in Chengdu and Chongqing.
“Sichuan has placed its TCM research base in Dujiangyan while Nanchuan is one of the TCM research bases of Chongqing. We came here to set up a laboratory for that reason. The climate and geographical conditions of the two places differ, so do the biological provenances, hence the complementarity.” Ding Xianping said that for Dujiangyan and Nanchuan, there will be more cooperation and exchanges in the future.