Introduction

History

The State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering (SKLBE) was initiated in 1989, authorized in 1995, and formally went into operation in 1996 under the authorization of Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST).

Research Focus

Bioprocess Engineering, Bioreaction Engineering, Biosystems Engineering

Director: Prof. Li-xin Zhang 

Introduction

The State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering (SKLBE), hosted by East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), is among the first generation of State Key Laboratories established in China. Founded in 1989 and authorized in 1995, SKLBE was formally opened to the public in 1996 with the approval from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST). Through nearly 3 decades of unflagging efforts, SKLBE has developed into a comprehensive research institution in bioreactor engineering with rich heritage, great strength and international reputation.

SKLBE was originally established based on two of the earliest engineering disciplines in China, antibiotic manufacturing and biochemical engineering. In recent years, with the in-depth understanding of molecular biology, computational biology, and system biology etc., SKLBE proposed a motto to “synergize the bioreactors with novel theories and technological breakthroughs to address significant unmet needs in medicine and agriculture”, which liberates the research focuses from physical bioreactors to diverse biological systems including living cells, tissues, animals, and even humans and highlights the demand to explore multi-dimensional mechanisms within biological systems. Under the guidance of this concept, SKLBE developed an academic platform with world-class facilities for innovative interdisciplinary research, such as structure-based enzyme evolution, big data-mediated intelligent biomanufacturing, dynamic cellular metabolic detection, synthetic microbial cell factory, advanced biomaterials and marine microbial vaccines, etc.

There are 70 faculty members in SKLBE. The honored professorships and awards received include: 1 Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, 4 National ‘Thousand Talents’ Honored Professor, 5 National Distinguished Young Researcher Awards, 5 Changjiang Professorship Awards. Over the past decades, SKLBE has taken the leading roles in domestic biological engineering research and made remarkable contributions to the national bio-manufacturing industries. In 2013-2017, 270 million research grants were received by SKLBE, including National Basic Research Development Program (973), National High Technology Research and Development Program (863), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), etc. The awards received included 2 national awards for advancement of science and technology, 4 international academic awards, and 5 provincial or ministerial awards.  In 2013-2017, SKLBE published 1600 papers on international academic journals (SCI cited), 220 patents, and 15 academic books (or book chapters).