To implement the national strategic deployment of advancing the high-quality development of the biomedical industry and foster new disciplinary strengths in biomedicine at the university, Qingdao University of Science and Technology officially established the Advanced Biomedical Technology Research Institute on October 21. The inauguration and plaque-unveiling ceremony was held at the Soft Control Lecture Hall on the Laoshan Campus.

Attending the ceremony were distinguished guests and leaders including:Professor Randy W. Schekman, 2013 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and Professor at the University of California, Berkeley;Li Jinsong, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Member of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS);Zhang Xianen, Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry;Professor Zhang Huipingfrom Boston University School of Medicine;Professor Byung-Chang Suhfrom Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea;Professor Jiang Qiuxing, Distinguished Expert of Laoshan Laboratory and Special Expert of the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida, USA;Professor Han Lin, Taishan Scholar Distinguished Expert of Shandong Province and Professor at the Institute of Marine Science of Shandong University;Han Lijun, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of Qingdao Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology;Wang Rui, Deputy Director of Qingdao Talent Development Promotion Center; and university leadersYang Tianmei,Chen Kezheng,Luo Xiliang, andLi Jinhong.

During the ceremony, Randy W. Schekman, Yang Tianmei, Han Lijun, and Dou Xiaowei (Dean of the Advanced Biomedical Technology Research Institute) jointly unveiled the plaque for the institute.

President Chen Kezheng presented the letter of appointment to Professor Randy W. Schekman, appointing him as the "Honorary Dean of the Advanced Biomedical Technology Research Institute". He also presented letters of appointment to Professors Zhang Huiping and Jiang Qiuxing, conferring on them the title of "Visiting Professors of Qingdao University of Science and Technology". This initiative aims to inject new vitality into the development of the Advanced Biomedical Technology Research Institute and help the university achieve more breakthrough results in key areas of biomedicine.

After the ceremony, Professor Randy W. Schekman delivered a report titledExtracellular Vesicles and Biomedical Applications. In his report, he introduced the latest academic research progress in the field of biology and biomedicine, and shared his decades-long academic experience in dedicated scientific research. The report was presented in a clear and accessible manner with strong forward-looking insights, which effectively broadened the research horizons of teachers and students, and provided an world-class academic feast for the on-site audience.

It is reported that the Advanced Biomedical Technology Research Institute of Qingdao University of Science and Technology focuses on four key research directions, including: "Application of stem cell-derived exosomes in neurodegenerative diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), refractory ulcers, and autoimmune diseases", "Research on the application of exosomes as pharmaceutical carriers for disease treatment", "Application of synthetic biology in the improvement of natural rubber species and latex quality", and "Development of personalized mRNA tumor vaccines". Relying on the authoritative advantages of Professor Randy W. Schekman's team in the field of intracellular material transport mechanisms, the institute will targetedly introduce and cultivate top scientists, young and middle-aged research backbones, and compound talents with industry backgrounds. It will also train a group of professional talents proficient in cutting-edge medical technologies and carry out international scientific research cooperation in fields such as cell therapy and gene editing.

Biographical Information: Randy W. Schekman

Randy W. Schekman is an American molecular biologist, born in December 1948 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He obtained his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1971 and his doctorate from Stanford University in 1974, studying under Professor Arthur Kornberg, a Nobel laureate. Currently, he serves as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the chief scientist of Energy Song. In 1992, he was elected as a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences. In 2013, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with James Rothman and Thomas Südhof for their discovery of the mechanisms regulating vesicle traffic in cells.