Facing national and local needs on microbes-based biotechnology, the Technology Transfer Center develops advanced technologies and promotes the transformation and industrialization of the mature technologies. The center’s objectives are to speed up innovations (including technical, institutional and managerial innovations) and to promote the industrial development of microbiology technology. The center has administrative function as part of central functions in order to serve the R&D process, enhance influence in microbiology areas and strengthen cooperation with local enterprises.

TDTC has made great progress in 2014.

There are 69 technical services and development contracts have been signed and executed，with a total contract amount of RMB 65.30M, of which 21.66M has been allocated. Revenue from technology transfer or patent licensing is RMB 2.50M..

Six new collaborations have been established, including IMCAS-Dongying Pilot Base, IMCAS-Hebei Research Institute of Microbiology-Hebei Research Institute of Biology Joint Laboratory, IMCAS-Tangshan Jintu Joint Research Centre, IMCAS-Beijing Nuosai Joint Laboratory, IMCAS-Anhui Huaheng Joint Laboratory, and IMCAS-Tianjin Jifu Joint Research Centre.

Five projects have been running in TDTC pipeline in 2014. (1) Great importance has been attached to the “Third Breakthrough” project to establish a novel production technology for long-chain dicarboxylic acids. Major milestones of the project have been achieved. Strains containing metabolism-directed modifications at the molecular level have been constructed, with each modification apt to a certain feedstock, including renewable fatty acid derivatives. Optimisation of pilot production in 1M3 scale has completed, of which the bioconversion rate of the feedstock has increased from 65% to 75%. A novel solvent free refinery technology has also accomplished a pilot production. (2) Technology for large-scale industrial production of N-acetylneuraminic acid has been determined and verified, in which fermentation and purification processes have been optimised. The complete technology has been transferred to HiGrand Biotech. (3) Pullulan with 1000t annual yield has been put into production in HiGrand Biotech. (4) A high yield 12g/L of hyaluronic acid using a novel bioconversion technology has achieved. (5) An efficient technology to produce alpha-arbutin using a novel bioconversion technology has been established.

In addition, there are a number of projects currently under R&D phase in the TDTC laboratory such as the key technology development for trehalose purification, large-scale fermentation production of DHA by microalgae, novel technology to produce lycopene and beta-carotene using bioconversion strategy, microbial flocculant production of the Wuxi Guolian environmental microbial joint R & D centre, etc.

Contact:

Dr. Shenzhan FU

Tel: +86-10-82994011

Email: fushzh@im.ac.cn