Research is advancing rapidly in China ....... 🦅

Many Americans are unaware that China is not only becoming the number one superpower economically but also in the area of science and technology. As China's economy continues to grow, so too are vast sums of money going into the country's technological research.

One key area of research that's drawing vast sums of money from the Chinese government is the area of genetic engineering.

They are now using and developing highly sensitive equipment to scan, read, and sequence human genes. This is nothing new, but the amount of money being poured into this research is giving China an edge over private companies in the U.S. China now has the resources in terms of manpower, and equipment, to carry out research quickly and efficiently.

Genetic engineers have been researching on animals in China for decades, but China has recently made some remarkable breakthroughs.

Researchers have, for instance, produced mice with human neurons to do brain research. They have genetically engineered Chimpanzees with human neurons, human auditory, and optical nerves. Monkeys have been given human eyes and ears, Chimpanzees, human voice boxes, and vocal cords. The things that I was once intrigued by in Sci-Fi movies are now becoming science reality.

Genetic engineers have spliced genes from jellyfish and mice to create mice that glow in the dark. Researchers have genetically engineered pigs that never grow larger than a piglet. Geneticists can now turn off the protein that regulates muscle growth in dogs and cats. For the cost of approximately 35,000 American dollars, you can purchase a genetically engineered German Shepard or a house cat that is much larger than your run of the mill pet dog or cat.

China is also spending vast amounts of money in the area of cloning. Imagine one day in the future, a person discovers they are suffering from heart disease. A private medical doctor extracts some of that person's genes and sends them off to a lab. Then, in a matter of weeks or months, the patient can have a brand-new cloned heart transplanted in them free of all defects.

Failing organs in the future may very well be replaced with cloned organs, and diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, or dementia, might be cured with cloned neurons. Some of China's top genetic engineers believe this can become a reality in the next 20 to 30 years.

Many scientists in China envision a future with cloning factories, providing huge medical benefits, where human organs can be cloned and perhaps genetically altered to benefit the patient's individual needs.

Many government agencies in the U.S. are beginning to question the moral and ethical ramifications of China's research. For most Americans, this sort of research makes for good science fiction - now leaning toward science reality - with unknown consequences.

The Chinese company BGI is now the leading company in the world for animal cloning. BGI also has the most sophisticated gene-splicing machines. They have bought an American company that produced the machines for research and development. The Chinese, however, have found new ways to produce the machines much more cheaply and now they have the largest number of gene-splicing machines in the world.

BGI's ambition is to use the machines to read and sequence genes to improve human health. They are also discovering new ways to improve crop yields and produce stronger and healthier livestock for farming through genetic sequencing. BGI is always discovering new ways to use genetic engineering for industrial use in creating new and healthier foods for human consumption.

How science and technology are evolving in China and the direction it is taking has many questioning whether we are ready for this sort of technology and, now that cloning can be done, should it be done?

When it comes to animal research and the foods we eat, much oversight needs to be put in place. The critics are questioning whether the oversight is sufficient in China, especially, when it comes to animal safety and food consumption.

The Chinese, however, believe their growth in scientific knowledge may lead not only to healthier human beings but possibly the eradication of world hunger.

I like to tell my students that knowledge is only as useful as its proper application and the wise know-how to properly apply their knowledge for the greater good.

Let us hope that China's advancements in science and technology can be used wisely for the greater good by enhancing the lives of those in need, not only in China but globally.

But only time will tell.

Always with love from Suzhou, China

Thomas F O’Neill

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