Scientist hailed as stem-cell trailblazer

For thousands of years, humankind has longed for immortality, dreaming of elixirs and ambrosias that would cure illness and prolong life.

Zhou Qi, a developmental biologist with the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has spent nearly three decades attempting to make that dream a reality.

He has pursued this dream through the study of animal cloning for regeneration, and by using stem cells to repair failing organs and tissue.

The 44-year-old led a team that successfully produced the first living mammal, a mouse named Xiao Xiao, from what are known as "induced pluripotent stem cells", or IPS cells. Such cells have been reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells, thus giving them the ability to grow into any type of tissue or organ.

The fundamental study provided theoretical support for the clinical application of IPS cells to produce organs or tissue, and it may allow future generations to be treated with organs or tissue specifically grown to replace failing body parts.

"Stem cell research has been one of the hottest research areas in the past decade," Zhou said, adding that the research may provide ways to cure degenerative conditions, including heart disease, Parkinson's disease and diabetes.

The results, which were published in leading academic journals, including Nature and Cell Stem Cell, gained global scientific recognition.

In 2009, Time magazine named Zhou's work as one of the top 10 major medical breakthroughs, saying that it "declared the victory of the revolution" of IPS cells. "Most research progresses in small steps; Xiao Xiao represents a leap forward," the magazine report said.

Zhou's team also produced embryonic stem cells from unfertilized eggs, thus overcoming ethical issues related to the destruction of fertilized egg cells to obtain the cells. The team also discovered a molecular marker that allows quick identification of viable stem cells - those that can be used for research - and unviable ones.

Time magazine described the work as a "discovery that's expected to steer future work on therapeutics down the most efficient and promising paths".

Breakthroughs such as these were responsible for the team winning the China State Science and Technology Award, the country's top honor for cutting-edge scientific innovation and discovery.

"We are making historic discoveries. That's what I am aiming for ... to make something truly genuine and original, and thus benefit society," Zhou said.

He has always aimed to be creative and innovative. When he was 17, he became aware of the huge potential of biotechnology, so he abandoned his plans to become an architect and studied bioengineering instead.

"I was sitting in a classroom taking the colleague entrance exam, and one question really attracted my attention because it said biotechnology would become the leading technology of the 21st century," Zhou said, recalling the life-changing moment.

As a result, he enrolled in the bioengineering program at Northeast Agricultural University in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, one of China's first and now strongest bioengineering programs. He then took an interest in animal cloning.

Later, he successfully produced the world's first cloned mouse and a calf, gaining global recognition in the field of animal cloning, and publishing papers in journals such as Nature and Science.

He then extended his professional interest to stem cell research. That chapter of his life is now over, and he's moving on to the next challenge. Although he was reluctant to talk about his plans in detail, he said, "It will be something very new and very original."

In addition to his research work, Zhou is also the leader of the State Key Lab of Reproductive Biology and vice-director of the Institute of Zoology at CAS.

Zhou founded his own lab in 2002, but it took him two years to assemble the resources for his research. In light of that experience, nowadays he always makes great efforts to create working environments that will allow younger colleagues to devote themselves to their research as quickly as possible.

As a senior scientist, he believes his duties include taking care of the younger generation. "When new PIs (principal investigators) return from overseas, I make sure they can start work as soon as they land in China - ensuring that they have the basic equipment to set up a lab, helping them to look for funding, and relating my experiences and the lessons I've learned," he said.