Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wageningen University in the Netherlands (VIRO), and the University of Montpellier in France (DRIM), are internationally recognized research institutions working on the molecular virology of baculoviruses, aquatic invertebrate viruses and recombinant insecticide. As a consequence of an agreement between these three Institutions, the Joint Laboratory of Invertebrate Virology (JLIV) of WIV, was officially founded on October 16, 1998.
Eleven internationally recognized scientists were invited to join, and were subsequently appointed to, the advisory board of JLIV. The Laboratory welcomes all scientists working on invertebrate virology and provides grants under a peer reviewed application process.
Since then, the laboratory has built a collaborative and creative research process with a research exchange program and the co-supervision of PhD students, and has published many peer reviewed articles in Chinese and international journals. The laboratory has also been awarded funding for 15 projects including awards from the International Outstanding Young Scientist Foundation. One of the labs most important achievements has been the sequencing and annotation of the complete genome of HaSNPY, a very important baculovirus involved in cotton boll-worm control, and the subsequent generation of a series of recombinant forms of HaSNPY with improved insecticidal properties. These achievements will play an important role in developing future bio-control insecticides for persistent agriculture.
2. Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, CAS
The Sino-Africa Joint Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is an overseas science and education institution approved by the CAS in May 2013. The Center is supervised by
the Bureau of International Cooperation of CAS, and is surpported by Wuhan Botanical Garden of CAS. Jomo Kenytta University of Agriculture and Technology, JKUAT, University of CAS, Kunming Institute of Botany of CAS, Wuhan Institute of Virology of CAS, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of CAS, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology of CAS, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth of CAS, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of CAS, Center for Agricultural Resources Research, IGDB of CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology of CAS are the participation and cooperation units in the Center. At the meanwhile, through collaborating with the research powers including Shanghai Chenshan Plant Science Research Center of CAS, Institute of Botany of CAS, Kunming Institute of Botany of CAS and Fairylake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen and CAS, the Center aims to jointly carry out the scientific and technological research with Africa.
In the scientific research layout, based on the distribution and regional characteristics of Africa's resources and the cooperation between Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and other countries with strong technical needs and long-term friendly relations with China, the
Center established five sub-centers. They are Divison of Biodiversity and Conservation, Division of Water Resources Management, Division of Geographic Science and Remote Sensing, Division of Microbiology and Epidemic Disease Control, and Division of Modern Agriculture Demonstration.The Center will make every effort to solve the major practical problems such as food shortage, environmental pollution and epidemics that African countries face in economic and social development and enhance the scientific and technological level and talents-building ability of African countries in related fields.
WIV plays a key role in the ongoing construction of the CAS-African Research Center in Nairobi. WIV is in charge of setting up the Division of Microbiology and Epidemic Disease Control, which will specialize in pathogen detection, epidemiology of infectious diseases, and prevention and control of infectious diseases.
