Five generations of nearly 50 years have relayed to create an "information database" for spore plants

Five generations of nearly 50 years have relayed to create an "information database" for spore plants

Five generations of nearly 50 years to build an "information database" of spore plants Five generations of nearly 50 years to create an "information database" of spore plants

China's Sporophyta has been published in the volume of the microbiology institute.

Chinese spore plant ambition to present the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China

Chinese spore plant ambition to present the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China

After five generations of nearly 50 years of relay, the "Chinese Sporophyta" has partially proven China's rich "family background": a huge piece of more than 43.
3 million characters records 19,652 species of spore plants in 2255 genera and 424 families in China
.

"On the centenary birthday of the party, we will use this as a gift!" said Zhuang Wenying, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a researcher at the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, at the "Chinese Spore Plant Aspirations to the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China" on July 6th.

.

"Species are the carriers of genes, and the rich diversity of spore species in China is a treasure house of biological resources
.

At present, the bioeconomy is in its infancy, and the spore flora will be the bridge between the biodiversity of nature and the era of bioeconomy

Explore the "family property" to build an information database of Chinese spore plants

Explore the "family property" to build an information database of Chinese spore plants

"Seeds are the propagules of gymnosperms and angiosperms, and'spores' are the'seeds' and propagules of organisms such as spore plants and fungi
.

" Wei Jiangchun explained to reporters that China has a vast territory, terrestrial and aquatic spore plant resources Extremely rich

In 1972, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences planning work meeting held in Beijing Friendship Hotel, Wei Jiangchun and Mr.
Zeng Chengkui, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and founder of Chinese seaweed research, proposed the establishment of a Chinese Sporophyta Editorial Committee to find out the "family background" of related biological resources in China.

.

In 1973, "Chinese Spore Flora" came into being
.

"Chinese Sporophytes", "Chinese Flora" and "Chinese Zoology" are also called "Three Records", which record the species resources, morphological and anatomical characteristics, physiological and biochemical shapes, ecological habits, geographical distribution and their relationship with humans in China.
Series focus on other aspects
.

The objects of compilation and research include non-vascular spore plants and fungi that reproduce by spores, including "Chinese algae", "Chinese freshwater algae", "Chinese fungi", "Chinese lichens" and "Chinese moss" five points Chi

As of June 2021, the "Chinese Spore Flora" has published 113 volumes, recording 19,652 species of 2255 genera and 424 families of sporophytes in China, with 14,246 photo editions, and a total of 43343 million words
.

"This is the common result of 370 authors from 102 units across the country after 48 years of hard work
.

" Wei Jiangchun said

The published "Chinese Spore Flora" is the crystallization of the investigation, collection and classification of spore plants in China.
It is a comprehensive "information database" of spore plant resources in China, and also an important biological resource "treasure"
.

Take the "Chinese Seaweed Chronicles" (6 volumes and 15 volumes have been published, 7 volumes in total) as an example.
The log covers 7 categories including Cyanophyta, Rhodophyta, Phaeophyta, etc.
More than 180,000 seaweed specimens have been collected in half a century No.
, more than 45,000 specimens in the collection have been digitized, and some specimen data (16,000) have been uploaded to the national specimen resource sharing platform
.

"These specimens are not only a solid foundation for the compilation of seaweed logs, but also large-scale digital sharing will be realized in the future

According to Hu Zhengyu, a researcher at the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 23 volumes (29 volumes in total) of "China Freshwater Algae" have been published, and related content has been used to guide local environmental protection and serve tourism development.
Investigations on plankton and living biodiversity in areas, Chishui River, Poyang Lake, Jinsha River, etc.
; analysis of the formation mechanism of the “rosy” salt lakes in Sichuan, Guizhou Hongshitan and the arid area of ​​northwestern China.
After the publication of Geography, it attracted attention and stimulated local tourism resources
.

Fungi are the biological group with the largest number of species in the world of life except insects
.

According to Zhuang Wenying, there are currently more than 21,000 species of fungi known in China, which have "tripled three times" in the past 40 years

48 years of "sharpening the sword", from the "blank" of the discipline to the discovery of resources

48 years of "sharpening the sword", from the "blank" of the discipline to the discovery of resources

"Among the five branch chronicles, the foundation of "Chinese Lichen History" is the worst.

The other four chronicles have some accumulation from the scientific research team and the research results, and the two aspects of lichenology are'zero'

In 1956, at the suggestion of Mr.
Dai Fanglan, the founder of Chinese mycology, the Institute of Applied Mycology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (the predecessor of the Institute of Microbiology) separated from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and sent people to study in the former Soviet Union to fill the gap in the subject of lichen
.

Wei Jiangchun is one of them

To this day, he still clearly remembers that at the beginning of the compilation and research of "Chinese Lichens", there were only three or four people, and only specimens exchanged from abroad and a small amount of samples collected from 8 provinces were placed in a 15 square meter laboratory.
Mi's room in the cabinet
.

“Now, our lichen specimens have 150,000 numbers, distributed in the lichen herbarium of more than ten units across the country, and become a rare resource for scientific research
.
Since the reform and opening up, the postgraduate system has also cultivated a group of The new force of lichenology in our country
.
" Wei Jiangchun said
.

This is not what it used to be.
Wu Pengcheng, a researcher at the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, also has a deep understanding of this: "Before 1955, bryobotany was basically blank in China
.
Thousands of bryophytes did not have a Chinese name, nor did they have a type specimen, even Even the concept of moss and moss is very confusing
.
"

"In fact, foreigners came to China to collect a large number of specimens in the 1880s, but they did not leave us a copy
.
The founder of China's bryobotany, Mr.
Chen Bangjie, once said,'There must be China's own researchers'
.
" Added
.

In his view, the country's long-term support is the basis for the completion of the sporophyte, maintaining the stability of personnel, experimental equipment, field surgery, and publication of results
.
At present, "Chinese Moss History" has published 10 volumes, which not only bid farewell to the "blank" of the subject, but also unearthed abundant genetic resources
.

"After more than 30 years of research, Chinese people not only understand'what is moss', but also know that they have an inseparable relationship with the environment, and found that moss (such as Physcomitrella patens) contains excellent drought-tolerant and drought-resistant genetic resources.
Prospects for the development of new drugs
.
" Wu Pengcheng hopes that one day, bryophytes with stress resistance genes can become the "new favorite" of space science experiments
.

According to statistics, from 1993 to June this year, "Chinese Spore Flora" received a total of 63.
79 million yuan
.
For a magnum opus that has been edited and researched for 48 years and has gathered more than a hundred scientists from units, such funding is not much, but it has laid a solid foundation for the development of China's sporophyte discipline
.

"The published'Chinese Spore Flora' is a valuable scientific wealth formed under the leadership and support of the older generation of scientists in China
.
It will play an irreplaceable role in the future basic research, resource protection, and development and utilization of life sciences .
We.
We must continue to stick to the original aspirations, carry forward the truth-seeking and pragmatic spirit of the older generation of scientists, complete the five major points, and let the scientific research results benefit more people
.
" Xiang Hua, deputy director of the Institute of Microbiology, told China Science Daily
.

Leading the era of bioinformatics in the next century

Leading the era of bioinformatics in the next century

From 1973 to the present, "Chinese Spore Flora" has experienced 5 editorial committees-Wang Yunzhang, Zeng Chengkui, and Wei Jiangchun have served as editors
.
Next, the "Baton" will be handed over to Zhuang Wenying
.

In Zhuang Wenying's view, the compilation and research of China's sporophyta has achieved fruitful results in the past half a century, but the next task is still arduous
.

For example, she said that the compilation and research of "Chinese Fungi" involves not only fungi, but also oomycetes and slime molds.
At present, many groups are still unattended and urgently need to be discussed in depth
.
At the same time, with the increase in the number of fungal species in China, it is necessary to further strengthen the systematic research
.
In addition, with the increase in funding for the compilation and research of national chronicles, the training of talents should be accelerated, and the coordinated development of basic research and resource utilization should be promoted
.

"Internationalization" is also another trend of "Chinese Spore Flora"
.
In view of the achievements, many foreign scholars contacted their editorial board to release the "English version"
.
At present, "Chinese Mosses" and "Chinese Seaweeds" multi-volume English versions have been launched, "Chinese Lichens" (English version) has signed an international cooperation letter of intent and established an international cooperation editorial committee
.

"Now, molecular biotechnology has penetrated into the taxonomy of spore plants.
It is rearranged in the English version according to the latest international classification system, which will help to develop relevant resources for China, promote the development of disciplines, and promote domestic and international The new development pattern of mutual promotion of academic exchanges
.
" Wei Jiangchun said
.

He proposed to build "three major access systems": species information, species specimens, and algae culture access systems, so as to closely integrate life science research and resource utilization, and build a bridge from natural resources to bio-economy
.

"Combined with the launch of the English version, we will further improve the compilation and research task of the'Chinese Spore Flora', aiming at the three major access systems, and through the efforts of the younger generation of spore botanists, the compilation and research of China's spore flora The world's leading position!" Wei Jiangchun said
.