The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of the Second Hospital of Shandong University was established in May 2018. It consists of a Central Laboratory, a Laboratory Animal Center, an Evidence-based Medicine Center, a Gene and Immunotherapy Center, and a Translational Medicine Research Center. Integrating the superior resources of the five centers, it aims at high-level construction and improvement, as well as high-quality management and service, so as to establish a comprehensive scientific research platform for basic medicine and clinical medicine research.
Function Orientation
The function of the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences is to organize and implement basic medical research and basic research for application by integrating the clinical resources, equipment resources and human resources of the hospital, and work closely with clinical departments to carry out researches on clinical scientific issues to [1] improve the scientific research level. It takes the responsibilities for the management of the scientific research platform, implements accurate management of fingerprint access for high-end instruments through the post responsibility system combined with the intelligent information management system, and realizes the open sharing, safe and efficient operation of the platform to make it become a high-level and shared scientific research platform in the hospital. It undertakes relevant teaching, scientific research and training works, improves the basic theory, experimental technology, safety protection skills of postgraduates and other personnel, and provides technical support for scientific researches in clinical departments. It carries out evidence-based research, clinical data analysis, cell therapy and other clinical research according to clinical needs. It strengthens cooperation and exchanges with domestic and foreign scientific research institutions, universities and enterprises, enhances the connotation of basic research, and promotes the clinical transformation of scientific research results.
Platform Advantages
The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences has the Experimental Platform of Molecular Biology, the Experimental Platform of Cytobiology, the Experimental Platform of Immunology and Histopathology, the Microscopic Characterization Platform, the Electrophysiology Platform, the SPF Laboratory Animal Platform, the Evidence-based Medicine Platform, and the Biomedical Sample Library, etc. Covering an area of more than 6000 square meters, it is equipped with basic and high-end equipment for the structure and function research of biological macromolecules, cell morphology and function, animal model construction and experiment, as well as clinical sample storage, processing and analysis, including flux nucleic acid extraction system, automatic cutting system, protein purification and preparation system, analytical-type and sorting-type fluorescence-activated cell sorter, laser scanning confocal microscope, multispectral scanning microscope, laser microdissection system, digital PCR instrument, fluorescent quantitation PCR instrument, fluorescence quantitative PCR instrument, automatic tissue embedding machine, automatic dehydrator, paraffin and freezing microtome, patch clamp system, calcium ion imaging system, nanoparticle tracking analyzer, IVIS Spectrum CT small animal in vivo optical imaging system and other large precision instruments, as well as the darkroom, cold room, stem cell culture room, clinical sample database and other facilities.
Scientific Researchers
The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences currently has 38 staff, including 2 “Taishan Scholars”, 3 professors, 4 doctoral supervisors, 24 with doctoral degrees, 12 with master’s degrees, as well as experimental technicians. The post-80s and post-90s are the main staff composition, and nearly 90% are the young and middle-aged under 40 years old. They come from major domestic universities and the education-related structure is reasonable. Their learning backgrounds include basic medicine, clinical medicine, pharmacy, epidemiology and health statistics, etc., so the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences has the advantage of cross-disciplines and fields.
Teams led by Professor Yuan Huiqing, the academic leader of the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Professor Tang Dongqi and Professor Sun Rong have respectively achieved many scientific researches achievements in the fields of drug target analysis and precision medication, gene therapy and CAR-T technology, traditional Chinese medicine pharmacology/toxicology evaluation and new drug discovery, and formed research characteristics; Chief Technologist Qi Tonggang has accumulated experience for many years in the field of basic and targeted therapy of pancreatic cancer and has become the backbone of our institute; the vigorous post-80s and post-90s have begun to reveal their talents. Among them, associate chief technologist Luan Yun, Dr. Gao Dongfang , Dr. Xin Qian and Dr. Lin Zhaomin have been awarded the honorary titles of “Outstanding Young Talents” of the Second Hospital of Shandong University. They have made new breakthroughs in the basic research and treatment of vascular remodeling related diseases, microbiology and anti-tumor, the basic research and target analysis of autoimmune diseases, the discovery of active small molecules, and the research of anti-tumor drugs. They have become a new force in our institute. In addition, the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences has also devoted greater efforts to train young talents. It has sent young backbone members to the United States, Japan, Sweden and other countries for further studies, and actively supported young researchers to participate in international and domestic academic conferences.
Academic Exchange and Cooperation
Participation into academic exchanges at home and abroad is the only way to enhance academics and broaden horizons. The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences has invited many famous experts in relevant medical fields at home and abroad to conduct academic exchanges and a preliminary cooperation intention has been reached. In addition, the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences strengthens cooperation with clinical departments and enterprises. It is gradually carrying out the clinical transformation of scientific research results in new molecular diagnostic kits, new therapeutic regimens and clinical medication for tumors and other diseases.
With the use of the new scientific research building and the joining of new high-level talents and young talents, the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences will achieve more results in basic research and clinical transformation, and will play a greater role in the development of the hospital and the advancement of medical science.