China selects top 10 scientific discoveries of 2018

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Science and Technology Wednesday selected the country's top 10 scientific discoveries of last year, including macaque monkey cloning, a DNA nanorobot and the precise measurements of the gravitational constant. The following are highlights of the major discoveries:

1.MACAQUE MONKEY CLONING

Chinese researchers cloned the world's first macaques from somatic cells by the same method that made Dolly the sheep. It made research with customizable populations of genetically uniform monkeys a possibility, with the potential of furthering human disease research.

2.CREATION OF FIRST SINGLE-CHROMOSOME YEAST

Chinese scientists have created a single-chromosome yeast, and its life functions show no difference from its wild counterparts, making it the first time in the world that organisms with multiple chromosomes were artificially transformed into single-chromosome forms. The research shows that a complex genome system can be simplified through manual intervention. This study may also pave the way for new man-made species in the future.

3.KETAMINE FOR ANTIDEPRESSION

Chinese researchers reported in the journal Nature how the anesthetic painkiller ketamine blocks the neuronal activity that drives depression-like behavior. The finding may provide new perspectives on the treatment of depression and anxiety, which currently affects some 300 million people worldwide.

4.DNA NANOROBOT FOR CANCER THERAPY

Chinese scientists have constructed an autonomous DNA robot programmed to transport payloads and present them specifically in tumors. The nanorobot proved safe and effective for mice and pigs. It represents a promising strategy for precise drug delivery in cancer therapy.

5.PRECISE MEASUREMENTS OF THE GRAVITATIONAL CONSTANT

Chinese scientists have calculated the most precise value of the gravitational constant, one of the most fundamental constants of nature. To achieve their results, the team used both the angular-acceleration-feedback method and time-of-swing method to come close to producing an accurate value.