Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2001

respectively w i t h Prof. Lee T o n g o f the Department of Electronic Engineering and Prof. Chen Runsheng o f the I n s t i t u t e o f B i oph y s i cs at the Chinese A c a d emy o f Sciences to develop software fo r the analysis of the functions o f D N A and protein sequences. I n the f u t u r e, H K B I C w i l l also develop software for pharmaceutical research . Clinical Trials for New Drugs I n the past, new drugs undergoing clinical trials have to be tested on different types o f receptors (human cells), an extremely time- consuming process. N ow new technology can simulate the three-dimensional structure s of the receptors, and the effects of the different chemical properties o f the drugs o n the receptors can be analysed o n the computer. This saves time and ensures greater accuracy. The centre has recruited an expert f r om Cambridge Universit y to carry out work in this aspect. Support for Academia and Industry The centre has a herbal database and an aromatic database. The former covers data on Ch i n e se m e d i c i n e f o r t h e use o f t he pharmaceutical industry . I n c l ude d i n the databases are details abou t the chemical composition of different drugs, their diagrams and fingerprints . These are accessible to m e m b e r s o f t h e b i o t e c h n o l o g y a n d pharmaceutical fields and academic researchers free o f charge, through the centre's website or its dial-up access service. Such data is very useful for drug development and for getting approval from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and for compliance with the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP). The centre has also developed an online biotechnology dictionary for the convenience of those who need to write and translate labels a n d i n s t r u c t i o n s , o r f i l l o u t c u s t oms applications. An Expansive Information Network Fo r ease o f i n f o rma t i o n exchange and sharing, the centre is networked w i t h many academic and research organizations the world over, including the Asia Pacific Bioinformatic s Network with a membership of 23 countries, the US National Centre for Biotechnology, and the Centr e o f B i o i n f o r ma t i cs at Pe k i n g University. The centre is currently discussin g plans for establishing hyperlinks with the Hong K o n g Polytechnic University, the University of Ho n g Kong, Tsing Hua University, as well as bioinformatic centres in Shanghai and the U K . Once the project is completed, local researchers will only have to connect to H K B I C to access the latest research data f r om these places. Unlimited Potential Coordinator of the H K B I C , Prof. K.P. Fung pointed out that as bioinformatics is a relatively new discipline, its functions may not be too well understood by the pharmaceutical industry, not to mention the general public. For this reason, the centre organizes workshops from time to time to introduce its function s and activities. A l t h o u gh advanced bioinformatic knowledge ma y not be of use to the industry at t h e m o m e n t , i t w i l l be i n c r e a s i n g l y i n d i s p e n s a b l e f o r the d e v e l o pme nt o f biotechnology and Chines e medicine, t wo major areas that will attract much attention and investment. A training course in bioinformatics I n f o r m i n g Life and I n f o r m e d by Life: B i o i n f o r m a t i c s 31