On July 15, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate Craig C. Mello, along with representatives from biomedical enterprises and industrial capital, visited Oujiang Lab to investigate cutting-edge industrialization projects. Academician Song Weihong, Director of Oujiang Lab, received the delegation.
Song Weihong provided a detailed introduction to the research achievements and translational outcomes of the lab’s three main research directions, particularly highlighting progress in drug development and technological advancements in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, as well as therapies based on FGF cell growth factors for metabolic diseases.
Craig C. Mello (Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2006 for his discovery of RNA interference. During his visit, he highly commended the focused and distinctive research directions of the lab and expressed strong interest in the "from paper to product" translational pathway. He inquired in detail about the preclinical progress and industrialization timelines of several projects. He noted that Oujiang Lab’s development exemplifies the deep integration of scientific innovation and industrial innovation and expressed his hope to collaborate with the lab on the translation and industrialization of related drugs, jointly promoting high-quality development in the biomedical industry.
Professor Craig C. Mello – Brief Introduction
Professor Craig C. Mello, born in 1960, holds a Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard University and is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. He currently serves as a Distinguished Professor at the RNA Therapeutics Institute of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and holds the Blais University Chair in Molecular Medicine at the same institution. In 2006, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and in 2015, he received the Chinese Government Friendship Award.
As a developmental biologist, Professor Mello focuses primarily on RNA research. In 1998, together with Andrew Fire, he discovered the phenomenon known as RNA interference (RNAi) through studies on Caenorhabditis elegans. In this process, double-stranded RNA blocks messenger RNA, preventing certain genetic information from being translated during protein synthesis. This mechanism plays a crucial regulatory role in the genome, enabling researchers to suppress the expression of specific genes and offering a therapeutic approach for silencing disease-causing genes.
Professor Craig C. Mello – Brief Introduction
Professor Craig C. Mello, born in 1960, holds a Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard University and is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. He currently serves as a Distinguished Professor at the RNA Therapeutics Institute of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and holds the Blais University Chair in Molecular Medicine at the same institution. In 2006, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and in 2015, he received the Chinese Government Friendship Award.
As a developmental biologist, Professor Mello focuses primarily on RNA research. In 1998, together with Andrew Fire, he discovered the phenomenon known as RNA interference (RNAi) through studies on Caenorhabditis elegans. In this process, double-stranded RNA blocks messenger RNA, preventing certain genetic information from being translated during protein synthesis. This mechanism plays a crucial regulatory role in the genome, enabling researchers to suppress the expression of specific genes and offering a therapeutic approach for silencing disease-causing genes.
