The Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology (TIB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie-Flanders Institute of Biotechnology (VIB) of Belgium renewed their agreement for the TIB-VIB Joint Center of Synthetic Biology on December 15 in Tianjin, China.Prof. XIANG Hua, Director-General of TIB, and Dr. Christine Durinx, Managing Director of VIB, signed the renewed agreement.

The original agreement signed in December 2020 primarily focused on yeast synthetic biology and the biosynthesis of plant natural products. Building on this successful track record of joint research, talent exchange, and academic output, the new agreement outlines an upgraded, more ambitious framework for the next phase of cooperation.

The Joint Center will focus on accelerating cutting-edge research and platform technologies in synthetic biology. Key expanded research areas will include the study of chassis cell metabolic mechanisms and regulatory networks, pathway design and dynamic regulation, as well as microbial protein and natural product biosynthesis, and the valorization of low-carbon compounds.

During the signing meeting, Prof. XIANG Hua introduced the CAS International Science Program on CO2 Fixation and Bioconversion (CO2FIX) led by TIB and presented Prof. Kevin Verstrepen, Director of the VIB Center for Microbiology, with a certificate as the distinguished Scientist under the CAS CO2FIX International Fellowship Initiative.

The Joint Center will further contribute to the comprehensive, in-depth cooperation between two sides and aims to serve as a high-level platform for Sino-Belgian exchange and innovation in synthetic biology.

Signing Ceremony (Image by TIB)

Appointment of the Co-Directors (Image by TIB)

Award Ceremony to Prof. Kevin Verstrepen as the CAS CO2FIX Distinguished Scientist (Image by TIB)

Group Photo (Image by TIB)