On October 23, 2019, Prof. George Church, the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Qihan Biotech, visited Qihan. He learned about the team’s research progress and gave a scientific speech on cutting-edge gene-editing technology. This was followed by a round-table intimate discussion with the Qihan Team. Meantime, the leaders of Xiaoshan District invited Prof. Church to serve as the "Honorary Adviser of the Bioeconomic Industry in Xiaoshan Innovation Polis".

Scientific discussion with the Qihan team, complimenting them on their achievements

Dr. Yangbin Gao, Executive Research Director of Qihan Biotech, and Dr. Xin Fang, Director of Large Animal Laboratory, introduced Qihan Biotech's progress in xenotransplantation. Prof. Church made some high complimentary remarks on the progress the team has made. As the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, Prof. Church introduced the latest technology in gene editing and gene therapy to the team, providing many valuable R&D suggestions as well as encouragements for team’s continuous innovation in gene editing and xenotransplantation.

Prof. Church toured the lab and provided the team with hands-on research guidance regarding experiments.

Prof. Church visited Qihan lab II. Xiaoshan Government invites Prof. Church to serve as "Honorary Adviser of Bioeconomic Industry in Xiaoshan Innovation Polis"

Prof. Church had a strategic and constructive meeting with the following local government leaders: Ms. Guili Tong, a member of Standing Committee of Hangzhou Municipal Committee, Secretary of Xiaoshan District Committee; Mr. Jianhong Ye, Director of Management Committee of Hangzhou Xiaoshan Economic and Technological Development Zone; Mr. Daqing Wei, Deputy Head of Xiaoshan District Government. Prof. Church was pleased to accept the invitation to serve as the "Honorary Adviser of Bioeconomic Industry in Xiaoshan Innovation Polis"; he thanks the Xiaoshan Government for its strong support of biotechnology and Qihan Biotech. He hopes that Xiaoshan district in Hangzhou can become the next heart of the biotech industry comparable to Cambridge in Boston.

Leaders of Xiaoshan District with Prof. Church and the Qihan TeamQihan Biotech is a high-tech company co-founded by Prof. George Church and Dr. Luhan Yang. Using world-class gene-editing technology, Qihan Biotech is committed to producing safe and effective transplantable cells, tissues, and organs to solve the massive organ shortage crisis globally. We tackle scientific challenges through our innovative multiplexable high-throughout gene-editing platform. Qihan Biotech plays an active role in advancing biological research and in assisting the incubation of the region's economy in Xiaoshan district to form a bioindustrial chain.