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Mr. Feng Kun (middle) and his classmates


Mr. Feng Kun, a PhD student of the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) and the State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau (UM), won the second prize at the tenth “SHIMADZU CUP” Symposium of National Excellent Paper Competition on Pharmaceutical Analysis, which was held in Shanghai from 15 to 18 September 2011, for his paper entitled “Possible Molecular Mechanism for Fruiting Body Formation of Cordyceps sinensis”.

Launched in 1992, the biannual “SHIMADZU CUP” Symposium of National Excellent Paper Competition on Pharmaceutical Analysis is co-sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Analysis Committee of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, the editorial board of Chinese Pharmaceutical Journal, and Shimadzu International Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.. The competition represents the latest progress of pharmaceutical analysis in China and is one of the most influential and the highest- level academic conferences in the field of pharmaceutical analysis. Approximately one hundred and fifty representatives from the National Institute for Food and Drug Control, provincial and municipal institutes for drug control, research institutes, universities, and the industry, attended the conference. Among the one hundred and thirty-seven candidate papers, thirty-seven papers were selected for presentation in plenary sessions. Finally three first prizes, six second prizes and eleven third prizes were awarded.

The award-winning paper is funded by both UM and the Science and Technology Development Fund. Cordyceps sinensis, as a rare and precious traditional Chinese medicine, has not been successfully cultured mainly due to its unknown molecular formation mechanism. Two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2-D DIGE) combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF / TOF MS) was adopted for the first time to explore the molecular mechanisms for fruiting body formation of C. sinensis. These


differential expression of proteins reveal that cAMP dependent protein kinases (PKA) signal transduction pathway might be involved in the fruiting body development of C. sinensis, which responds to extracellular stimuli and regulates expression of genes related to glucose metabolism, protein metabolism, amino acid metabolism, energy metabolism and cell remodeling, finally leading to fruiting body formation. This research is helpful in that it paves the way for the cultivation of C. sinensis.

Remarkable achievements of ICMS have attracted widespread attention and recognition of researchers in the field of C. sinensis. Professor Li Shaoping is the supervisor of Mr. Feng Kun. Apart from Mr. Feng Kun’s first prize this year, Prof. Li’s PhD students previously won the second prize at the seventh, eighth, and first prize at the ninth, “SHIMADZU CUP” Symposium of National Excellent Paper Competition on Pharmaceutical Analysis, respectively.