Biology professor Adrian Tsang’s work on creating fuel from molecular components interests his Chinese researchers.
Biology Professor Adrian Tsang says collaboration with peers at Chinese universities benefits more than just research findings. “We also learn about how their administration works, how their programs are structured, how their lectures are organized. I’m interested in discovering how people do things.”
The practical and economic benefits of Concordia Biology Professor Adrian Tsang’s work on how molecular components could be transformed into fuel has caught the attention of Chinese researchers. “They had read my publications and wanted to work with us,” explains Tsang, who is also chair of Concordia’s Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics.
Tsang studies the DNA structure of enzymes, such as those produced by fungi, which break down unwanted biomass, such as leaves, stems and branches, into molecular components that could then be transformed to make fuels such as ethanol and diesel or to replace the chemicals used in industrial processes.
Shichuen Agricultural University’s Wan Chen Li worked with Tsang and his team in 2002-03, and Jian Zhao, from Shandong University, one of China’s oldest and most prestigious institutions, stayed on from September 2006 to 2007. “Visiting professors usually come to work on research projects and to learn about how we work here,” Tsang explains.
While these relationships are informal, they could potentially lead to more official connections. “The professors at Shandong University are doing research similar to ours, trying to transform biomass into energy, so I can see potential for collaborations there,” he says. Indeed, his lab has previously hosted postdoctoral fellows from Shandong, and two years ago, the dean and the director of its research institute visited to discuss more formal links.
Tsang recently received an invitation from Zhao, now back in China, to present later this year at Shandong and to discuss mechanisms for funding collaboration. “But unfortunately, money doesn’t cross borders easily, and we have different funding cycles, so it’s not as straightforward as with some other countries,” Tsang says.
In the meantime, his informal connections are paying off. Ties with Shandong have been strengthened and further shared projects are a definite possibility. Tsang has also co-authored publications with Li, his first visitor. “These collaborations are good for the University profile, which is difficult to quantify but is important,” Tsang says.
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Howard Bokser, (514) 848-2424 ext. 3826, Howard.Bokser@concordia.ca
