The 21st century is the century of life science. Structural biology is one of the key branches at the forefront of life science research.

In-depth study of the structure and function of biological macromolecules will not only provide answers to a series of unsolved problems of science, but also facilitate a better understanding of phenomena of life. Meanwhile, it is essential to human health and important to the R&D of drug based on the molecular structure of biological macromolecules.

China has traditionally been an important player in structural biology research, playing a leading role along with the United Kingdom and the United States back in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, the high-resolution crystal structure measurement of insulin completed by Beijing Insulin Research Group in the 1970s represented a state-of-the-art achievement at that time. Chinese research institutions, such as Tsinghua University and CAS Institute of Biophysics, have made remarkable progress in the new millennium.

Set up by Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, the Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology of Tsinghua University is one of the first 13 Advanced Innovation Centers in Beijing. The Center, supported and led by Tsinghua University, is a joint effort between Tsinghua University and Beijing University of Technology. As a prestigious organization of higher education, scientific research and technology development in China, Tsinghua University has been playing an active part in training high-level talents, pursuing top-notch studies and bolstering the economy. In honor of this academic heritage, Tsinghua University’s structural biology team is thriving on the historical opportunity with a growing worldwide presence. With its inaugural director, Yigong Shi, at the helm, the Center has 20 independent laboratories, 40+ postdoctoral fellows and 200+ doctoral students and its research efforts address a wide range of structural biology frontiers, including important studies on the structure and function of biological macromolecules, such as macromolecular machine, disease-associated membrane protein, tumor suppressor, apoptosis-regulating protein and drug target for diabetes. The Center also enjoys an international influence for its research studies.

From 2015 to 2018, the Center published 37 high-level research papers in Nature, Science, and Cell in the name of Tsinghua University as the corresponding author and dozens of research papers in other international journals. The Center is gaining an international reputation and making contribution to the development of structural biology in China.

Backed by Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, the Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology provides an excellent platform for structural biology research and the healthy industry by bringing together the resources of Tsinghua University and Beijing University of Technology. The Center is developing multidisciplinary strengths in integrating the best practices in method development, fundamental research and translation of research advances which may result in an array of far-reaching technologies and methods in the next 5 to 10 years.

The key mission of the Center is to promote cross-disciplinary knowledge, interscholastic cooperation and university-government partnership in method development, fundamental research and translation of research advances and create a leading structural biology center in the long run. The Center will strive to deliver original achievements with a far-reaching impact on the history of science, bolster the biotechnological and biopharmaceutical activities in Beijing based on fundamental research and technological development, and provide a good platform for presenting Chinese biologists internationally.

The 21st century is the century of life science. Structural biology is one of the key branches at the forefront of life science research.

In-depth study of the structure and function of biological macromolecules will not only provide answers to a series of unsolved problems of science, but also facilitate a better understanding of phenomena of life. Meanwhile, it is essential to human health and important to the R&D of drug based on the molecular structure of biological macromolecules.

China has traditionally been an important player in structural biology research, playing a leading role along with the United Kingdom and the United States back in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, the high-resolution crystal structure measurement of insulin completed by Beijing Insulin Research Group in the 1970s represented a state-of-the-art achievement at that time. Chinese research institutions, such as Tsinghua University and CAS Institute of Biophysics, have made remarkable progress in the new millennium.

Set up by Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, the Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology of Tsinghua University is one of the first 13 Advanced Innovation Centers in Beijing. The Center, supported and led by Tsinghua University, is a joint effort between Tsinghua University and Beijing University of Technology. As a prestigious organization of higher education, scientific research and technology development in China, Tsinghua University has been playing an active part in training high-level talents, pursuing top-notch studies and bolstering the economy. In honor of this academic heritage, Tsinghua University’s structural biology team is thriving on the historical opportunity with a growing worldwide presence. With its inaugural director, Yigong Shi, at the helm, the Center has 23 independent laboratories, 90+ postdoctoral fellows and 200+ doctoral students and its research efforts address a wide range of structural biology frontiers, including important studies on the structure and function of biological macromolecules, such as macromolecular machine, disease-associated membrane protein, tumor suppressor, apoptosis-regulating protein and drug target for diabetes. The Center also enjoys an international influence for its research studies.

From 2015 to 2020, the Center published 57 high-level research papers in Nature, Science, and Cell in the name of Tsinghua University as the corresponding author and dozens of research papers in other international journals. The Center is gaining an international reputation and making contribution to the development of structural biology in China.

Backed by Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, the Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology provides an excellent platform for structural biology research and the healthy industry by bringing together the resources of Tsinghua University and Beijing University of Technology. The Center is developing multidisciplinary strengths in integrating the best practices in method development, fundamental research and translation of research advances which may result in an array of far-reaching technologies and methods in the next 5 to 10 years.

The key mission of the Center is to promote cross-disciplinary knowledge, interscholastic cooperation and university-government partnership in method development, fundamental research and translation of research advances and create a leading structural biology center in the long run. The Center will strive to deliver original achievements with a far-reaching impact on the history of science, bolster the biotechnological and biopharmaceutical activities in Beijing based on fundamental research and technological development, and provide a good platform for presenting Chinese biologists internationally.