In Memory of Professor
WANG Ying Lai
LIN Qi-Shui
( Former Director of Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry, the Chinese
Academy of Sciences )
Li Bo-Liang
( Director of Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, the
Chinese Academy of Sciences )
Professor WANG Ying Lai, world renowned biochemist and a member of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, passed away at 19:10, May 5, 2001 resulting from an incurable
disease. Since then, the Chinese Communist Party has lost an outstanding member
struggling all his life for the development of science in China. The scientific
communities in China have lost an outstanding scientist enjoying world
prestige. His colleagues and students have lost a valuable friend and good
teacher. Today, although he has left us, his scientific achievement and noble
morality will be engraved on our mind forever.
Born in an overseas Chinese family in Jinmen county, Fujian
Province in 1907, Professor Wang lost his father when he was 2 years old and
lost his mother when he was 6. His hard childhood contributed, to some extent,
to the forming of his strong and hard working personality. In 1925, he enrolled
in Fujian Union College and Nanjing Jinling University successively to study
chemistry and graduated in 1929 with excellent grade and a “Golden
Key” Award. In 1938, Professor Wang continued his study in the Cambridge
University in Britain and got his Ph.D. in 1941. Later, he worked in the
Cambridge University and carried on the research on he moglobin in the
laboratory led by the famous scientist Keilin. After World War II, he declined
the kind offering of Professor Keilin and returned to his motherland in 1945.
Thereafter, he worked in the former Medical College of Central University and
the preparatory department of the Institute of Medical Science, Academia Sinica
in Shanghai. Undoubtedly, Professor Wang was a great patriot.
In 1950, Professor Wang was appointed the Deputy Director of
the newly established Institute of Physiology and Biochemistry, the Chinese
Academy of Sciences (CAS). He joined the Jiu San Society in 1953 and became a
member in its Central Committee and Vice Chairman in its Shanghai Branch. He
was elected as a member of the Council of Biology in CAS in 1955. Professor
Wang had served as the Director of the Institute of Biochemistry, CAS since its
establishment in 1958 and joined the Communist Party of China in the same year.
He had served as Honorary Director of Institute of Biochemistry, CAS since 1984
and President of the Shanghai Branch of CAS from 1978 to 1983. He was Honorary
President and former President of Chinese Biochemical Society, Honorary Chief
Editor and former Chief Editor of Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica.
Professor Wang was also elected the Delegate of the 3rd, 5th and 6th People’s
Congress. With the effort of Professor Wang, the International Meeting on
Biochemistry was held successfully in China in 1987.Professor Wang, as
chairperson of this conference, had made extremely important contribution to
the meeting. As a world renowned scientist, Professor Wang was Foreign Member
of Belgian Royal Academy of Science, Literature and Fine Arts, Foreign Member
of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Foreign Member of Czech Academy of Sciences
and Honorary Member of American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Professor Wang was an outstanding scientist with great
creativity, one of the founders of biochemical sciences in China, a distinguished
organizer and leader, and a model of scientists and scientific research leaders
in our country. He was honored as pioneer of biochemistry in China at a
commendatory meeting for scientists working for 50 years held by the Shanghai
Branch of CAS in the Spring Festival of 1985. Professor Wang then cited the
maxim “The future is yet for oneself to shape” to express his persistent
sincerity in the development of biochemical research in China. Dr. Joseph
Needham, the famous expert of history of science, appraised that Professor Wang
was one of the persons who started and founded the biochemical research in
China.
The successful total synthesis of bovine insulin and yeast
alanine transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) was the embodiment of decades of
Professor Wang’s devotion to initiating and developing the biochemical research
in China. For these, he won the Special Achievement Award in the winter
Biotechnology Symposium in Miami, U.S.A. in 1988 and the He Liang He Li
Scientific and Technological Achievement Award of Hong Kong in 1996. He
contributed also in the initiative studies carried out by himself. When he was
in Cambridge University, he first found the toxicity of excessive vitamin A and
the defect of tissues as a result of vitamin E deficiency. He set up methods
for the micro determination of four water soluble vitamins, and demonstrated
for the first time the existence of hemoglobin in the nodule bacteria of
legume. He studied on the succinic dehydrogenase in the membrane after coming
back to China and purified first in the world the membrane protein succinic
dehydrogenase which could be reconstituted. He further revealed the linkage of
coenzyme and enzyme. His work reached the leading level of the world and won
the important achievement awards of CAS and National Scientific Meeting. In
1984, Professor Wang initiated a new research field of interaction of nucleic
acids and proteins. He led a research group to study the interaction of the
aminoacyl tRNA synthetase and related tRNA, and published more than 60 papers
in domestic and international journals.
Professor Wang was not only a remarkable scientist, but also
a strategic policymaker and leader of scientific research. His great
contribution was due to his acute foresight and broad mind which directed the
biochemical research in our country at an advanced starting point and catch up
the trend of the world according to the international development of biological
sciences. It was Professor Wang who made correct judgement and directed the
research in the world frontiers, resolutely decided, organized and implemented
the projects of total synthesis of bovine insulin and yeast alanine tRNA. These
two great achievements of life sciences in the world frontiers have become
milestones of biochemical sciences.In particular, the total synthesis of bovine
insulin is the first success of total synthesis of protein in the world, which
made a brilliant record for our country in the history of life science
research. He also led the implementation of genetic engineering research in
China in the 70’s, which not only adjusted the direction of scientific research
of the Institute of Biochemistry, but also accelerated the research of
molecular biology in our country. Starting from the foundation of the nation,
Professor Wang participated in and took charge of making the biochemistry and
molecular biology parts of the planning program for science and technology
development in China in 1956, 1962, 1964 and 1977. He also took up some of the
important tasks in the program with experts in the institute.
As a deserving talent finder, Professor Wang attracted,
trained and brought up many leading talents of life science research in China,
who contributed greatly to the development of biochemical research. On the
initial stage of setting up the Institute of Biochemistry, he step by step
invited Dr. ZOU Cheng Lu(Chen Lu TSOU), Dr. CAO Tian Qin, Dr. ZHANG You Duan,
Dr. WANG De Bao, Dr. NIU Jing Yi,Dr.ZHOU Guang Yu and other biochemical experts
from abroad to work in the Institute, according to the needs of the research
development. As a result, many important achievements were obtained and the
Institute became well known at home and abroad. In training scientists,
Professor Wang paid much of his attention to the development of biochemical
research in China and educated many scientific researchers and academic leaders
in biochemistry by setting up the national advanced biochemistry training
classes with lectures given by the best experts in the Institute of
Biochemistry.
Professor Wang was also the person who founded the
biochemical reagent industry in our country. The Dongfeng Biochemical Reagent
Factory was established in 1958 under his leadership and produced amino acids
for the synthesis of insulin and various biochemical reagents for the whole
country. Long before our advocating of knowledge innovation and accelerating
the industrialization of the scientific findings, Professor Wang had put it
into practice 40 years ago.
Professor Wang paid much attention to the cultivation of
scientific morality and advocated the academic atmosphere of “dedication,
realism, consolidation, courage”. In spite of his contribution, he did not put
his name on the list of authors and the prize winners in the total synthesis of
bovine insulin and yeast alanine tRNA. Affected by Professor Wang and
scientists of the elder generation, an atmosphere of pursuing reality and
refusing the undeserved reputation has been formed in the Institute of
Biochemistry.
Professor Wang had devoted his lifetime energy to the
development of biochemistry in China. He deserved to be a pioneer in
biochemistry of our country because of his scientific achievements and
contributions. He had made basic, strategic and perspective contribution for
the development of life sciences in our country. To be a man strict with
himself and kind to others, cautious and unselfish, he had become a model in
the scientific circle. He will be engraved on our heart forever.
Although Professor Wang has passed away, it is consolable
that along his footprint, his colleagues and students all over the country and
abroad will continue to climb the new peaks in science.
May you rest in peace, Professor Wang!