The Laboratory for Biological Breeding of the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, established in 2025, brings together four dedicated research teams and twelve joint teams, with more than 140 researchers in total. The laboratory focuses on cutting-edge plant life science research and biotechnology development, including functional genomics, big-data analysis, crop metabolic engineering, gene editing, molecular breeding, and new germplasm creation. Research targets major crops such as cotton, wheat, maize, rice, soybean, oil crops, tomato, melon, walnut, and grape, with an emphasis on AI-driven breeding platforms, high-throughput genotyping, and crop–microbe interactions.
The laboratory operates a broad infrastructure base, including a molecular marker–assisted breeding platform, a gene editing platform with stable transformation systems for watermelon, melon, maize, and cotton, and a high-performance bioinformatics platform for RNA-Seq, genome assembly, and related analyses. Field breeding bases are located in Sanya (Hainan), Turpan, and Manas. Research facilities include more than 200 sets of advanced instruments and 500 m² of biotechnology labs.
Since its founding, the laboratory has undertaken over 100 national and regional research projects, secured nearly 70 invention patents, developed 21 registered crop varieties, and published more than 140 SCI papers. With its dual emphasis on basic research and technology transfer, the laboratory actively collaborates with local governments and agribusinesses in Xinjiang, Hainan, Sichuan, and Guangxi, transferring technologies in melon, tomato, cotton, maize, and wheat.
More information (in Chinese): http://www.xaas.ac.cn/zzjg/kyjg/swyzsys/sysgk/dwjj.htm.
