JS Chiao

JS Chiao Professor J. S. Chiao, 9/13/1918 - 12/22/2009, one of the leading microbiologists in the world, from Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology of Chinese Academia of Sciences, a honorable member of American Society for Microbiology, died at 15:50 on December 22, 2009 in the East China Hospital in Shanghai, China, at the age of 91 , who spent his 60 years in research of Microbiology. Born on September 13, 1918, a native of Pingshan County, Hebei Province, he was the first one in his family received formal education. In September 1936, he got excellent test scores in the nation-wide college entrance examinations, and began his study in the Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University with the noble ideal of promoting sciences in China.

In July 1941, he completed his B.Sc. degree from National Southwestern Associated University (NSAU), which consisted of Tsinghua, Nankai, and Beijing universities, relocated to Kunming during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Later he was appointed as research assistant in the Department of Chemistry at NSAU.

In September 1947, he received Washington State University Scholarships in the United States to study organic chemistry, and obtained his a master's degree in organic chemistry in March 1949. He continued his education in the University of Wisconsin, Madison and received MS, and Ph.D in the field of Microbiology in 1950 and March 1953, respectively.

In March 1953, he became a senior researcher in R & D of micro-organisms of the Grain Processing Company in Muscatine, Iowa. After have learned that New China needed scientists, with the desire and determination to contribute to the newly founded country, he gave up the good job and comfortable living, overcame countless obstacles, and returned to the motherland in March 1955.

From March 1955 to August 2004, he served as Associate Research Staff, Research Staff and Director of Research at Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology (former CAS Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology). He was also the chairman of Chinese Society for Microbiology, president of Shanghai Society of Microbiology, State Science and Technology Development Center of Biotechnology Consultant, Biotechnology, vice chairman of Committee of Experts of Chinese Academy.

He also served as chairman of the Chinese Society of Microbiology, the founder and editor of the journal "Biological Engineering News", editor of the "Micro Projects", and the Chinese Society of Microbiology. He successfully organizeded the Tenth International Actinomycetes Biology Conference in 1997. This symposia greatly improved the standing of Chinese Society of Microbiology in the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS), and won the praise from the Chinese microbial academia. Because of his outstanding contribution in the research in Microbiology, he was elected by American Society for Microbiology (ASM) as Honorary Member. Meanwhile, he was selected representative of Shanghai Municipal People's Congress two years in a roll.

During the culture resolution between 1966 to 1976, Professor Chiao was accused as CIA Spy, and was put into a semi-prison. He was badly beaten when he attempted an unsuccessful escape. His health was degraded dramatically in the period of time, and he was not allowed to participate any research work there.

Professor Chiao made a significant contributions to microbial physiology and biochemistry and bio-engineering basic research for the development of Microbiology, modern Biotechnology, and personnel training in China. He paid attention Microbiology and Biotechnology trends, timely guidance to the Chinese Microbiology research in the use of Microbio-physiological studies to enhance the promotion of industrial technology, to carry out the work of microbial genomes of uncultured microbial culture and the strengthening of research and other key development direction to seize the important opportunities, and strived to leapfrog development. He targeted industrial applications for decades on end, the sense of basic research carried out to obtain fruitful results, and promoted Microbial technology industrial development in China, and deepen the basic theory of Microbiology.

Over the years, Professor Chiao won numerable research rewords, and prizes including the second prize of National Natural Science Award, Chinese Academy of Science and Technology Progress Award, third prize of National Invention Awards, a major scientific and technological achievements of Shanghai and Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award and other honors. He has trained a number of Masters and Ph.D. students and postdoctoral research fellows, and guided the growth of a group of outstanding young scientists. Even after retirement, he continued to work for the development of national scientific research, and provided leadership for various research proposals until early 2009.

References

• [Some of JS Chiao's writing about learning farming from his father, http://xschina.org/auth_list.php?author=%BD%B9%C8%F0%C9%ED]

Selected Publications

• [Some factors affecting inhibitory action of thiamine on growth of Saccharomyces carlsbergensis 1956, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13363420]
• [Regulation of the biosynthetic pathway of aromatic amino acids in Nocardia mediterranei 1989, http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/2713423]
• [Cloning vector system for Nocardia spp, 1994,http://www.springerlink.com/content/u37221l6g1885gwh/]
• [Chorismate mutase and 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase of the methylotrophic actinomycete Amycolatopsis methanolica 1995, http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/8526488/reload=0;jsessionid=6A46FC43B8DD01C9A0972B5E65D08C0E.jvm1]
• [Cloning, sequencing and expression of a recA gene from Amycolatopsis mediterranei, 2002, https://springerlink3.metapress.com/content/e9d6rgergpaafrwm/resource-secured/?target=fulltext.pdf&sid=qgsf2n55g3lybw45lud0w045&sh=www.springerlink.com]
• [various publications between 2000 to 2005, http://www.biodesign.asu.edu/research/research-centers/biosignatures-discovery-automation/publications]
• [A Novel Two-Component System amrB-amkB Involved in the Regulation of Central Carbohydrate Metabolism in Rifamycin SV-Producing Amycolatopsis mediterranei U32, 2004, https://springerlink3.metapress.com/content/f428dcugdwxvehdu/resource-secured/?target=fulltext.pdf&sid=qgsf2n55g3lybw45lud0w045&sh=www.springerlink.com]
• [History of the Acetone-Butanol-Ethanol Fermentation Industry in China: Development of Continuous Production Technology, 2007, Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=ShowPDF&ArtikelNr=103592&Ausgabe=233266&ProduktNr=228391&filename=103592.pdf]
• [BioMed Experts, part of publications in English (1999 - 2007) http://www.biomedexperts.com/Profile.bme/231565/Juishen_Chiao]
• [Identification and functional analysis of a nitrate assimilation operon nasACKBDEF from Amycolatopsis mediterranei U32, 2011, https://springerlink3.metapress.com/content/m738222207513800/resource-secured/?target=fulltext.html&sid=qgsf2n55g3lybw45lud0w045&sh=www.springerlink.com]