This year’s Chinese Biophysics Congress took place at Lanzhou University (LZU) in Northwest China's Gansu province, with a grand opening ceremony held on July 26.

With the theme of "Biophysical Frontier & Human Health", this year’s congress gave domestic and international scholars a space to exchange insights, showcase research achievements and promote the growth of biophysics.

Liu Pingsheng, director-general of the BSC and researcher at the CAS Institute of Biophysics, chairs the opening ceremony of the 2024 Chinese Biophysics Congress. [Photo/WeChat account: BSC]

Zhang Hong, a CAS academician, vice-president and secretary-general of the BSC and researcher at the CAS Institute of Biophysics, delivers a speech. [Photo/WeChat account: BSC]

In his opening speech, Zhang Hong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), vice-president and secretary-general of the Biophysical Society of China (BSC) and researcher at the CAS Institute of Biophysics, emphasized the significant role the congress plays in encouraging academic exploration and fostering a positive cycle of scientific talent development.

Zhang stressed the BSC's commitment to uniting scientists and building China into a science and technology giant, and said he hopes for fruitful academic exchanges among experts, young scholars and corporate representatives.

Chen Ximeng, a member of the standing committee of the CPC LZU committee and vice-president of the university, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo/WeChat account: BSC] 

Chen Ximeng, a member of the standing committee of the CPC LZU committee and vice-president of the university, said LZU was honored to be jointly organizing the congress. He highlighted the impact the event would have on the advancement of life sciences in China and looked forward to the sharing of unique ideas and valuable experiences by attending experts, which would inject new vitality into the field of biophysics.

Zheng Haixue, director of the LVRI at the CAAS and dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biosafety at LZU, speaks at the opening ceremony. [Photo/WeChat account: BSC] 

The rich topics and latest research findings to be presented at the congress were sure to inspire creativity and foster collaboration, ensuring a rewarding experience for all participants, said Zheng Haixue, director of the Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute (LVRI) at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biosafety at LZU, in his address. 

Following the opening ceremony, attendees were treated to keynote speeches by CAS academician Fan Chunhai from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, researcher Wang Xiaochen from the Southern University of Science and Technology, CAS academician Shu Hongbing from Wuhan University and Chai Jijie, a professor at Westlake University. A lively discussion followed these speeches. 

In all, this year’s congress featured 33 thematic academic sessions, with leading figures in their respective fields addressing the sessions. To encourage broader academic exchange, it also included oral and poster presentations, attracting numerous participants. 

The congress adopted new media platforms to disseminate life science knowledge, bridging the gap between scientists and the public and encouraging young people to explore the mysteries of life sciences. 

The first popular science event, the 2024 Excellence Program for Middle School Students, was live-streamed on multiple platforms on July 25, garnering 196,000 views on the BSC’s official platform alone.