RIKEN held an opening ceremony on April 19, 2019, for a collaborative laboratory on natural products and chemical biology at Hangzhou Future Science and Technology Park. The collaborative laboratory will identify useful substances from natural compounds collected from microorganisms and plants, and conduct research that will lead to drug discovery. Since China is a Kampo/TCM country, there is a large demand for such research, and RIKEN will use this collaborative laboratory as a hub for Chinese natural drug chemistry research, as well as fostering exchange of young science and technology personnel from Japan and China.
RIKEN news release, April 26, 2019
RIKEN establishes research lab for natural products and chemical Biology in Hangzhou, China