January 25th, the annual review conference of the National 973 Project, "Basic research of molecular probes to identify tumor-specific serum markers" chaired by Prof. Tian He was held in our school. Yan Jinding (Director of Science and Technology Basic Research Management Centre), and National 973 Program Advisory Group expert: Prof. Zhang Yukui (Academician, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Prof. Chen Siping (Shenzhen University); Project Peer Experts: Prof. Lin Guoqiang (Academician, Director of Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences), Prof. Zhang Xi (Academician, Tsinghua University, Chemistry Faculty Committee Director of National Natural Science Foundation), Prof. Zhao Dongyuan (Academician, Fudan University), Prof. Chen Xiaoming (Academician, Sun Yat-sen University), Prof. Zhou Qilin (Academician, Nankai University), Prof. Li Yadong (Academician, Tsinghua University), Prof. Feng Xiaoming (Academician, Sichuan University), Prof. Yu Jihong (Jilin University), and other more than thirty experts, project leaders and academic backbones from Peking University, Fudan University, Dalian University of Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology attended the meeting.

    First, Prof. Liu Changsheng (Vice President of ECUST) warmly welcomed experts to visit our school and participate in the National 973 Project annual review conference on behalf of ECUST. He sincerely hoped that the experts would give a comprehensive guide to the future development of the team and provide valuable comments and suggestions.

    Prof. Tian He briefed the overall progress of the project in recent years. He pointed out that the project is progressing well under the care and support of administrations and the joint efforts undertaken by project researchers. After three years of hard work, the 973 team achieved fruitful results in high levels of papers published in various aspects and clinical applications. Furthermore, several honors and prizes have been achieved including the Second Prize for National Natural Science (1), Innovation Group of National Natural Science Foundation of China (2), The Ministry of Education Changjiang Scholar (1), National Outstanding Youth Fund (2), National Excellent Youth Fund (2) and Young Changjiang Scholar (1). After that, four project leaders reported respectively on the positioning and targets, planning and completion, research progress and innovation as well as achievements, talent-culture, cooperation and existing problems and adjustment of the subjects.
      During the discussion, Prof. Zhang Yukui fully approved the development of the project achievements, and gave guidance and suggestions on some of the key issues during the implementation of the project. The expert group seriously discussed the working status and research prospect, and gave a high evaluation to the progress on the project and put forward many valuable suggestions. Experts believed that the project made a series of encouraging results in three years, also created several opportunities for major breakthrough.