On February 26, Zheng Haitao, Deputy Director-General of Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, along with his delegation visited the SZBL. Officials from Guangdong and Shenzhen government agencies accompanied the delegation. SZBL leadership including Wu Yun-Dong, Hu Xiaojun and Tu Huan welcomed the visiting guests and met with them.

During the meeting, Zheng Haitao, after hearing the briefing on the recent development SZBL, said that the Laboratory has made remarkable achievements in mechanism innovation, talent echelon development and other aspects over the last two years since its establishment. He praised these contributions made to the development of personnel training and basic science in the region. Zheng Haitao put forward two requirements for SZBL to develop future steps: The first is to continue to attach to high benchmarks in planning and construction, and meet national strategic and regional economic and social demands; target major scientific research missions and build SZBL with world-leading research and innovation capacity. The second is to be pioneering in exploring new mechanisms for cooperation and scientific innovation, and based on this to attract more talents, integrate scientific resources and promote the opening and sharing of these resources.

SZBL Executive Vice Director Wu Yun-Dong, introduced the overall development of the Laboratory. Over the two years since its opening, SZBL has been dedicated to research and studies that are frontier and strongly demanded. Independent, collaborative and cross-disciplinary research spans cancer, metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, infectious diseases and other major diseases were conducted in SZBL by research teams from diverse areas. In the face of COVID-19, the Laboratory has been carrying out research and discovery for vaccine to facilitate clinical trials. ACE2-Ig protein, a broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus drug candidate, was tested to have inhibitory effect on both the original and mutant strains of novel coronavirus. Furthermore, research against novel coronavirus in protein receptor simulation, cross-species transmission, chemical and TCM drug screening has also made staged progresses.

Wu Yund-Dong expressed his gratitude to Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province and relevant authorities for their support and guidance. He said that SZBL would maintain persistent efforts in the days ahead and strive to create influence amid development of the Comprehensive National Science Center and the International Sci-Tech Innovation Hub in Shenzhen.

Zheng Haitao and his delegation also visited the exhibition hall and the research labs in SZBL after the meeting.