The college of Life Sciences at Yangtze University was established in January 2002. It originated from the merger of three academic units: the Department of Food Science, the Biotechnology Teaching and Research Section of the Department of Agronomy, and the Animal Physiology and Biochemistry Teaching and Research Section of the Department of Animal Science of the former Hubei Agricultural College.
Overview of the Institution: The College of Life Sciences comprises two departments: the Department of Biology and the Department of Food Science. The Department of Biology offers two majors: Biotechnology and Bioengineering, while the Department of Food Science offers Food Science and Engineering program. The Biotechnology major was approved for the Hubei Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Program initiative in 2020 and subsequently recognized as a National First-Class Undergraduate Program in 2021. Meanwhile, the Food Science and Engineering program was granted the Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Program designation in 2022. Six courses, including Ecology, Introduction to Food Technology, Livestock Product Processing Technology, Pharmacology, Biopharmaceutical Technology, and Microbiology, are approved as Hubei Provincial First-class Courses. The project titled Innovative Practices in Talent Cultivation Models for Food Science and Engineering Specialties Based on Agricultural Whole Industry Chain" was granted funding under the Ministry of Education's "New Agricultural Science" Research and Reform Practice Program in 2020. The college hosts the following research platforms and centers: Hubei Province Shared Platform for Research, Development, and Testing of Freshwater Product Quality and Safety, the Central-and-Local-Jointly-Built Microbiology and Fermentation Engineering Laboratory, the Food Processing and Safety and Basic Biology Experimental Teaching Center, the Entrusted Unit of the Hubei Wetland Ecology and Agricultural Utilization Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center, the Yangtze University Institute of Biopharmaceuticals, the Jingchu Characteristic Food Research and Development Center, the Edible and Medicinal Microbiology Research Institute, and the Plant Gene Research Institute.
High Qualification of the Faculty: The college has 60 full-time teachers, including 17 professors, accounting for 28% of the full-time faculty, and 27 associate professors, making up 45% of the full-time faculty. Among the faculty, 51 hold doctoral degrees, representing 85% of the full-time faculty. There are 40 master's student supervisors, including 5 doctoral student supervisors. The faculty includes distinguished scholars such as: one Hubei Provincial Industrial Professor, one selected candidate for the Hubei Provincial New Century High-level Talent Program (Second Level), one recipient of the Hubei Provincial Youth Top-notch Talent Cultivation Plan, and three Chutian Scholars.
Comprehensive Academic Programs: The school offers a full range of academic programs, including a co-established first-level doctoral program in Crop Science, three first-level master’s programs in Biology, Ecology, and Food Science and Engineering, and professional master’s degree programs in Bioengineering and Pharmacy, Agronomy and Seed Industry, and Food Processing and Safety. At the undergraduate level, it provides three programs: Biotechnology, Bioengineering, and Food Science and Engineering. Notably, the Biotechnology program (Biopharmaceutical direction) is part of the Hubei Province’s Strategic Emerging (Pillar) Industry Talent Training Plan. The Bioengineering program is recognized under the National Outstanding Engineer Education Training Plan, and the Food Science and Engineering program is part of the Ministry of Education’s Outstanding Agriculture and Forestry Talent Education Program.
Advanced Research Facilities: The school boasts 7,000 m² of laboratory space equipped with 3,200 instruments and devices, valued at over 42 million yuan. Key equipment includes a laser resonance confocal microscope system, fluorescence biomicroscope, flow cytometer, quantitative fluorescence PCR machine, gene gun, multifunctional laser scanning imaging system, automated nucleic acid extraction workstation, protein purification systems, automatic enzyme immunoassay analyzer, two-dimensional electrophoresis system, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography, atomic absorption spectrometer, ultracentrifuges, ultra-low temperature freezers, portable photosynthesis analyzer, amino acid analyzer, automated bioreactors, electronic nose odor analysis system, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer, differential scanning calorimeter, and freeze dryers.
Strong Research Capabilities: Over the past five years, the school has undertaken 72 national and provincial research projects, including 23 National Natural Science Foundation of China grants. It has earned one Second Prize of the National Technology Invention Award and four provincial/ministerial research awards, published over 10 academic monographs and textbooks, secured 39 national invention patents, and produced 396 SCI-indexed research papers. Notable achievements include the development of genetically engineered subunit vaccines for infectious bursal disease virus and porcine circovirus type II (PCV2), as well as a PCV2 ELISA antibody detection kit—all are certified by the Ministry of Agriculture as Class II and III veterinary drugs and now in production. Dr. Zhao Fuyong’s multi-genotype rice population breeding technology was recognized by Hubei Province as at international standards, while Dr. Yang Yazhen’s research on waterlogging stress effects and recovery techniques for dryland crops was deemed at advanced national level.
Extensive Collaboration and Exchange: The school prioritizes global academic collaboration. It established the Sino-Czech Joint Toxicology Laboratory and regularly sends students to universities in the Czech Republic, the U.S., and Canada for exchange programs. Distinguished professors from Germany, the Czech Republic, the U.S., and Taiwan, China, have been invited for lectures and joint research. Additionally, the school maintains industry-university-research partnerships with over 40 leading enterprises across China.
Outstanding Talent Development: With over 1,100 students (900+ undergraduates, 240+ graduate students), the school has achieved remarkable outcomes. In the past five years, students won 108 national and provincial competition awards, including two second-prizes and four third-prizes in the National Life Science Competition, and multiple awards in the Hubei Provincial Biology Experiment Skills Competition. Highlights include a first-prize in the 2018 National Life Science Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition and a silver award in the 2018 Hubei “Chuang Qingchun” Entrepreneurship Challenge. Undergraduates have published 75 papers, including 18 in core journals (4 SCI-indexed). The postgraduate admission rate exceeds 35%, and the employment rate remains above 97%. Alumni have become leaders, scholars, entrepreneurs, and technical experts across industries.
Vision and Mission: Guided by the university motto “Changda Changxin” (Pursuing Growth and Innovation) and the principle of “cultivating virtue and nurturing talents,” the School of Life Sciences integrates cutting-edge research in agriculture, food, medicine, energy, and environmental sciences. Committed to advancing life sciences education and innovation, it aims to build a high-level platform for life sciences development, establish itself as a nationally distinctive and regionally leading hub for talent training and scientific research, and contribute to China’s economic growth and Hubei’s development.
