In fact, according to Professor Liu's status, there is no need to "lick" Lu Zhou.

Being able to have your own lab and do your own projects is better than working for others.

However, nothing can escape the word real fragrance.

Lu Zhou only used one sentence to ask him to pack up his things without saying a word......

“…… I can't help you this time, but the next one, that is, two years later, I guarantee that you will become an academician, and there will be no big problems. ”

For Professor Liu, who has no connections outside the small circle of cryobiology, this promise is enough......

Jinling Institute for Advanced Study.

In the Biochemistry Institute, there is a laboratory in the far corner.

Some of the equipment here was ordered by Lu Zhou's acquaintances from Germany and the Netherlands, and some of it was simply moved or borrowed from the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of PLA General Hospital.

It's not procedurally right, but it's flexible. In particular, after this research group hung up the sign of the key project of the Lunar Orbit Construction Committee, no leader would reject this kind of idle achievement.

As long as you sign it, even if you support a national key project, this is really no different from picking it up in vain.

Standing in the laboratory, Lu Zhou stared at the samples in several glassware in the refrigerated incubator for a while, and asked.

"What is this?"

Professor Liu Zuobing: "Samples of ancient nematode cells! The research team at St. Petersburg University collected it from the tundra of the Alazeya River, and I bought it from them for a little money because I had a good relationship with the professors there. ”

Lu Zhou asked casually.

"How much?"

"It's not expensive, it's just 100,000 dollars."

For $100,000......

It's not cheap to buy so many samples.

If Lu Zhou remembers correctly, this thing is not an endangered species, mainly in the feces of paleontology. As long as you find the migration route of paleontology in the tundra, or the ancient riverbed or something, you may be able to get a bunch of samples with a spade of soil.

Spending $100,000 to buy this thing is afraid that even all the funds for other people's scientific expeditions will be covered.

As if he understood Lu Zhou's sympathetic gaze, Professor Liu Zuobing explained with a light cough.

"$100,000 isn't too much! As the saying goes, scarcity is precious, and according to carbon isotope detection, it is about 40,000 years ago. If we want to get this kind of thing ourselves, we may only have it on the plateau, and we may not be able to find such a complete ......."

Lu Zhou: "Let's get to the point, I don't know much about paleontology. ”

Professor Liu Zuobing nodded, put on a serious expression and continued.

"This is probably the earliest living biological sample we can get so far, and after getting a sample containing frozen nematodes from the research team at St. Petersburg University, we took out some structurally intact nematode cells and transplanted them into a special petri dish for enrichment and culture, and found a very miraculous phenomenon."

Professor Zhang Jiafu, who was one step ahead of Lu Zhou and was listening carefully next to him, couldn't help but ask.

"What phenomenon?"

Professor Liu Zuobing said in a serious tone: "Among the 173 petri dishes, 2 of them observed the phenomenon of nematode cells reviving and restarting normal life activities! ”

Hearing this, the expression on Professor Zhang Jiafu's face suddenly became wonderful.

"Are you sure it's not mixed in with contaminants? St. Petersburg University has no problem giving you samples? ”

Professor Liu Zuobing continued in an affirmative tone: "I can be sure that my students were present on their delegation to the tundra. ”

"It's me," Song Siyuan, who was standing next to Professor Liu Zuobing, raised his hand, glanced at his mentor, and said nervously, "At that time, I personally sampled these samples, and the photos were all there." ”

Lu Zhou asked inexplicably: "...... So why pay $100,000? ”

Why should you pay for digging it yourself?

Professor Liu Zuobing's expression instantly became a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, Professor Zhang Jiafu understood, coughed lightly and said, "It's like this to cooperate with Maozi, they have a relatively hard life, so it's normal to pick a little bit in terms of money...... Can I take a look at the sample? ”

Professor Liu Zuobing glanced at him gratefully and nodded.

"Absolutely."

After taking the sample from the petri dish with a special dispenser, Professor Liu Zuobing's assistant quickly made the sample into a slide specimen and placed it on a microscope in the laboratory.

Seeing that the specimen was ready, Professor Zhang Jiafu couldn't wait to step forward and stand in front of the microscope to observe carefully.

I saw these precious tiny creatures, floating in a special nutrient solution filled with agar, using E. coli as food, slowly wriggling.

After observing this for five or six minutes, he finally removed his face from the microscope and said something with emotion.

"This is an amazing discovery...... That's how St. Petersburg University gave you the results of its research? ”

"Of course not, the papers are theirs, but I didn't continue to cooperate with them in the follow-up research," said this, the corners of Professor Liu Zuobing's mouth finally hooked up a smile, "For example, the search for DNA fragments of nematodes...... I guess they've been doing it all along, but haven't seen any results yet. ”

As soon as he heard this, Professor Zhang immediately became energetic and hurriedly asked.

"What did you find?"

"By studying the DNA of nematode samples, we found that there may be factors stored on their 18S-rDNA gene fragments that allow them to actively sleep in extreme cold environments!"

This time, not only Zhang Jiafu, but even Lu Zhou's face showed a somewhat surprised expression.

DNA fragments associated with cryodormancy!

This is a remarkable discovery.

Lu Zhou immediately asked, "Have you published it in a journal?" ”

"Not yet," Professor Liu Zuobing shook his head, "This is only a phased achievement, and we are sure that the Russians have not discovered this, so we have not published it." ”

This kind of operation is common in academia.

Lu Zhou himself didn't do it before, so he nodded in understanding.

"I know the situation, now I want to hear your experimental ideas, can you tell me briefly?"

Professor Liu Zuobing nodded and spoke.

"The 18S-rDNA gene fragment may become the key to solving the problem of cryodormancy, and we have speculated two possibilities, one is that this 18S-rDNA gene fragment synthesizes a special protein through transcribed RNA, which allows cells to suspend life activities under extreme climatic conditions and maintain the normal basic structure of the cell body!"

It sounds exciting.

However, Lu Zhou didn't show an obvious expression of excitement on his face, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "But there are still a lot of cells that have died. ”

Professor Liu nodded and spoke.

"Yes, not every individual survives, because it's not just the cold that they experience on the frozen ground...... Of course, that's not the point, the point is that we have two lines of thought right now. ”

After a pause, he walked over to the whiteboard in the lab, drew two lines on it, and wrote next to one of them.

"One is through gene editing, which modifies potentially effective gene fragments and inserts them into the gene fragments of living organisms, so as to achieve dormancy in a frozen environment!"

Lu Zhou thought for a moment and then asked, "What about the other experimental idea?" ”

The marker in his hand clicked on the narration of another line, and Professor Liu Zuobing continued: "The other is to use a similar research idea to Professor Grantster, and completely soak the human body in a sustained-release agent containing this protein substance through drug induction!" ”

Professor Zhang Jiafu: "Just like formalin? ”

Professor Liu Zuobing nodded: "You can say that, but it's definitely different from formalin......"

Standing next to the whiteboard, Lu Zhou stared at the two lines and thought for a long time.

After about five minutes, he spoke.

"It sounds crazy, but I feel like I can give the latter a try."

Professor Liu Zuobing nodded.

"I think so too, the method of genetic modification ...... Whether it succeeds or not, the cost is too great. ”

And most importantly, when it comes to the study of human DNA modifications, it is not allowed by ethics and ethics.

And unlike the controversial cryo-dormant technology, there is no dispute that the thing is unethical, and whoever does it is the opposite. Mankind......

This kind of extreme research, not to mention that he does not dare to overtake it easily, I am afraid that even Professor Lu will not dare to let him try.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

After getting permission, Lu Zhou's office assistant pushed open the door and walked in.

"Professor, you're being looked for."

Looking for me?

Lu Zhou recalled it carefully, and didn't remember who he had to meet today, so he asked.

"Who?"

The young female assistant said with a subtle expression.

The visitor identified himself as Professor Angus Deaton of Princeton...... Looking at his appearance, it seems that he is in a hurry? ”

Angus Deaton?

Lu Zhou had a little impression of this name, and vaguely remembered that it was from an economic college

Although Princeton does not have a business school, it does have an economics department, and its influence is not low. Theoretical economics, in particular, ranks quite high in the United States, and many of them even stand in the top 1 position on many lists.

It's just that Lu Zhou has never studied economics before, so he doesn't pay much attention to this aspect of things.

Therefore, he really couldn't think of any reason for this Angus professor to visit him.

After thinking for a while, Lu Zhou spoke.

"I see, let him wait for me in the reception room for a while."

The female assistant nodded.

"Okay, Professor."

With that, she turned and walked out of the hallway.