Light of the Times

Author: Song Hui / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: In 1973, the North China Pharmaceutical Factory used the new 390 resin developed by He Binglin, which not only purified streptomycin but also eliminated the use of the highly toxic reagent benzylamine, preventing workers and staff from poisoning. At the same time, it simplified the process flow. After replacing the original production process with the new 390 resin in 1975, not only did the annual profit increase by over 3 million yuan, but it also enabled export earnings. As a result, the research and application of the new 390 resin were awarded the National Invention Third Prize. The Jiangxi Camphor Production Factory had long intended to use ion-exchange resin as a catalyst to produce camphor from camphene, but all attempts failed. Later, after using the D001×7CC resin made by He Binglin, the problem was solved, and the product met export standards, achieving significant economic benefits. Thus, it was awarded the Tianjin Science and Technology Achievement First Prize.
One of He Binglin’s PhD students proposed the concept of hydrogen bonding adsorption in his thesis work and applied it in the study of extracting active substances from ginkgo leaves. This achievement has now been industrialized and has brought significant economic benefits. For this, He Binglin was awarded the National First Prize for Outstanding Teaching Achievement in Ordinary Universities (1989) and the Tianjin Science and Technology Achievement First Prize (1992). This is a result of the integration of teaching, research, and production.
Since the 1980s, He Binglin has expanded the research and application of macroporous ion-exchange resins and adsorption resins to biomedical materials and biotechnology, promoting interdisciplinary cross-penetration and the development of marginal sciences, achieving multiple research results. For example:
1. Introducing asymmetric carbon atom groups into macroporous styrene/divinylbenzene copolymer to take advantage of the difference in affinity for optically active amino acid enantiomers, proposing a new method for resolving D.L. amino acids;
2. H-series adsorption resins used for blood perfusion and hemophoresis. In the early 1980s, hospitals in Tianjin and Beijing alone saved over 100 critically ill patients poisoned by sleeping pills using this resin. By the early 1990s, based on the sales volume of this resin, it was estimated that it could treat 1,000 to 2,000 patients nationwide;
3. NKA-type resin has a unique chemical structure, capable of adsorbing both water-soluble conjugated bilirubin and lipid-soluble unconjugated bilirubin, used to remove bilirubin from ascites in liver injury patients, already applied clinically with excellent medical effects;
4. Spherical carbonized adsorption resin used in artificial kidneys to adsorb creatinine and uric acid from blood, with effects far superior to activated carbon. Additionally, this resin can also serve as a chromatography stationary phase;
5. Systemic lupus erythematosus is an incurable disease, but using immunoadsorption resin for blood perfusion has been proven effective in clinical applications;
6. Using HA-1 and HA-2 adsorption resins for blood perfusion can also treat uremia;
7. Using macroporous adsorption resin as a carrier to immobilize enzymes for the resolution of amino acids.
These research achievements have greatly enriched the content of ion-exchange resins and adsorption resins.
In his scientific research, He Binglin has always adhered to a certain research direction, continuously exploring and forming distinctive characteristics. In terms of academic style, he seeks truth, innovates, and strives for progress. He has published approximately 800 research papers and obtained about 10 patents, with a total of 30 awards for research and teaching. Among the more important awards are:
- 1987: Research on the Synthesis, Structure, and Performance of Ion-Exchange Resins and New Adsorption Resins (awarded the National Natural Science Second Prize);
- 1989: Dedication to National Defense Science and Technology (awarded the Honor Award by the National Defense Science and Technology Commission of the People’s Liberation Army);
- 1978: Ion-Exchange Resins (awarded 6 Science Congress Awards);
- 1979: New Macroporous Ion-Exchange Resins (awarded the Tianjin Science and Technology Achievement First Prize);
- 1998: Major Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China “Basic Research on Biomedical Materials” (awarded the First Prize by the Ministry of Education);
- 1997: Ho Leung Ho Lee Science and Technology Progress Award;
- 2000: High-Selectivity Adsorption and Separation Functional Polymer Materials (awarded the DuPont Science and Technology Innovation Award by the Ministry of Science and Technology, ranked );
- 1983: Selective Adsorption Resin Blood Perfusion Device for Treating Sleeping Pill Poisoning (awarded the Tianjin Science and Technology Achievement Second Prize);
- 1989: Establishment of a New Teaching System Combining Teaching, Research, and Production (awarded the National Education Committee Outstanding Teaching Achievement Award).
Since joining Nankai University as a teacher, He Binglin has trained over 600 undergraduates, more than 100 master’s students, 64 PhD students, and 15 postdoctoral researchers. During his time at Nankai University, He Binglin has attended international academic conferences in the U.S., Japan, Canada, the former Soviet Union, and other countries on multiple occasions. He has also organized international academic conferences with Feng Xinde of Peking University and Zhuo Renxi of Wuhan University on several occasions. Additionally, he holds many social academic positions. He was elected as a labor model of Tianjin in 1959, a national labor model and a special labor model of Tianjin in 1980, and a three-term and five-term member of the National People’s Congress in 1964 and 1978.
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