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College of Life Sciences
The history of the College of Life Sciences traced back to the 1930s. Following precedent scientists Shi Shenghan, Wen Honghan, Jing Jiahai, Wang Shaotang, Wang Peihong and Ji Heming, several generations of other researchers have been exerting their utmost efforts to the development of college. Now the college has formed the tradition of giving high priority to practice and capability fostering, and it is growing steadily with faculty members and students adhering to the college motto “Virtue, Determination, Diligence and Innovation”.
Currently, 181 faculty members including 19 professors and researchers, 33 associate professors, 9 doctoral supervisors, 26 master’s supervisors and 9 senior laboratory engineers are working in the four departments of the college—Department of Biotechnology, Department of Microbiology and Bioengineering, Department of Biological Sciences, and Modern Instruments Teaching and Experiment Center. The four departments (center) comprise nine teaching and research sections as well as three teaching laboratories. In the college, there are eight research centers (institute) namely, Key Laboratory for Molecule Biology of Agriculture, Shaanxi, Shaanxi GAP Attestation for Chinese Medical Crops Consulting Center, Shaanxi Fingerprint Atlas and Natural Products Research Center, Northwest A&F University Biotechnology Research Center, Northwest A&F University Microbiology Research Center, Northwest A&F University Bio-informatics Research Center, Northwest A&F University Standardization of Chinese Medical Crops Research Center and Northwest Plants Research Institute. The biggest hortus siccus museum of its kind among Chinese universities preserved many rare species of hortus siccuses. The college undertakes the teaching tasks of specialized courses in the college and basic biology courses in the university.
Botany and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology are two provincial key disciplines. Besides, Biotechnology and Bioengineering are provincial name brand specialties. In the college, there is a postdoctoral research station in the level I discipline-Biology. The college is authorized to confer doctoral degree in six disciplines, including the level I discipline, Biology, and five level II disciplines--Botany, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Medicinal Botany and Bioinformatics. It is also authorized to confer master’s degree in six disciplines which are the level I discipline Science of Chinese Pharmacology and five level II disciplines-- Botany, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Medicinal Botany and Bioinformatics. Three specialties of Biological Sciences, Biotechnology and Bioengineering are available for undergraduates. Of them, Biotechnology is for both bachelor’s degree and bachelor-to- master’s degree.
At present, 1483 undergraduates as well as 442 postgraduates are studying in the college. In recent 5 years, the college is undertaking 30 state-funded research projects, 10 provincial and ministerial projects and more than 50 other research projects. Ten awards from the province or ministries and ten national patents on inventions have been awarded. Over 80 textbooks and academic books have been published. More than 500 theses have been issued on academic journals of which 72 have been cited by SCI, EI and ISTP etc.