Hou Yunde (; born 13 July 1929) is a Chinese

virologist Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, their ...

, geneticist and a genetic engineer. Considered to have laid the foundation for modern infectious disease prevention and control technology systems in China.

Biography

Hou was born in 1929 in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. From an early age, Hou decided to study medicine, after watching his elder brother die from infectious disease. In 1958, After graduating from the Wuhan Medical School he studied at the in the USSR for 4 years. During his time at the institute, the lab mice mysteriously died. Hou had discovered that they had contracted the Sendai virus. Continuing his research, he discovered that the virus can evolve to affect Humans, and that Sendai virus could fuse monolayer cells. Based on his studies he authored 17 medical papers and earned a kandidat nauk (PHD) degree in medical sciences. It was the first time the institute had agreed to award this degree to a foreign student. Continuing his work in China, Hou researched the etiology of respiratory viral infections to identify and isolate main pathogens of respiratory diseases. He managed to isolate three types of parainfluenza viruses, type I, II and IV, which helped dealing with the disease epidemic outbreaks in Beijing during 1962–1964. he laid the foundation for China's molecular virus research and created the first Chinese genetically engineered drugs. In late 1970s he established the first domestic clinical-grade human

leukocyte White blood cells, also called leukocytes or leucocytes, are the cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign invaders. All white blood cells are produced and derived from mult ...

interferon production, which earned him the nickname "Father of Chinese

Interferon Interferons (IFNs, ) are a group of signaling proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of several viruses. In a typical scenario, a virus-infected cell will release interferons causing nearby cells to heighten the ...

". From 1984 to 1997 he served as the head of planning expert committee on biotechnological field of

Program 863 The 863 program () or State High-Tech Development Plan () was a program funded and administered by the government of the People's Republic of China intended to stimulate the development of advanced technologies in a wide range of fields for th ...

. After the restrictions on businesses were relaxed in the 90-s, Hou started one of the first Chinese genetic engineering drug companies. During the

2009 flu pandemic The 2009 swine flu pandemic, caused by the H1N1 influenza virus and declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) from June 2009 to August 2010, is the third recent flu pandemic involving the H1N1 virus (the first being the 1918–1920 Span ...

, Hou, while being over 80, led the Chinese response and prevention to the outbreak. While a vaccine was created, a question arose if one or two doses were required. Chinese companies could not support making the number of vaccines required for two doses and Hou was at the forefront arguing that one dose would be enough. At the end, the committee of experts founded to resolve the issue agreed with his decision. During his lifetime he authored more than 500 articles and books.

Awards and honors

* Hou Yunde was awarded the 2017 Highest Science and Technology Award. * Asteroid

181829 Houyunde Events January–March * January 1 ** Battle of Koregaon: Troops of the British East India Company score a decisive victory over the Maratha Empire. ** Mary Shelley's ''Frankenstein'' is published anonymously in London. * January 2 – ...

, discovered by astronomers of the Beijing Schmidt CCD Asteroid Program in 1998, was named in his honor. The official was published by the

Minor Planet Center The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Function ...

on 27 August 2019 ().

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hou, Yunde 1929 births Living people Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences 20th-century Chinese scientists 21st-century Chinese scientists Scientists from Changzhou Chinese virologists Chinese geneticists Biologists from Jiangsu