Recent achievements in research:
1. Selection and cultivation of economical varieties
A variety of Taxus sumatrana “Taiyew No. 1” certified as Variety No A01449 issued by Council of Agriculture was obtained. It has been licensed to a biotech company to produced anticancer drug. A Chemical race of Morinda citrifolia containing high scopoletin in fruit was selected and licensed. Schisandra arisanensis plants, fruit containing schizandrin analogues, bloom in 2014, which has a great potential to be a valuable health food. Successful Cinnamomum osmophloeum “lianalool type” grafting onto C. bumanni was developed and grew well in field.
2. Imporved seedling and clonal plants production
Superior phenotype of Acacia confusa, Eucalyptus spp, Cinnamoum kanehirae, and Jatropha curcus were selected and established seed orchard and scion garden to produced improved seedlings and clonal plants. To conduct the policy of reactivation fallow ground, extensive cultivation of A. confusa and Eucalypts are gradually carrying on. Agroforestry system developed in Areca catechu and tea garden by interplanting valuable tree species, such as C. kanehirae, C. osmophloeum, Calocedrus formosana, phellodendron wilsonii, Ficus awkeotsang, has been supported by farmers, aborigines, and biotech companies. Five demo stands have been established.
3. Secondary metabolites production in cultibags
Disposable cultibags in a wave bioreactor for producing valuable metabolites has been reviewed as more efficiency, cost down, easy commercialization than traditional vessel bioreactor. We have successfully cultured transgenic hairy roots of Nothapodytes nimmoniana and cell culture of Taxus sumatrana in 2-10 L cultibags to produce camptocethin, taxol, and baccatin III.
4. Added value of multifunctional products based on a commercialized platform
Commercialized platform based on value added chain idea has been developed in some potential tree species. Not only extensive plantation produce raw materials, but pilot commercial products are designed to attract attention of both customers and Industries, These products are cleaning and skin care products produced from C, osmophloeum and Calophyllum inophyllum. Wasabia japonica , cultivated beneath conifer stands in high mountains of Taiwan, grew well in a plant factory using a good parameters combining temperature, light period and intensities, and humidity.