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The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology program at Northeast Forestry University is a second-level discipline under the first-level discipline of Biology, offering both doctoral and master’s programs. Led by Prof. Lan Xingguo, the department comprises three professors, seven associate professors, and one lecturer, forming a young and innovative research team. Over the past five years, the team has secured 17 national-level and 15 provincial/ministerial-level research grants, published over 60 SCI-indexed journal articles (with a single-article citation peak of 229), authored five monographs, obtained 14 invention patents, and received the First Prize of the Heilongjiang Provincial Science and Technology Award (Natural Science Category).

Primary Research Focus: Functional Gene Mining and Regulatory Mechanism Exploration in Plant Abiotic Stress Responses. Centered on functional genomics, current research investigates halophytic model plants and saline-alkali soil-adapted species through abiotic stress (salinity, drought, temperature) mutant screening and stress-tolerance gene identification. This work aims to elucidate the molecular genetic basis and cellular signal transduction mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to abiotic stressors.

Key objectives include:

Analyzing and characterizing plant stress-specific genes to reveal compensatory effects and regulatory pathways in plants under environmental stress, thereby clarifying the biological functions of these genes in stress adaptation.

Conducting applied research on stress-tolerant plant breeding and specialized resource utilization for saline-alkali lands, alongside studies on vegetation restoration and process control in fragile ecological zones. These efforts provide professional consultation and evidence-based decision-making guidance for ecological rehabilitation and sustainable development of saline-alkali soils in Northeast China.

Discipline of Food Science and Engineering

The Heilongjiang Collaborative Innovation Center for Under-forest Economy supports the Food Science and Engineering discipline at Northeast Forestry University. It boasts a National First-class Undergraduate Program in Food Science and Engineering, a Master’s Program in the same field, a Professional Master’s Program in Food Processing and Safety, and a jointly established Doctoral Program in Forest Plant Resources. The discipline has been awarded the status of a National Agricultural Science and Education Talent Training Base and has received approval for two national-level "Science and Technology Backyard" construction projects—one focusing on forest food in the Greater Khingan Mountains and the other on berries in Yichun, Heilongjiang. In addition, it has independently established a provincial-ministerial key laboratory for utilizing forest food resources and has developed nine university-industry research and teaching practice bases.

Centering on northern China’s distinctive forest food resources, the discipline addresses challenges such as outdated research on forest products, low technological content, insufficient industry chain extension, and the need for eco-friendly development and utilization models. Research focuses on the separation and preparation of bioactive compounds, activity analysis, mechanisms of action, structure–activity relationship studies, and the creation of nutrition and health products and deep-processed specialty products.

Scientific research in this discipline has significantly advanced the modernization of berries, edible fungi, nuts, wild vegetables, and medicinal food resources in forest regions, laying a solid foundation for the internationalization of related forest food industries.

At the fundamental research level, the discipline centers on metabolic regulation of active ingredients, processing properties, and structure–function mechanisms. It has elucidated the metabolic pathways, rate-limiting enzymes, key substrates, signal molecules, and transduction mechanisms involved in synthesizing plant secondary metabolites. Furthermore, it has established mathematical models for processing and storage procedures and verified the functional efficacy from multiple perspectives.

The discipline has developed various innovative forest food products at the industry application level, characterized by convenient consumption, novel dosage forms, and high bioavailability. These achievements have significantly driven the development of core technologies in northern forest food industries and accelerated regional economic growth.

Over the past five years, the discipline team has undertaken 98 research projects with a total funding of 20.473 million yuan; received 14 awards at the provincial, ministerial, or higher levels; secured 22 authorized national patents; published 312 high-level papers, including 128 indexed in SCI/EI; and authored eight academic monographs and textbooks. In education, the team has conducted 15 teaching research projects, published 24 teaching-related papers, and won 3 teaching achievement awards. Collaborating with local forest enterprises, the discipline has jointly developed 30 new products and completed four industrial construction projects, generating remarkable economic and social benefits.

Team Members: Bao Yihong, Fu Qun, Zhang Zhi, Wang Ping, Wang Jinling, Zhao Yuhong, Li Dehai, Guo Qingqi, Liu Rong, Fan Ziluan, Chai Yangyang, Li Fangfei, Zhao Xin, Zhang Zhuo, Gao Chenzhe