Surgery Godfather
Chapter 704 - 627 - A Blank Piece of Paper_2

Chapter 704: Chapter 627 - A Blank Piece of Paper_2

"Our first project, the development of a new spinal exterior fixation brace, was achieved through a partnership with Xiehe Hospital and Nandu Medical University. We successfully completed the experimental work within a few months. Currently, phase three of our clinical experiments are being carried out simultaneously in Europe, America, and Japan. Without exaggerating, this project is one of global importance. In this field, we are undisputedly ahead of Europe, America, and Japan."

When it was his time to feel proud, Yang Ping did not put on a false modesty.

Tang Shun was, of course, familiar with the new technology of the spine brace, something that Japanese scientists dreamed of achieving. Yet, Yang Ping had accomplished it.

Tang Shun carefully examined Yang Ping’s exterior spinal fixation brace and found it to have an incredibly high technological component, with many challenges across the medical and engineering sectors that had been successfully overcome.

The spinal orthotic device, a collaboration between Tokyo University’s biomechanics lab and its affiliate hospitals, involved dozens of years, a team of over one hundred people, but still showed no progress.

Tang Shun thought that Yang Ping’s team must have also taken a long time, but he was surprised to hear that it only took them a few months.

Tang Shun was very curious, how many people were involved in the team that achieved these results within a few months.

"Professor Yang, I’d like to know how many people are on the team researching the spinal exterior fixation brace."

Tang Shun figured that the core team must have been over a hundred people. The amount of trial and error involved would have been a massive undertaking, and a project like this would likely require the cooperation of several universities and hospitals.

"Actually, this technology is just a minor work of ours. There are only three of us in the core team!"

Yang Ping stated leisurely.

Tang Shun was shook inside at this moment.

A spinal exterior fixation brace, a technology of world-class significance, only had three core members?

Just Yang Ping, Song Zimo, and Xu Zhiliang?

Tang Shun believed him, because someone like Yang Ping neither needed to brag nor to inflate his achievements.

Tang Shun had always admired Musk, he had read Musk’s biography "Iron Man of Silicon Valley" and had a vivid memory of Musk’s rocket team. These ten or so slackers, running around in sandals, developed advanced rockets.

Seeing Yang Ping now, Tang Shun was reminded of Musk and felt elation in his heart.

"Could I tour your lab?" Tang Shun was somewhat eager.

"Of course you can, our lab is upstairs. It’s very convenient." Yang Ping knew that he was interested.

Everyone rode the elevator to the lab. The stem cell laboratory occupied an entire floor with some graduate students busily working in the lab, others playing table tennis in another room, and still others drinking coffee while reading magazines.

The team members in the lab were casually dressed, many in T-shirts and shorts, appearing very relaxed.

This scene reminded Tang Shun once again of a familiar feeling, like a snapshot he’d seen before: a group of people in T-shirts, jeans, and sandals taking a group photo against a rocket in the background.

This rocket team, embodying the spirit of the Silicon Valley internet companies, dared to explore, continued to learn from their mistakes, were not afraid of failure, and ultimately completed the research and development of a new type of rocket.

"We have recreational rooms here. You can come here to listen to music, exercise, have tea or coffee, no one will supervise you, and no one will demand that you must go to work, you can schedule your own work..." Yang Ping introduced the style of work in his lab.

Tang Shun nodded. He liked this kind of relaxed and inclusive work atmosphere. He didn’t like the austere atmosphere of the Tokyo University laboratory at all.

"Regarding equipment, we are lacking a cryogenic electron microscope and often have to borrow equipment from Nandu Medical University. But we plan to buy our own, which will save time for experiments."

As the group moved through the corridor, Yang Ping talked about the equipment in the lab.

Lacking a special cryogenic electron microscope is common. Even at Tokyo University, the cryogenic electron microscope is not privately owned by a particular project team, but is shared amongst everyone and used in turns.

"If we would proceed with 3D printing, where would we start from, Professor Yang?"

Tang Shun was exhilarated. He found the place to his liking.

"Both routes are very difficult. The 3D printing route is more controllable. For instance, cultivating muscles with stem cells, the method of cultivation may not yield the precise structure desired, such as needing a thicker artery at a specific site to connect with the recipient area. 3D printing readily achieves this kind of customization but it requires incredibly detailed anatomical research of the target organ. To complete true 3D printing, the collection of anatomical data is massive. It’s estimated it would require a supercomputer to handle such heavy calculations and printing. The nerves, arteries, veins, and lymphatic structures of a single muscle, added together, might equal the circumference of the Earth. The lack of detailed anatomical data is also why 3D printing cannot complete even the simple printing of cartilage - without precise replication of detailed anatomy, it is like an airplane, merely a model, without the capability to duplicate its internal engine, it can’t fly."

"3D printing is much simpler at the biological stage than the cultivation technology. It just needs to cultivate a large number of various live cells and uses these live cells as raw materials to print organs, without the need to unlock the complex regulation of human organ formation. However, the whole cultivation process is more massive, completing organ construction at the biological level from beginning to end requires greater investment in the research of human gene expression and regulation. Which is better is still unknown. I initially thought that cultivation was better, then I thought that 3D printing was better, and later, there was no clear winner, it depended on which route would achieve a breakthrough first." Yang Ping briefly expressed his understanding.

That’s how scientific research is. Sometimes, when several routes are pursued in parallel, the one that achieves a breakthrough first naturally gets the advantage.

Tang Shun agreed with Yang Ping’s understanding.

The complexity of an organ is beyond imagination. This is why a tree can easily produce an apple, but humans cannot replicate an apple.

The two routes solve problems in different ways, one understands the information contained in the seed, the other understands the information contained in the apple.

Tang Shun greatly admired the principle of reductionism, that is, reducing things to their fundamental essence.

To cultivate muscles with stem cells, if one truly wants to succeed, one must start from scratch. Other research achievements can only be referenced, and can absolutely not be built upon for research.

If you want to print muscles, you must conduct the most thorough and perfect research on the anatomy of muscles.

Lay a new foundation, build a new house.

"My laboratory is collaborating with Nandu Medical University and Nandu University of Technology. We plan to use the cryo-electron microscope from Nandu Medical University and the supercomputer from Nandu University of Technology to perform single-layer cell sectioning of muscles, then use the electron microscope to scan them, creating a detailed 3D image of the entire muscle to gain a refined understanding of its anatomy," Yang Ping revealed this plan.

To scan single-layer cell sections of muscles is a massive and intricate undertaking generating colossal amounts of data.

Tang Shun paused, as this was the first time he had heard of someone attempting such an extensive task.

Specialization has made everyone "lazy". They always prefer to borrow, using things directly from outside their specialty. Therefore, those engaged in stem cell research will never truly study the anatomy of the target organ, and those who study anatomy will not study the organ’s structure from the perspective of cultivating organs with stem cells.

Yang Ping wants to start from scratch with multiple disciplines, which aligns with his own thinking.

But can it be supported by manpower and financial resources?

Considering these issues might be looking too far ahead. It seems this cause already meets his first requirement.

What about the second requirement?

Remuneration?

Tang Shun is very sensitive about money. He does not want to do scientific research while earning a meager salary or worry about making ends meet while not wanting to conduct scientific research.

"I would like to know, if I stay, what will my remuneration be like?"

Tang Shun was very straightforward.

Yang Ping didn’t speak neither did anyone else in the party. Tang Shun smiled, "Was I too direct?"

"No, you were frank. As for remuneration, I don’t think we need to discuss it. We are prepared, right Song Zimo?" Yang Ping also smiled.

Song Zimo handed over a clipboard with only one blank piece of paper and a pen attached to it.

A blank piece of paper, what does this mean?

Tang Shun didn’t understand.

Yang Ping casually said, "You write your remuneration and all other requirements on this paper, and I will make it happen!"