The genes of dreams

Nobel-winning biologist Craig Mello tells Liu Xiangrui that the stage is set for China to play a leading role in world science.

Craig Mello, an American biologist and co-winner of the Nobel Prize in 2006, says the great thing about science is that it can break barriers and bring people of different cultural backgrounds together.

In his younger days, Mello, now 56, used to interact with many Chinese students and fellow scientists, who then visited the United States for studies or to attend seminars. One such meeting led to his friendship with Zhang Biliang, an entrepreneur who returned to China and founded the Guangzhou-based biotech company RiboBio in 2006.