6. New research fields intercrossing the theoretical physics and life sciences.
    The development and research of life sciences show that DNA molecules in cell are carriers of genetic information of living beings. The genetic information is coded along sequences that are composed of different amount of four types of deoxynucleotide or base (A, C, G and T) . The sequences of DNA in cell as a whole form the genome of this living being. Human genome contains about 32 x 108 base pairs, among them about 35% have been encoded into 34 x10⁴ genes and the rest 95?97% are uncoded sequences. To analyze and understand the huge amount of sequence information measured by the Human Genome Plan, different methods of mathematics, physics, and computer science are needed urgently. The analyses of genome structures, different statistical properties of coded zones and uncoded zones, the expression and control of genes and the molecular evolution, etc. , are important and key scientific issues. The final purpose is to elucidate the language of heredity and to reveal the basic laws of genome structures. So far, it has not been known how a protein folds from its primary structure into its native tertiary structure with biological activity. The explanation of the mechanism of protein folding is regarded as cracking the second code in biology and is another important unsolved problem in modern biology. In the past decade, the development of single?molecule manipulating technology such as optical tweezer, atomic force microscope, molecular combing of flow field provides the opportunity to study the properties of bio?macromolecules ( such as the elasticity of DNA, molecular motor and the elasticity of protein) at the single molecule level. The bio macromolecules are self assembled into biological condensed matters at various levels, such as biomembranes, actin filaments and tubulins, and the theoretical studies on them are also the important subjects in modern biology.

Scientific perspectives:

    By focusing on key problems in the theory of bio macromolecules and in the studies of bioinformatics, it is to propose new theories and methods with the help of theoretical physics, mathematics and biology, to deal with the problems such as the complexity of DNA chains, the analysis of the information from genome sequences, the statistical properties of coded zone and uncoded zone and the molecular evolution based on the global information of genome. Through the inventive studies of the spatial structures, physical properties and interactions of bio macromolecules, it is hoped that some distinctive research results can be made in this important interdiscipline and a research team can be build with numerous young people being involved.

Research contents:

1 ) To search for novel algorithms for gene recognition, including the identification of coded regions from promoter zones, etc;
2 ) To study gene?expression map and to propose new methods for the analysis of the mapping and network of gene?expression;
3 ) To propose new methods for the analysis and comparison of two or more genomes in order to study the molecular evolution;
4 ) To investigate new approaches for predicting the second and tertiary structures of proteins;
5 ) To conduct theoretical studies on the physical properties of biomacromolecules, and
6 ) To carry out theoretical studies on the physical properties of biological condensed matter such as biomembranes, actin filaments and tubulins, etc.

7. Theoretical physics study on organic solid and polymer
    Organic solid is a new interdisciplinary field, which has been developed since the 1970s. Organic semiconductors, conducting polymers, organic superconductors, organic ferromagnets and nonlinear optical materials as well as metal insulator transition and irradiant phenomena were discovered successively. In recent years, great progress has been made in this field. The so?called "organic laser" has been achieved, the quantum Hall effect has been observed; and the superconducting transition temperature of hole doped C60 as high as 52K has been discovered. Meanwhile, organic photoelectric display, organic irradiance and information storage have become practical. In 2000, the Nobel Prize of Chemistry was awarded to the discovery and development of "conducting polymers". The American journal Science also listed the organic optoelectronics as one of the top ten great achievements in science and technology in the same year. All these sufficiently prove that organic solid is an important development direction of the optical, electronic and magnetic functional materials and the optoelectronics.
    In organic solid, the conjugated ∏-electrons, intermolecular Van de Waals joints, anisotropy and low dimension, as well as nonlinear collective excitations, such as topological soliton, incommensurate charge density wave or spin density wave, have very important effects on its optical, electronic and magnetic phenomena. Besides, recent development of organic solid has also proposed many important and profound theoretical physics issues. Therefore, the theoretical study on various physical properties of organic solid and the improvement and development of the computing methods not only have their inherent characteristics, but also are a broad and important research field in theoretical physics, which needs massive exploitation.
    Since 1934, when W. Kuhn studied both the configuration of a single chain in dilute polymer solution and the elasticity of rubber, the studies of polymer have been developed from single chain system to many chain systems, including branched polymers, polymer blends, block copolymer melts, polymer crystal, polymer glass, polymer colloids, polymer dielectric, polymers on disordered surface and interface, DNA and other polyelectrolytes. This is an interdisciplinary field with plentiful phenomena and broad range from chemistry, physics, to biology and material science. In fact, it is also one of the most important driving forces for the development of current equilibrium and nonequilibrium statistical physics. However, up to now, except for some phenomenal or semi?phenomenal theoretical descriptions, there has not been a systemic understanding from microscopic to macroscopic as to the basic laws of this system.
    There exists a good foundation in organic solid studies and the chemical and physical studies of polymer in China. Although theoretical physics research in these fields is relatively weak, organic solid and polymer are the very broad and important fields, which need to devote a great deal of pioneering study. To select profound theoretical problems proposed in the fields of organic solid and polymer and to carry on systematic study by combining the forefront of scientific development and the situation in China will greatly promote the intercrossing development of the interdisciplinary studies of theoretical physics with organic solid and polymer.

Scientific perspectives:

    Based on the basic, original and strategic natures, it is to discover and solve a number of important theoretical problems in the field of organic solid and polymer. We will bring into full play the instructive roles of the theoretical physics which has the foresighted and pioneering nature to the studies of organic solid and polymer, attach importance to the combination of theoretical physics and experimental sciences, strengthen the infiltration and intercrossing of different subjects, give prominence to key points and strive to make innovations and breakthroughs on some aspects in these fields in order to promote and accelerate the development of the interdisciplinary studies between theoretical physics and the field of organic solid and polymer in China.

Research contents:

1 ) Theoretical studies of electronic excitation, mobility and composition in organic solids;
2 ) Theoretical studies of conductivity and superconductivity in organic solids and molecular solids;
3 ) Theoretical studies of single molecule and supermolecule in organic solids;
4 ) Theoretical studies of the correlations in organic solids between the size, space dimension and anisotropy of molecules and the optical, electronic and magnetic functions;
5 ) Mechanism for magnetic moments and magnetic interactions in organic solids;
6 ) Theoretical studies of designing the functional devices and of their principles;
7 ) Theoretical studies of the folding of polymer chain and polymer crystallization;
8 ) Theoretical studies of the interface of polymeric composite materials and its effect;
9 ) Theoretical studies of the evolvement of the configurations and structures of polymers under external fields, and
10 ) Theoretical studies of polymer solutions and polymer complex fluids.

8. Theoretical studies on the basic physics in materials design
    The theory of condensed matter physics is closely correlated with materials science. Theoretical analysis and research on the properties of materials are the indispensable part of the condensed matter theory. The discovery of new functional materials and the research on the property modification of materials constitute the research objects and driving forces for the development of condensed matter theory, and on the other hand, they also promote the development of materials science. The main task of the project is, based on the theoretical model of materials physics, to design new structures and new compositions of concrete materials and to predict properties of materials by using the methods of modern theoretical physics and new computational techniques.

Scientific perspectives:

    It is to carry out in?depth studies on basic theoretical problems encountered in the design of material, to develop new methods and new algo rithms, to explain new experiments, and to provide theoretical bases for the prediction of material properties and the design of materials at the following important aspects.
Research contents:
1 ) Research based on the correlation effect in the first principle calculation and the computational methods of low energy spectrum for electrons;
2 ) Accurate simulation methods for dynamical properties in atomic and electronic scales;
3 ) Computational studies on nano magnetic materials;
4 ) Accurate calculation for free energy of the macro molecular system, and
5 ) Theoretical studies on the failure and aging effect of materials, and the behavior of materials in service.