2016 ANNUAL REVIEW Ministry of Science and Technology

limestone substrate has occurred through continued geographical isolation; the significant correlation between geography and species affinity is also reflected in a geographical model of the kinship of Chiritopsis bipinnatifida . A research project elucidated the role played by genes OnTCP4, OnTCP2-2, OnTCP2-4, and OnMyb21 in calyx/petal/labellum development mechanisms in Oncidium orchids. This work opens the door to control of flower shape in the Orchidaceae , made an important contribution to the domestic flower biotechnology industry, and significantly boosted Taiwan's international academic standing. A research project sequencing the whole genome of the plant Aquilaria agallocha , which is a source of agarwood and has high economic value, and this project also provided a convenient test tube tissue culture system for Aquilaria agallocha . Researchers investigating mechanisms and regulation of the activity of the gene OsGA2ox developed a high-yield rice variety that can resist environmental stresses; the results of this study have made a contribution to efforts to adapt to environmental changes and boost food production, and have received two US patents. It was verified that ethylene is able to effectively promote the transformation of terminal buds in Plumeria rubra from vegetative buds to flower buds; because it can resolve growers' past inability to control the formation of flower buds in Plumeria rubra and the problem of plants becoming too tall and spindly, this innovative technical method can greatly enhance the blooming period and industrial value of Plumeria rubra . While the fruit fly brain is relatively tiny, it is nevertheless capable of controlling complex behavior. A project performing neural network topological analysis of the fruit fly brain and verifying brain functions developed innovative technology that can be applied to the human brain in the future. Maintaining telomere length is an important step in the proliferation of cancer cells. Research on the telomere protein Cdc13 shed light on how telomere length is controlled in cancer cells, which can make a contribution to cancer treatment. The genetic stability of living organisms depends on maintaining a high level of integrity in the chromosomes within cells. Research on the ciliate Tetrahymena found that chromosome breakage is connected with the elimination of certain genes, which can be used in new strategies for controlling the development of relevant genes. (2) Basic medicine The field of basic medicine includes morphological and physiological medicine, biochemistry and 3. Life Science Life science encompasses 18 fields within the three main disciplines of biology & agriculture, basic medical science, and clinical medicine. MOST's primary mission in life science consists of planning and implementation of research and development projects in the areas of biology, agriculture, and medicine, improving life science research quality and R&D capabilities, training outstanding research talent, and promoting the formation of research teams, with the goal of creating an outstanding academic environment and providing effective research funding, pursuing academic excellence, fostering S&T interchange and collaboration, and achieving the development of life science. The following major results were obtained during 2016: (1) Biology and agriculture The discipline of biology and agriculture includes the fields of the bio-agricultural environment and diversity, agricultural production and resource science, and biological science; the chief results during 2016 included the following: Researchers established a photosynthetic potential and physiological functional trait database for 94 species of woody plants; this database can be used to investigate the relationship between the physiological and functional traits of trees and their spatial distribution and environmental factors, which can be used to examine the survival mechanisms and habitat differentiation mechanisms of these forest trees. Changes in population density during different seasons were found to significantly influence the reproductive performance of the burying beetle Nicrophorus nepalensis , and it was also found that these seasonal variations in reproductive performance were not affected by physiological factors in this species. The researchers concluded that the relationship between reproductive performance and environmental factors is not fixed, but is instead limited by the species' population density. The concentrations of chromium and nickel in soil resulting from the weathering of serpentinite are far higher than in soils derived from other parent materials, and when the groundwater is acidic, these heavy metals have high leaching concentrations. This finding indicates that acid rain may cause the release of heavy metals to increase. A barcode method was used to assess types and abundance of fish eggs, fry, and immature fish in the coastal waters around Taiwan; the database resulting from this project contains a cumulative total of 1,618 species of fish in 221 families. In strongly developed limestone terrain, speciation of plants of the genus Primulina with preference for a MOST Ministry of Science and Technology Ministry of Science and Technology 38 2016 ANNUAL REVIEW