Skyscrapers are silhouetted at sunrise in this photo taken from the Bund in east China's Shanghai, Sept. 13, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Jiansong)

Shanghai established a research institute on major infectious diseases and bio security, as well as a key lab on emergency response over infection diseases and bio security on Monday, a solid effort that aims to achieve its goal of making the city one of the safest in terms of public health in the world.

The research institute has already started studies on COVID-19 control in Shanghai and major scientific and technological research, which includes early identification and warning on emerging infectious diseases, rapid pathogen identification, clinical diagnoses and treatment of emerging infectious diseases, as well as development on effective vaccines and drugs.

It will build a technology sharing platform to provide talents, technical support and policy recommendations to Shanghai and the whole country in the construction of their respective public health systems.

It aims to become an influential R&D center and technological center on epidemic control, and the world's top research institution for infectious diseases and bio safety, to make contributions to global epidemic prevention and control and construction of bio safety protocols.

The key lab on emergency response of infection diseases and bio security, on the other hand, will focus on technological research of emergency responses and the clinical use of innovation achievements. 

It will also be built into a world-leading center in pathogen detection and treatment, as well as an international cooperation and talent training platform, in a bid to improve the city's technological capability in infectious disease control and prevention.

Wu Fan, vice dean of Shanghai Fudan University Medical School and an expert from the city's COVID-19 medical team, will be head of the research institute, and Zhang Wenhong, China's leading infectious disease specialist and head of the Shanghai COVID-19 medical team, will lead the key lab, local media reported.