Dr. ZHOU Xiongdong from the Hydrobiological Data Analysis Center gave a presentation on the capabilities of DeepSeek. (Credit: IHB)

The Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, held its first Sci-Tech Capacity Forum on the afternoon of March 14. Jointly organized by the Office of Basic Science and Technology Capacity and the Hydrobiological Data Analysis Center, the event drew nearly 200 participants, including researchers, administrative staff, and graduate students, fostering dynamic exchanges on cutting-edge advancements.

The forum featured keynote presentations by Dr. ZHOU Xiongdong from the Hydrobiological Data Analysis Center and Dr. FANG Chengchi from the Research Group on Fish Phylogenetics and Adaptive Evolution. Both speakers delved into the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific research, offering interdisciplinary insights. 

Dr. Zhou highlighted the capabilities of DeepSeek, a leading open-source large language model developed in China, as a powerful tool for accelerating scientific inquiry and daily workflows. His presentation covered the model's underlying architecture, breakthrough innovations, and practical applications—from API integration to localized deployment. He also shared methodologies for tailoring domain-specific AI models through knowledge-base construction and fine-tuning, offering researchers new avenues to enhance precision and efficiency in data-driven studies. 

Dr. Fang, in his talk "Decoding Evolutionary Mysteries of Novel Genes and Regulatory Elements via Deep Learning," unveiled a novel graph neural network (GNN)-based model designed by his team. The model enables accurate identification of orthologous genes and estimates gene age, opening fresh perspectives on evolutionary biology and the origins of key traits. His work sparked lively discussions on AI’s potential to redefine traditional research paradigms.

A robust Q&A session followed, with attendees engaging the speakers on topics ranging from DeepSeek’s real-world utility to challenges in deploying deep learning for biological studies. The forum underscored the growing synergy between life sciences and AI—a convergence poised to reshape foundational research.

The Sci-Tech Capacity Forum is a new initiative by IHB to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and basic S&T Capacity development. Through expert-led discussions and thematic debates, the forum aims to identify emerging technologies and strategies that advance aquatic biodiversity research in the digital age.

 Dr. FANG Chengchi from the Research Group on Fish Phylogenetics and Adaptive Evolution gave a presentation at the forum. (Credit: IHB)