The National Engineering Research Center for Natural Medicines is ratified by the State Science and Technology Commission of China. As a state-grade high-tech engineering center for new medicament research and development, it is supervised by both the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Science and Technology Bureau of Sichuan Province, and is jointly established by the Chengdu Institute of Biology, CAS and the Chengdu Di'ao Pharmaceutical Company. It carries out the studies on new technologies for industrial production of natural medicines, develops new drugs and provides trainings for senior researchers. 

Although the center works primarily in southwestern China, its ambitions are to develop and provide key technologies for large-scale production of natural medicines for the country, and conduct scientific researches from global view. Promoting technological improvements and product upgrading for the pharmaceutical manufactories of the country, this center introduces new technologies from other countries, and also develops its own new natural medicaments with great commercial values and market potentials. The center has a staff of 24 scientists and researchers, among them 14 are senior scientists. With close collaboration with other research institutions and enterprises across the world, the center complete sets of large scale production lines for production of saponins, flavonoids and alkaloids, applies new techniques and materials, such as supercritical extraction, membrane separation, flocculation and adsorption resin in large scale production of natural drugs, improves the traditional production processes and technologies, and develops new medicaments of the first and second category, cosmetics, healthy foods and other products.  

Major Objectives for R&D:

• Establishing a systematic methodology for extraction and purification of bioactive compounds (saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, etc) and developing engineering technologies for industrial production of natural compounds.
• Developing new medicaments of significant effects, low toxicities and reasonable market prices.
• Introducing new technologies from other countries, ameliorating current techniques, and promoting systematic  and large- scale pharmaceutical production in the country.
• Conducting technology extension of pilot-scale experiments and providing systematic technical supports for pharmaceutical enterprises.
• Providing scientific advices to police makers and pharmaceutical enterprises in respect of natural medicine research and development.
• Providing trainings for researchers and managers in pharmaceutical enterprises.