The Proteomic Navigator of the Human Body (π-HuB) project, an international big science project initiated under the leadership of Chinese scientists, has entered the implementation stage, according to the International Science and Technology Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The project has proposed a research framework, which is undergoing review in accordance with procedures, while several pilot projects have achieved preliminary results.

At the 25th Human Proteome Organization World Congress held in Singapore from September 27 to October 1, He Fuchu, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, spoke of the project's progress during the π-HuB Project Global Day.

According to He, who spearheaded the initiative to launch the π-HuB project, the research framework under review consists of 13 interrelated research plans, covering technology and standards, proteomic atlases, navigation theory and computational models, as well as applications in medicine and pharmaceutical R&D.

Meanwhile, pilot studies supported by participating institutions have made preliminary progress in tissue and cell atlasing, large-scale population studies, proof-of-concept for proteomic navigation, and exploration of clinical applications.

An international working group has advanced work on common standards and data governance, while a data center platform is under construction in Guangzhou, south China.

Zhao Jing, director general of the International Science and Technology Cooperation Center, said the π-HuB project received project approval and funding support from the Chinese government in 2026. China will support the π-HuB project in continuously improving its governance structure and governance capabilities, driving it to pool international premium resources for collaboratively tackling key bottlenecks, share achievements, and enhance people's health.

Han Jun, minister-counselor for education at the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, said big science projects such as the π-HuB project can mutually reinforce talent cultivation. He hoped the project would foster closer mechanisms for joint cultivation and academic exchange among universities and research institutes worldwide.

Uwe Völker, president of the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO), said the π-HuB project focuses on long-term scientific goals and requires the joint participation of global scientific research community. HUPO stands ready to promote exchanges and cooperation in related fields.

The π-HuB project aims to map the human proteome, study its dynamic changes and underlying mechanisms, and explore the laws governing human development, aging, and the onset and progression of disease, thereby providing new scientific basis for disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.