research

(noun): Diligent inquiry or examination to seek or revise facts, principles, theories, applications, etc.; laborious or continued search after truth.
(noun): A particular instance or piece of research.
(verb): To search or examine with continued care; to seek diligently.
(verb): To make an extensive investigation into.
(verb): To search again.

The research station that houses Wang and his team is outside Lijiang, a city of about 1.2 million people.