According to the "Synthetic Biology Industry Investment Report", from 2018 to 2022, China's synthetic biology primary market has completed a total of 1039 investment and financing events. This report specially invites ten industry professionals from academic institutions, industry and related social institutions to imagine and express their unique opinions from the perspectives of industry trends, breakthroughs in key technologies, and future products. From the underlying technology research to industrial applications, from our medical treatment to food, China's synthetic biology ecology is vibrant.

 

 

 

Hypothetical 1: Photosynthetic bacteria produce chemicals

Professor Xinfeng of Nanjing University of Technology: At present, the chassis cells used in industrial biotechnology are mostly based on organic carbon sources such as starch, which will lead to competition with people for food and land.

One of the future directions of synthetic biology can be to use CO2 as raw material to synthesize various functional chemicals, nutritional products, drugs, etc. needed by human beings by streamlining genomic technology, designing artificial cells that synthesize different chemicals, and drugs. In the future, in a more open system and a simpler culture environment, the use of synthetic bacteria will replace the traditional biological fermentation technology and realize the recycling of carbon.

【Keywords: Dual Carbon Goals】

Hypothesis 2: The green production power of microalgae continues to bloom

Professor Luo Jianmei of Tianjin University of Science and Technology: Photosynthesis is the source of energy and matter for almost all life activities on Earth, and microalgae contribute more than 50% of the earth's oxygen and primary productivity through photosynthesis. Due to their ability to directly convert solar energy and CO2 into various bio-based products, microalgae are also regarded as a promising new microbial photosynthetic platform. In the future, with the establishment and development of the genetic operation system of microalgae, the tools and strategies of synthetic biology can broaden the capture efficiency and light energy transfer efficiency of microalgae, and strengthen the optical carbon sequestration ability, wastewater treatment capacity and high value-added product synthesis ability of microalgae. These rational design and system transformation based on chassis cells will improve the photosynthesis of microalgae and the material energy metabolism efficiency driven by it, achieve the dual goals of "carbon sequestration and emission reduction" and "green synthesis", and will greatly promote the realization of the national strategic goal of "dual carbon".

【Keywords: underlying technology】

It is assumed that the artificial design and intelligent regulation of gene 3 gene circuits are more convenient

Professor Liu Long of Jiangnan University: Gene circuits are the metabolic regulatory centers of cell factories, which can give cells the ability to learn and correct errors, so that they can spontaneously adjust intracellular metabolic flow in different growth environments to maintain homeostasis and maximize yield. The core component of the gene circuit is a regulatory element with biosensing and executive functions. However, not all signaling molecules have natural regulatory elements that respond to them, which limits the diversity of gene circuits. Combining machine learning and computational design, developing efficient, simple and universal artificial regulatory elements and gene circuit construction methods, and constructing corresponding synthetic biology tool libraries is one of the future development trends of gene circuits.

【Keywords: platform development】

Hypothesis 4: Enterprise Synthetic Biology Casting Platform Changes Manufacturing Productivity

Chen Lu, Vice President of Huaheng Biological Research Institute: In the next 10 years, we will see outstanding synthetic biology enterprises realize the optimal manufacturing process from operation unit construction, integrated screening to product iterative evolution. The industrial system of biomanufacturing that is functionalized and self-supporting by design will be fully realized. In addition, the platform will develop and establish communication and network integration capabilities, develop automated platform systems for industrial, academic, and even civil data exchange, use the comprehensive platform related to the model microorganism to achieve data exchange, develop a complete range of non-model biological databases, integrate predictive pathways and omics data for production, so as to establish a platform that can be used in multiple model systems, and achieve more than 95% in the process of improving machine learning capabilities and algorithms The DBTL and synthetic biomanufacturing automation cycle.

【Keywords: medical health】

Conjecture 5: Deng Yang, founder of cell-free synthetic biological system and chief expert of core technology of innovative medical Baida Unicom: As one of the important platforms of synthetic biology, cell-free or in vitro synthetic biotechnology has clear and controllable synthesis steps.

It has the characteristics of easy scale-up production and can significantly reduce costs and improve efficiency; In the production process, compared with traditional chemical synthesis methods, it can greatly reduce the toxicity of by-products, reduce environmental pollution, and at the same time cooperate with the application of biomedical materials, it has the characteristics of lower allergenicity and degradability. Of particular interest is the fact that cell-free synthetic biological systems achieve better isolation and purification than cell production and better prevent possible toxin residues. With the development of synthesis technology, the cost advantage of cell-free synthesis systems will continue to be reflected quickly

The combination of rapid, flexible and high-yield expression capacity and simple downstream separation technology will bring unlimited possibilities for future role in polymer materials and pharmaceutical materials, especially in the design and manufacture of protein-specific drugs. The transformation and landing of these technologies will be of great benefit to breaking the technical barriers of international pharmaceutical companies and developing innovative medicines and medical treatment, allowing us to firmly write scientific research results on serving people's livelihood and health.

【Keywords: Future Food】

Conjecture 6 functional sugar alcohols unlock the "new code" of human life and health Professor Qi Xianghui of Jiangsu University: Will the functional sugar alcohols at first glance become the "new code" of life and health? In addition, functional sugar alcohols also have unique therapeutic advantages such as inhibiting the growth of oral microorganisms, metabolizing in the body without affecting blood glucose values, and improving glucose and lipid metabolism disorders. Functional sugar alcohols are not just sweet, but also healthy. Perhaps in the near future, as synthetic biology helps the production of a new generation of functional sugar alcohols, functional sugar alcohols will soon "occupy the market", become the "new code" of human life and health, and enter the people's table, creating a new era of sugar alcohols.

【Keywords: Pure Beauty】

Guess 7: Daily life will be flooded with more synthetic biotechnology beauty products

Ling Peixue, director of the National Sugar Engineering Technology Research Center of Shandong University and academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences: Bioactive substances as functional additives have a wide range of applications in the beauty industry, including polysaccharides, proteins and peptides, such as hyaluronic acid and its modifiers. Beauty products containing bioactive substances have better efficacy and more safety, and the research and development of bioactive substances applied to beauty products has become an important part of the sustainable development of the beauty industry. Most of the traditional preparation methods of bioactive substances are extracted from animal and plant tissues, with low yield, high cost, and greater environmental pollution problems. Synthetic biotechnology can use chassis cells to reconstruct the synthetic pathway of bioactive substances, and then improve the fermentation and purification refining process to greatly improve the preparation yield, reduce production costs, and promote the wide application of more bioactive substances in beauty products. I believe that in the near future, we will use more and better beauty products containing bioactive substances in our daily lives.

【Keywords: industrial transformation】

Guess 8 mass production technology is still the key to the breakthrough of synthetic biology transformation and application of Zhang Zhiqian, founder and CEO of Chuang Bio: The popularity of synthetic biology in the primary market once skyrocketed, and industry-university-research cooperation has changed from "cautious" in the past to policy encouragement, and we can predict that manufacturing countries will stir up more sparks. However, synthetic biology is still in the dual limitations of "synthesisable" and "mass-produced". Last year, we saw that many traditional companies began to expand to synthetic biology, and more synthetic biology companies also chose traditional ways to land. However, in the face of cost control and market connection risks, achieving efficient mass production is the key to breaking the situation compared to achieving the "synthesis" of more substances. From the construction of front-end strains to the fermentation production of back-end, continuously improving the technology platform that can be mass-produced is very meaningful to the future development of the industry and is worth focusing on.