Deng Zixin: Subverting tradition!Synthetic biology order design new medicines such as puzzle puzzle

The Yangtze River Daily Da Wuhan client August 5th (Reporter Wang Chunlan Zou Xunjuan Li Qing) "As long as there is a compound structure, through the" matching 'different genes and proteins, a variety of different compounds can be derived from the cells. Synthetic biology to design new medicines is as easy as puzzle. "On August 5th, the 2022 World Big Health Academician Forum was held in Wuhan in the form of a whole process. Deng Zixin, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the dean of the School of Pharmacy of Wuhan University, said in a speech with the theme of "Synthetic Biology and Great Health" that as an emerging discipline, synthetic biology subverts the traditional synthetic process, and its application prospects in the field of great health are very broad.

Academician Deng Zixin.

Academician Deng Zixin has long been engaged in molecular biology research on microbial metabolism, which mainly focuses on chemical biology of thorough bacterial genetics and antibiotic biological synthesis. He introduced that the discovery and application of penicillin created a medical miracle, but with the development of the times, a new antibiotic drug is naturally selected from microorganisms. It takes an average of 8 years or 10 years. Not on modern demand. The penetration of synthetic biology to the field of great health has brought innovation and subversion to the traditional model.

What about synthetic biology research? According to Academician Deng Zixin, the life science of genes has experienced three revolutions. Based on the discovery of the dual spiral structure and the development of human gene sequencing technology, it has now entered the engineering stage of the biological system. , Or optimize the existing biological system, "Just like building a house, first clear the demand, and then the blueprint design, then prepare materials, construction, decoration, and form the functions of each room after forming."

In his speech, he introduced the case of artemisinin: Artemisinin was extracted from Huanghua Artemisia annua, and it was difficult to meet the actual needs alone by natural raw materials; Can achieve synthesis.

For some antibiotic drugs from microorganisms, new products can also be designed with synthetic biotechnology, and at the same time improve the toxicity and drug resistance of microbial drugs.

Earlier, vitamin E was composed of chemical synthesis, and technology was monopolized by foreign abroad for decades. In 2018, Academician Deng Zixin's team creative uses microbial fermentation to participate in the synthesis of vitamin E. Essence

"This is the subversive and low -cost production method of synthetic biological intelligence products in the future. In the future, synthetic biotechnology will make the design of new drugs such as puzzles. As long as there is a compound structure, different genes and proteins can be used to use different genes and proteins. Derived various compounds, all kinds of derivatives can emerge in batches. "Academician Deng Zixin believes that the development prospects of synthetic biology in the field of great health are very broad, which can subvert traditional craftsmanship, break the existing monopoly, and drive the traditional industry to towards the direction of the traditional industry. The transformation and upgrading of high -end industries has spawned a number of new products with independent intellectual property rights.

[Edit: Yu Lina]

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