Sino Biological, Inc. (Shenzhen Stock Exchange: 301047.SZ) has announced that its gene synthesis and cell-free protein expression workflow was used in a recent study by Tencent AI for Life Sciences Lab, published in Nature Communications. The study utilized Sino Biological's technology to enable rapid experimental validation of AI-designed proteins with improved activity, stability, and multifunctionality, bridging the gap between computational protein design and experimental outcomes.
Artificial intelligence has significantly accelerated protein amino acid sequence design, but translating these computational designs into functional proteins remains a key challenge in protein engineering. Protein activity, stability, folding, and expression are influenced by complex structural and biochemical factors, often leading to discrepancies between in silico predictions and experimental results. To address this, the study introduced an Ontology Reinforcement Iteration (ORI) framework, integrating protein ontology with reinforcement learning from wet-lab feedback. Experimental data, including protein expression levels and functional activity, were continuously fed back into the model, enabling iterative optimization of protein sequences and improved design accuracy.
The researchers utilized Sino Biological's XPressMAX™ Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Kit to enable rapid protein expression and functional screening. Protein-coding sequences cloned into the kit's expression vector and added to the proprietary cell-free reaction system supported rapid design–build–test cycles. Using this workflow, the team engineered a lysozyme with over 100-fold higher activity than the natural enzyme, developed a thermostable chitinase retaining activity at 85°C, and successfully expressed bifunctional enzymes with improved performance compared with naturally occurring multifunctional enzymes.
The XPressMAX™ Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Kit offers key features including ultra-fast synthesis with protein expression completed in as little as 3 hours, high screening efficiency optimized for VHH, scFv, and miniproteins, flexible template support compatible with plasmid and linear DNA templates, disulfide bond friendly capabilities enabling expression of complex disulfide-bonded proteins without additional enhancers, cost-effective performance reducing operational time and cost, and scalable supply suitable for high-throughput and industrial applications.
This advancement matters because it demonstrates a practical solution to one of the biggest bottlenecks in AI-driven protein engineering: the slow and costly experimental validation of computationally designed proteins. By enabling rapid protein expression and screening, the cell-free synthesis workflow can significantly accelerate the iterative optimization process, potentially reducing the time from design to functional validation from weeks to hours. This could have far-reaching implications for industries relying on engineered proteins, including pharmaceuticals, industrial enzymes, and bioremediation. The ability to rapidly test AI-designed proteins with enhanced properties, such as the lysozyme with over 100-fold higher activity or the thermostable chitinase active at 85°C, opens up new possibilities for developing more effective therapeutics, more robust industrial enzymes, and novel multifunctional biocatalysts.
Sino Biological is an international reagent supplier and CRO service provider specializing in recombinant protein production and antibody development. With the US-based Center for Bioprocessing (C4B) in Houston and SignalChem Biotech (part of Sino Biological) in Canada, the company delivers tailored, localized solutions to meet diverse research needs worldwide, serving researchers in over 90 countries.
