NIE 2023 | Li Haihan from Chuangjian Medical: A Brief Discussion on the Impact of Synthetic Biology Technology Development on the Healthcare Industry

Li Haihang pointed out that synthetic biology is an interdisciplinary field that brings together biology, genomics, engineering, and informatics. It combines the methods of life science observation and analysis with engineering design thinking, enabling humans to design, modify, and even synthesize biological systems with specific functions through engineering methods.

If we start with the definition, we find that the concept of synthetic biology is very complex. However, if we break down synthetic biology into products, it can be understood in a more accessible way. For example, if we split a bowl of noodles into products, it includes two parts: raw materials and the processing process. The noodles are made from wheat as raw material, which is then broken down into carbohydrates synthesized through a biological process by water and carbon dioxide—although this process may seem simple now, its synthesis pathway has been extensively dissected by scientists, and the research findings have also been awarded the Nobel Prize. It was not until recent years that Chinese scientists completed the process of synthesizing artificial starch from water and carbon dioxide—this means that only the corresponding machines need to extract carbon dioxide from the air and add water to synthesize starch. This is the most typical example of recent synthetic biology.

Therefore, if the key raw materials and synthesis steps of a substance are known, it may be synthesized through synthetic biology.

Li Haihang stated that synthetic biology can be used to manufacture and synthesize many valuable substances in an industrialized form, such as the commonly used cancer treatment drug paclitaxel. Paclitaxel was initially very scarce because it was extracted from a rare plant called Taxus chinensis, but it can now be synthesized through synthetic biology, effectively reducing costs. Therefore, for scarce and precious materials, the process can be broken down through synthetic biology, and then the preparation of these substances can be completed using standardized biotechnological methods.

Therefore, the logic and value of synthetic biology lie in: if it is known that a substance is important and needs to be used or purchased, it can be treated as a product by designing and processing its various components (which could be a drug or some material), and then industrializing the product through standardized processing and production can reduce the threshold of use and price.

Li Haihang introduced that through synthetic biology, various substances can be prepared, including collagen. Collagen was initially obtained from animal sources, but there are differences between human-derived and animal-derived collagen. Therefore, human-derived collagen can be produced through synthetic biology methods. By introducing human collagen genes into cells through genetic editing, human usable collagen can be produced while reducing immunogenicity.

The research on recombinant collagen has a history of over 30 years. Collagen synthesized by biosynthesis technology can be used as a supplement to help the human body replenish lost collagen. Currently, recombinant collagen can be used in cosmetics, medical dressings, etc., and has the effect of promoting stem cell function. Li Haihang said that in the future, recombinant collagen will be used in synthetic biology to create more types of new materials and produce more new products. Synthetic biology technology will also further assist the development of the medical industry.