Sino Biological’s Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Key to AI-Designed Protein Validation in Nature Communications Study

Sino Biological, Inc. (Shenzhen Stock Exchange: 301047.SZ) has announced that its gene synthesis and cell-free protein expression workflow was instrumental in a recent study by Tencent AI for Life Sciences Lab, published in Nature Communications. The research demonstrates a method to rapidly validate AI-designed proteins with improved activity, stability, and multifunctionality, addressing a key bottleneck in protein engineering.

Artificial intelligence has significantly accelerated the design of protein amino acid sequences, but translating these computational designs into functional proteins remains a challenge. Factors such as protein activity, stability, folding, and expression are influenced by complex structural and biochemical properties, often causing discrepancies between in silico predictions and experimental outcomes. To overcome this, the study introduced an Ontology Reinforcement Iteration (ORI) framework, which integrates protein ontology with reinforcement learning from wet-lab feedback. Experimental data on 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 used Sino Biological’s XPressMAX Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Kit to enable rapid protein expression and functional screening. Protein-coding sequences were cloned into the kit’s expression vector and added to the proprietary cell-free reaction system, supporting rapid design–build–test cycles. According to the press release, the workflow allowed the team to engineer a lysozyme with over 100-fold higher activity than the natural enzyme, develop a thermostable chitinase that retains activity at 85°C, and successfully express bifunctional enzymes with improved performance compared with naturally occurring multifunctional enzymes.

The XPressMAX kit features ultra-fast synthesis with protein expression completed in as little as three hours, high screening efficiency optimized for VHH, scFv, and miniproteins, and flexible template support compatible with plasmid and linear DNA templates. It is also disulfide bond friendly, enabling expression of complex disulfide-bonded proteins without additional enhancers, and offers cost-effective performance with scalable supply suitable for high-throughput and industrial applications.

This collaboration underscores the importance of integrating experimental validation into AI-driven protein design. The ability to rapidly test and refine computational predictions is crucial for developing proteins with real-world applications, such as industrial enzymes or therapeutics. Sino Biological’s cell-free system provides a tool that accelerates this process, potentially reducing development timelines from months to days.

Sino Biological is an international reagent supplier and CRO service provider specializing in recombinant protein production and antibody development, with facilities including the US-based Center for Bioprocessing (C4B) in Houston and SignalChem Biotech in Canada. The company serves researchers in over 90 countries. More information is available at www.sinobiological.com. The original press release can be viewed at www.newmediawire.com.

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