The spider silk of the thickness of the thumb can pull a fighter plane in flight, but the artificial preparation technology of spider silk protein is an international technical problem.
The molecular weight of super spider silk protein developed by JSYY Biotechnology Corporation reaches 556.8kDa (kDa, that is, kilodaltons, the unit of protein molecular weight, which represents the size of protein molecular weight), which is far superior to natural spider silk and won three world firsts in one fell swoop.
JSYY focuses on the development and production of biodegradable biomedical materials related to human health. In the past 10 years, it has invested more than 40 million yuan in research and development alone. There are 3 types of medical device products and 4 under development, and it has expanded to bone graft materials, protein drugs, polysaccharide drugs, polylactic acid, botulinum toxin, cell therapy, etc. The field of biomedicine.
JSYY's scientific research team has completed the design and development of 25 protein-targeted drugs, 38 types of biomedical materials, and undertook more than 30 major national, provincial and ministerial key projects…
Won 3 world firsts
Previously, the molecular weight of spider silk obtained by humans using synthetic biology methods could only reach 60-100kDa. In 2010, a team of foreign academicians in the United States achieved 278kDa spider silk for the first time, which has important scientific significance, but the output is extremely low and has no industrial value.
Molecular weight is the decisive factor for the mechanical properties of spider silk protein. The larger the molecular weight, the greater the toughness. However, the molecular weight of artificially expressed spider silk protein cannot reach the range of natural spider silk, and the artificial preparation technology of macromolecular spider silk still cannot be realized.
In 2019, JSYY’s super spider silk protein project was declared online, and after three rounds of screening, it was shortlisted for the final review of the national key research and development plan. It is the only project shortlisted for the provincial “fibrillar protein” (synthetic biology project) and the country’s top technology Class project.
The super spider silk protein developed by JSYY reaches a maximum of 556.8kDa, which exceeds the range of 250-320kDa of natural spider silk. The size and efficiency both exceed the current international highest level. Reached 3 ‘world’s first’:
Molecular: 556.8kDa super spider silk protein was prepared for the first time;
Efficiency: The expression level reaches more than 10 times the original, making the industrialization of super spider silk protein a reality;
Scope: The scope of host cell expression of recombinant protein has been expanded by 5 times, which is a major technological innovation in the field of synthetic biology. "
In May of this year, JSYY’s super spider silk protein project has applied for a national invention patent, and its industrialization road is divided into three steps: optimize the process to realize the large-scale production of super spider silk protein; put the super spider silk protein raw materials on the market to satisfy People's livelihood and national defense technology demand for spider silk protein; independent research and development of new products based on spider silk protein, to establish a first-mover advantage in the market.
The ambitions of tech makers
JSYY is China's first medical-grade hyaluronic acid raw material and preparation R&D and production unit. It started research in 1988 and obtained the production license in 1991. It is also the only one-stop manufacturer of medical hyaluronic acid from raw materials to preparations in the province. More than 30 years of professional production of medical-grade hyaluronic acid, the products cover more than 900 hospitals across the country, and nearly half of the top three hospitals in China use its hyaluronic acid.
The medical anti-adhesion agent developed by the company is a product for preventing tissue adhesion after general surgery and obstetrics and gynecology operations. ophthalmic viscoelastic agent is suitable for ophthalmic surgery such as intraocular lens implantation, cataract, and glaucoma.
Some European countries generally use biological materials "collagen hemostatic sponge" to stop bleeding and repair wounds during surgical operations, and the import price is very expensive. JSYY invests in research and development in this field.
Nowadays, the hemostatic time of the "collagen hemostatic sponge" developed by JSYY is controlled within 10 seconds, reaching the world's top level; the amount of hemostasis is also 3-4 times more than similar products in Germany, and the price is nearly half cheaper.
In 2011, JSYY invested 800 million yuan to build the world's advanced R&D R&D center and production facilities. The R&D center has a building area of 6,000 square meters, a "Provincial Biomedical Material Engineering Technology Research Center", and a national post-doctoral workstation.