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CBRC has been approved to participate in one national key research and development program for the Synthetic Biology key special project.
Date:2024-02-01 View:

Recently, the project "Creation, Application, and Information Sharing of P450 Catalytic Elements based on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence," led by Shanghai Zhiyu Biotechnology Co., Ltd., and undertaken by our institute, has been approved for funding under the National Key Research and Development Program's Key Special Project on "Synthetic Biology."

The research project that I am responsible for mainly focuses on the "Creation of non-natural P450 elements and the production of high-value-added compounds." Dr. Cong Zhiqi from the One-Carbon Biotechnology Research Center is the project leader. The total funding for the project is 6.15 million RMB (government funding), and participating institutions include Shandong University and the Molecular Plant Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The project aims to develop rational design and directed evolution strategies for non-natural P450 elements based on the genomic mining and optimization screening of natural P450 enzyme components using advanced AI prediction models. By combining reductive reconstruction and reductase engineering, it seeks to address the universal demand for compatibility between P450 enzyme components and host cells, achieve on-demand creation of non-natural P450 elements, enrich the P450 element information sharing platform, and verify their construction and production in the biosynthetic pathways of high-value-added compounds. Additionally, it aims to provide feedback to optimize the AI prediction models for P450 element functionality. These innovative research efforts will strongly support the development of P450 element creation, databases, and information sharing platforms based on artificial intelligence technology. It will meet the growing demand from academia and the industry for research on P450 enzyme functionality and applications, thereby further consolidating the foundation of the next generation of biotechnology and engineering applications and promoting innovation and green economic growth in the bio-industry.

In recent years, the research group led by Dr. Cong Zhiqi from the One-Carbon Enzyme Catalysis Research Group has been dedicated to the creation of non-natural P450 enzyme components. They have pioneered strategies and techniques such as "dual-function small molecule synergy with P450 enzyme catalysis," "oxidation-reduction-sensitive residue engineering," and "hydrogen peroxide tunnel engineering." These efforts have resulted in a series of innovative research achievements. Several high-quality papers have been published in top international journals such as JACS, Angew Chem, and ACS Catal as VIP papers, cover articles, and hot articles. The group has also received the second-class Natural Science Award from Qingdao City in 2002.

The National Key Research and Development Program "Synthetic Biology" is a national-level research and development plan issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology, aiming to promote the development of synthetic biology in China and enhance our innovation capabilities in the field of life science. This program primarily focuses on the fundamental scientific questions, key core technologies, and important applications of synthetic biology, aiming to strengthen the deep integration of basic research and applied fundamental research to achieve more original breakthroughs in the field of synthetic biology in China.