Recently, one of the top international scientific journals《Science》MagazineReleased the Top 10 Scientific Breakthroughs of 2024, including one Scientific Breakthrough Champion Award and nine Scientific Breakthrough Nominee Awards.Among them, three projects related to the field of synthetic biology have been shortlisted, respectively:"Using Immune Cells to Treat Autoimmune Diseases (CAR-T Therapy)"、"RNA Pesticides Used in Farmland"And"The Discovery of Nitrogen-Fixing Organelles Adds a Turning Point to the Theory of Evolution"。Intelligent Pharmacy Bureau has compiled the relevant content of the selection here, and introduced the main enterprises at home and abroad in this direction for learning and exchange.
China Takes the Lead in Autoimmune CAR-T TherapyAs a typical application of synthetic biotechnology in the biopharmaceutical field, Car-T cell therapy first emerged as a treatment for hematologic tumors about 15 years ago and was one of the scientific breakthroughs of the year in the 2013 issue of *Science* magazine.
The main reason for this re-selection is based on itsAutoimmune DiseasesBreakthroughs in treatment, particularly the excellent performance in clinical outcomes for patients with lupus, scleroderma, and multiple sclerosis.In the industry,BMS、Fate Therapeutics、Kyverna TherapeuticsAndCabaletta BioProgress is advanced, with the fastest already in Phase 2 clinical trials, and lupus erythematosus being a key battleground.In China, OctoberBRL MedicinePublished in Cell, the world's first successful clinical outcome of off-the-shelf universal CAR-T therapy for autoimmune diseases was reported. In addition,JW Therapeutics,HoyuncellAlso ranks among the top.
Emergence of the First Batch of Companies in RNA Pesticide ApplicationsThis year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved an RNA-based insecticide spray that utilizes the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism, precisely designed to target specific pest genes.
The product is namedCalantha is the world's firstRNAi Biopesticides, by the United StatesGreenLight BiosciencesCompany Invention.Mainly TargetingPotato Leaf Beetle,When the larvae chew on the sprayed leaves, the RNA pesticide blocks the expression of a key protein, causing them to die within a few days.This product, which has the advantages of low harm, natural degradability, and strong universality, is hailed as the third revolution in biopesticides following chemical pesticides and genetically modified crops.In China,Silicon羿 TechnologyIn ChinaThe first RNA pesticide R&D and production enterprise.The company has currentlyRegistration testing of the first domestically produced RNAi pesticide in China,RNA nanomedicines can now be "customized" for various categories of pests and diseases across different regions, with particle sizes controlled between 100-200 nanometers.
This Organelle Sparks a Microbial Nitrogen Fixation Boom
This achievement isDiscovered the world's first nitrogen-fixing eukaryote, the eukaryotic marine algae (Braarudosphaera bigelowii),This organism has a nitrogen-fixing organelle:Nitrifying Plastid（nitroplast）。
Scientists have begun to study how cells themselves form nitrobody precursors, which is promising.ForIntroduction of nitro bodies into crops, directly achievingWillNitrogen in the atmosphere is "fixed" and converted into ammonia that plants can use to synthesize proteins and other essential molecules.Currently, nitrogen fixation in crops comes from fertilizers or from symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in the roots of legumes and other beans, where it is applied."Microbial Nitrogen Fixation" in Synthetic Biology is a popular direction.The use of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms such as rhizobia can achieve natural nitrogen fixation and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers.In the industry aspect, synthetic biology pioneerGinkgo BioworksAndSyngenta, BayerThe two agricultural chemical giants have had multiple in-depth collaborations.In ChinaGreen Nitrogen Biotech, Microxin BiotechAlso has a layout in this aspect.—The End—
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