Cosmetics: The Fastest-Growing Application Field for Biomanufacturing Technologies, Says Professor Kang Zhen of Jiangnan University

Related Reading:Beauty Biomanufacturing

“The cosmetics industry is the sector where biomanufacturing (synthetic biology) technologies are being adopted most rapidly and yielding the greatest benefits, a trend dictated by the industry’s nature—its core function is to “enhance beauty” rather than to “treat diseases or save lives.”"Compared to the pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics have relatively lower technical validation and market access requirements, enabling new technologies to be applied more rapidly and create value."

Recently, held in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area2025At the “Cosmetics Regulatory Science and High-Quality Industry Development Forum,” part of the Beijing Forum on Innovation in the International Biopharmaceutical Industry, Kang Zhen, Deputy Dean of the Industrial Technology Research Institute at Jiangnan University and a national-level talent recognized by the Ministry of Education, stated to VCBeat.

Kang Zhen, Deputy Dean of the Industrial Technology Research Institute at Jiangnan University and Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor appointed by the Ministry of Education

In Professor Kang Zhen’s view, as a transformative technology, biomanufacturing is closely linked to the cosmetics industry, and provinces and municipalities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Shandong have all established advantageous layouts for the biomanufacturing of cosmetic ingredients.

“The entire industry is transitioning from chemical synthesis to the era of 'biocosmetics'.", in the past, we relied on chemical synthesis to obtain raw materials; today, the integration of synthetic biology and artificial intelligence enables us to proactively discover valuable natural biomolecules from nature."

“Taking collagen as an example, inAI“With such assistance, we are poised to achieve the de novo design of amino acid sequences, enabling the development of collagen peptides that offer not only moisturizing benefits but also multiple additional effects, including antioxidant and skin-whitening properties. This reinforces my conviction that synthetic biology will play an increasingly pivotal role in the production of cosmetic ingredients,” pointed out Professor Kang Zhen.

Professor Kang Zhen has been engaged in research on microbial synthetic biology and biomanufacturing for many years. He serves as the Deputy Director of the Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, and as the Deputy Director of the Young Experts Committee of the Jiangsu Biotechnology Association. He has presided over numerous projects, including those funded by the Joint Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Key R&D Program, and the Jiangsu Province Distinguished Young Scholars Fund. He has successfully transferred technologies related to hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate,ErgothioneineWait12A Biomanufacturing Technology.

Synthetic biology is bringing unprecedented opportunities to the research and development of cosmetic ingredients.

From a technical perspective, according to Professor Kang Zhen's analysis, the core driving forces are mainly reflected in two aspects.

First, it has significantly accelerated the cycle of raw material innovation., shortening the discovery and synthesis process that previously took years to just one year or even a few months.

Second, it achieved bio-modification and functional reconstruction of molecular structures., for example, hyaluronic acid, as a polysaccharide molecule with a relatively simple structure, has limitations in traditional chemical modification methods. Now, through synthetic biology technology, its molecular structure can be precisely modified and functionally "empowered" using biological methods, which was previously unachievable.

“Our core mission is to construct microbial cell factories invisible to the naked eye. Through fermentation engineering, these miniature factories can efficiently produce target active ingredients. Compared with traditional methods, biomanufacturing overcomes bottlenecks such as the seasonal and climatic constraints of plant extraction, the insufficient stability of animal-derived extraction, and the limited efficiency of chemical synthesis.”

“Biomanufacturing products are more readily accepted by consumers due to their natural origin and high safety profile. Meanwhile, leveraging synthetic biology technologies enables molecular weight regulation and efficacy enhancement through structural modification of natural molecules, thereby endowing them with novel or enhanced functionalities,”This is difficult to achieve with traditional techniques.“Professor Kang Zhen stated.

At the level of industrial application, Professor Kang Zhen believes that China’s synthetic biology has demonstrated significant global competitiveness. Although the United States continues to lead in certain areas of basic theoretical research, China has established a leading advantage in key sectors such as gene-editing technology, large-scale fermentation engineering, and a comprehensive industrialization system.This efficient capability to translate innovations from the laboratory to the factory floor has brought China genuine opportunities.Novel functional ingredients for whitening, moisturizing, and antioxidant effects, developed using synthetic biology technologies, have been successfully commercialized.

Furthermore, the increasing number of filings and registrations for new cosmetic ingredients in China signals an impending surge in industry innovation. Moreover, there remains significant room for growth in China’s per capita cosmetic consumption compared to developed countries such as the United States and Japan. The sustained rise in consumer demand—particularly among male consumers—for functional skincare products with whitening, anti-wrinkle, and antioxidant benefits offers broad market prospects for the industry.

“Driven by multiple factors including technological leadership, favorable policies, and market expansion, China’s beauty industry is entering a phase that emphasizes independent technological innovation and cultural confidence.”3.0the era,” concluded Professor Kang Zhen.

The advancement of China’s beauty industry to a new level is inseparable from the improvement of raw materials.

Raw materials can be described as the “core” element of the beauty industry. The development of this trillion-dollar market primarily hinges on two key pillars: innovation in functional ingredients and optimization of product formulations. Moreover, formulation optimization is, to a certain extent, inseparable from advancements in raw material innovation and cost efficiency.

Professor Kang Zhen told VCBeat that synthetic biology, as the core engine, is comprehensively driving the upgrade and high-quality development of the cosmetics industry through continuous raw material innovation and functional enhancement.

According to reports, taking hyaluronic acid (HA) as an example, Professor Kang Zhen’s research group under the team of Academician Chen Jian has achieved a significant breakthrough in addressing the traditional production challenges associated with hyaluronic acid.The traditional production methods for hyaluronic acid in the past suffered from low fermentation yields (approximately10g/) and the uncontrollability of molecular weight, two core challenges,However, researchers have developed innovative strategies and discovered novel, world-first enzymes to enhance yield and achieve precise control over sugar chains, marking the first time globally that controllable regulation of hyaluronic acid molecular weight and a breakthrough in fermentation productivity have been realized.

“The relevant technologies have been licensed to leading global manufacturers,Previously, the third-generation hyaluronic acid fermentation based on our technology had reached74g/liters, ranking among the world’s leading levels, and recently we have once again made significant progress, pushing fermentation titers beyond100Gram/Rise.“The achievement of this series of results would not have been possible without close engagement with enterprises. It is precisely this collaborative model of industry-academia-research integration that has clarified our research direction and truly addressed key challenges in the industry,” pointed out Professor Kang Zhen.

Notably, during the aforementioned breakthroughs in hyaluronic acid research and development, Professor Kang Zhen’s research team also discovered the world’s first hyaluronidase.

According to reports, due to the poor catalytic performance of hyaluronidases derived from mammals and bacteria, researchers led by Professor Kang Zhen turned to nature in their quest to obtain highly efficient enzymes capable of precisely cleaving hyaluronic acid glycan chains and controlling their molecular weight.Based on a report from the 1950s and 1960s, the solution was ultimately found in leeches (commonly known as "ma huang")—the hyaluronidase secreted by leeches during blood-feeding efficiently hydrolyzes tissue and is difficult to detect.

Professor Kang Zhen’s team employed molecular biology techniques to decode, for the first time worldwide, the gene encoding leech-derived hyaluronidase. Subsequently, they achieved high-efficiency secretory expression of this gene in a yeast system, yielding an enzyme with exceptionally strong hydrolytic activity.

“In practical applications, this enzyme can rapidly hydrolyze hyaluronic acid solutions at concentrations up to tens of grams per liter, achieving complete degradation within just dozens of minutes. By precisely controlling the enzymatic reaction time, we can consistently obtain hyaluronic acid with controlled molecular weights. Given the high activity of this enzyme, care must be taken during handling to avoid contact with the eyes to prevent injury.”

Similar to hyaluronic acid, ergothioneine also faces the challenge of low fermentation yields.

It is understood that ergothioneine, as a popular ingredient in cosmetics, was once constrained in its industrialization by high costs. In the past, fermentation yields were only a few grams to over ten grams per liter, resulting in production costs as high as per kilogram3000-4000yuan, with the market price reaching5000-8000Yuan.Such exorbitant prices make it difficult for cosmetic companies to incorporate sufficient quantities into their formulations, resulting in these ingredients appearing lower on the ingredient list and thereby limiting their actual efficacy.

It is worth noting that Professor Kang Zhen’s team, through technological breakthroughs,The fermentation yield of ergothioneine has been successfully increased to47g/L, this breakthrough has significantly reduced its production cost to below RMB 1,000., the reduction in costs has created conditions for cosmetic companies to significantly increase the amount added.

Furthermore, in the realm of pharmaceuticals and functional ingredients, Professor Kang Zhen’s team pioneered the total biosynthesis of the anticoagulant drug heparin on a global scale, with its translation actively advancing. The technology for chondroitin sulfate has been transferred and has entered the pilot-scale-up phase, with related products expected to hit the market soon. These achievements are poised to provide robust support for the development of new cosmetic ingredients in the future.

The development of these two raw materials is underpinned by researchers’ steadfast commitment spanning more than a decade.

“2013“We began these R&D efforts years ago. As researchers, from the moment we set our goals, we had to face the long and arduous process of exploration with steadfast patience—a journey that was both painful and rewarding.”

“Taking chondroitin sulfate as an example, we2018year achieved the transition from0to1“...breakthrough, achieving de novo synthesis. This technology has now been licensed to a well-known domestic synthetic biology enterprise and is rapidly advancing toward industrialization. This fully demonstrates that once key technological breakthroughs are achieved, the subsequent industrialization process will be significantly accelerated,” stated Professor Kang Zhen.

The beauty industry is poised for leapfrog development with the support of synthetic biology, yet its potential extends far beyond this. According to Professor Kang Zhen, synthetic biology is expected to further unleash its “power” in five major categories of cosmetic ingredients.

First, in the field of surfactants:Traditional chemical synthesis methods are being replaced by microbial processes. In the future, novel surfactants such as glycolipids and lipopeptides can be efficiently synthesized via synthetic biology platforms, thereby enhancing raw material quality.

Terpenoids are another major class of important raw materials:Most of the flavorings and fragrances currently in use fall into this category. Although plant extraction is a favorable approach, its low extraction efficiency and challenges in scaling up limit the amount that can be added to products. The international community attaches great importance to this issue, and research institutions in China have also actively initiated relevant studies.

In terms of raw material efficacy, Professor Kang Zhen’s research team is committed to creating an all-in-one “Hexagon Warrior”。For example, throughAIEmpowerment enables the design of peptides with multiple benefits, including antibacterial, antioxidant, and whitening effects, or the development of collagen with comprehensive efficacy, representing a key optimization direction in synthetic biology.

Compared with single-product systems, microbial co-production technology can be realized in the future.—Enabling a single cell to simultaneously produce hyaluronic acid and other target substances. Furthermore, by emulating the fermentation process of Chinese baijiu, artificial mixed-culture systems can be established to leverage the synergistic metabolism of different strains for the efficient synthesis of complex natural products.

as well as the broad prospects in the field of functional peptides:It offers multiple benefits, including antibacterial, antioxidant, UV-protective, immunomodulatory, and skin-whitening effects. Research focus is shifting from traditional hydrolytic enzyme technologies to the rational design of novel artificial functional peptides, aiming to develop innovative ingredients with enhanced efficacy and broader functionality.

“The traditional cosmetics industry chain can no longer meet consumers’ increasingly diverse and customized demands, necessitating systematic solutions that span molecular function reengineering, synthetic pathway optimization, and raw material manufacturing. Synthetic biology-based manufacturing offers advantages of high yield, high stability, high consistency, and high controllability, enabling a green restructuring of the industry chain and a significant leap in quality.”

“The cosmetics industry is moving toward biocosmetics. The synthetic biological manufacturing of raw materials represents both a scientific opportunity and an inevitable step for industrial upgrading. This is a promising industry that integrates health and beauty, with unlimited potential for development,” Professor Kang Zhen told VCBeat.

Welcome to add WeChat to join the industry exchange group