Mei Shangjie and TourSynbio Forge Strategic Alliance to Pioneer AI-Driven Recombinant Fusion Protein Innovation

In October, MSJ Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and Tushen Zhihe held a successful strategic cooperation signing ceremony in Shanghai. Both parties announced their collaboration in the field of “AI technology for recombinant protein amino acid sequence research,” leveraging the TourSynbio™ large model to accelerate the development of recombinant fusion proteins.

In an era of rapid technological advancement, the integration of artificial intelligence and biotechnology has become an unstoppable new trend, increasingly demonstrating its profound impact. As a pivotal force driving future technological transformation, this convergence is empowering biotechnology with unprecedented capabilities.

Especially in the field of recombinant collagen R&D, MSJ Biotechnology aims to develop recombinant collagen that stimulates endogenous collagen production through signaling pathways. By analyzing and isolating amino acid sequences that determine collagen activity, and performing specific editing and modifications, the R&D team has confirmed—based on cell proliferation experimental results—that the obtained recombinant humanized collagen exhibits stronger regenerative effects and bioactivity than full-length collagen. To further optimize the amino acid sequences of existing recombinant collagens, MSJ Biotechnology is leveraging the high efficiency of artificial intelligence (AI) in recombinant protein development. With advanced algorithms and powerful computational capabilities, AI can even directly simulate the efficacy of different recombinant collagen sequences in promoting endogenous collagen regeneration within the human body, thereby providing more precise directional guidance for recombinant collagen research.

MSJ Biotechnology Co., Ltd. recognizes the immense potential inherent in the convergence of artificial intelligence and biotechnology. As an enterprise distinguished by its innovative spirit and technical prowess in the biotechnology sector, MSJ has partnered with Tushen Zhihe, a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence. This collaboration establishes MSJ as the first company in China to develop recombinant fusion proteins using AI technology, thereby taking the lead in driving the industry’s new trend of AI-enabled biotechnology.

Following its strategic transformation from market expansion to technological R&D, MSJ has emerged as a disruptive force in the industry. The company has developed a unique and core technical system for recombinant dual-protein structures and sequence optimization, centered on “fibronectin + collagen.” The resulting recombinant Type III collagen significantly promotes the proliferation of endogenous skin collagen, markedly enhancing the penetration and absorption efficiency of the recombinant dual proteins in the deep layers of the skin. Furthermore, its amino acid sequences can be designed and improved according to specific needs, enabling MSJ to edit and recombine various human proteins to enhance their bioactivity as required. Beyond this, MSJ has established a “Protein Sequence Editing and Optimization Platform.” By standardizing the gene sequence fragment optimization process, the platform significantly shortens R&D cycles while improving work efficiency and precision. Leveraging this platform, AI-driven sequence optimization can be applied to various collagens within the human body to enhance protein targeting efficacy, revolutionizing traditional R&D processes and demonstrating robust technological capabilities.

To achieve intelligent biosynthesis, MSJ has entered into a strategic partnership with Tushen Zhihe. Tushen Zhihe has achieved remarkable success in the field of AI. Its core team comprises elites from renowned domestic and international universities and research institutions, including Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Johns Hopkins University, Tsinghua University, and the University of Cambridge, bringing extensive experience in artificial intelligence research and industrialization.

In terms of technological innovation, Tushen Zhihe has independently developed the TourSynbio™ large model for the synthetic biology industry. This model fills the domestic technical gap in combining natural language processing (NLP) with protein understanding and integrates with downstream business modules to achieve a comprehensive "Protein Design All-in-One" solution. Notably, the TourSynbio™ large model introduces two key datasets: ProteinLMDataset and ProteinLMBench, which further bridge the gap between NLP and protein understanding. As a result, its accuracy in predicting protein properties and functions is significantly improved compared to other large language models such as GPT-4. Specifically, ProteinLMDataset contains Chinese-English biomedical terminology text pairs, protein sequences with their related English literature, and key information from PubMed abstracts, totaling 17.46 billion tokens. It is used for self-supervised pre-training and supervised fine-tuning of the model, ensuring comprehensive understanding capabilities for protein sequences. ProteinLMBench is a benchmark dataset comprising 944 multiple-choice questions that cover protein-related details and sequences in multiple languages, serving to evaluate the model’s protein understanding capabilities and ensure the comprehensiveness and objectivity of the assessment. These two datasets not only enrich the data sources for model training but also ensure the exceptional performance of TourSynbio™ in the field of protein understanding.

Throughout the collaboration, both parties leverage their complementary strengths. MSJ Biotechnology contributes its specialized expertise in recombinant fusion protein R&D by providing essential biological samples, experimental data, and professional knowledge. Meanwhile, the TourSynbio™ large language model, developed by Tushen Zhihe, plays a pivotal role. Together, the two parties will conduct in-depth research on recombinant fusion proteins, utilizing the TourSynbio™ model to analyze and predict protein sequences and structures. This approach provides a scientific basis for the design and optimization of recombinant fusion proteins, enabling continuous refinement of their development process.

Looking ahead, MSJ Biotech harbors ambitious aspirations and clear objectives, placing high expectations on its collaboration with Tushen Zhihe. As the partnership deepens, MSJ aims to leverage Tushen Zhihe’s advanced technologies and the synergies generated through close collaboration to accelerate the overall R&D process, shorten the development cycle for recombinant fusion proteins, and expedite the translation of R&D achievements into commercial products, thereby better meeting the growing market demand for recombinant fusion protein products.

In terms of product quality, leveraging the technological advantages of Tushen Zhihe, MSJ aims to achieve more precise analysis and optimization of the structure and function of recombinant fusion proteins, thereby enhancing their activity and stability to provide consumers with safer and more effective skincare and medical aesthetic products. Meanwhile, MSJ remains committed to product innovation. Driven by this collaboration, both parties expect to fully unlock their technological potential to develop innovative recombinant fusion protein products, further expanding MSJ’s market share and business scope.

The strategic partnership between MSJ Biotechnology and Tushen Zhihe marks a significant milestone in the integrated development of biotechnology and artificial intelligence. MSJ will continue to collaborate with Tushen Zhihe, leveraging its core strengths through the “TourSynbio™ Large Model + Recombinant Fusion Protein” cooperation model to explore new frontiers and directions, inject strong momentum into both its own growth and industry advancement, and create greater possibilities.