CAS Academician Zixin Deng: Leveraging Synthetic Biology to Drive Disruptive Innovation in Health Tech
From May 5 to 7, 2023, the 7th Future Healthcare 100 Conference was hosted by VB100, VCBeat, and Eggshell Research Institute, in strategic partnership with Shanghai Zhangjiang Group. Themed “Beyond East and West,” the conference gathered outstanding global healthcare innovation projects and scientific research achievements, strategic announcements from listed companies, and industry innovation benchmarks. It outlined an era-specific map illustrating the close connection and positive interaction between China’s medical health research and the construction of its public health system, recorded the historical strides of China’s medical health innovation and development, and showcased the confident, resilient, and forward-moving spirit of China’s healthcare sector, undeterred by geographical or cultural boundaries.
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Deng Zixin, has confirmed his attendance at the 7th Future Healthcare Top 100 Conference, where he will deliver a keynote speech titled “Leveraging Synthetic Biology to Drive Disruptive Innovation in General Health Technology,” jointly exploring the innovative scientific intersections between synthetic biology and healthcare.
The “Explorer” of Biological Sciences—Deng Zixin
Deng Zixin, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM), and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). He currently serves as Director of the State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Honorary President of the Chinese Society for Microbiology, Vice President of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Biotechnology, and President of the Global Industrial Microbiology Society (GIM).
He has long been engaged in molecular biological research on microbial metabolism, with a primary focus on actinomycete genetics and the chemical biology of antibiotic biosynthesis. His research areas encompass DNA replication regulation, restriction and modification systems, microbial metabolic pathways, metabolic engineering, biochemistry of secondary metabolites, and genetic engineering for the innovation of non-natural antibiotic drugs. He discovered sulfur modifications in the DNA backbone and systematically investigated the biochemical mechanisms and biological significance of DNA sulfur modification, thereby pioneering a new branch in the field of epigenetics on the international stage.
As the third biotechnological revolution, following the molecular biology revolution sparked by the discovery of the DNA double helix and the genomics revolution driven by the implementation of the Human Genome Project, the surge in synthetic biology is well justified. From disruptive innovation to the widespread application of biomanufacturing technologies and their continuously demonstrated immense potential, synthetic biology is poised to make novel contributions to health, energy, food security, medicine, and the environment.
Previously, vitamin E was produced exclusively through chemical synthesis, with the technology monopolized by foreign entities for decades. The team led by Academician Deng Zixin innovatively employed microbial fermentation to participate in vitamin E synthesis. This approach not only reduced costs and energy consumption while simplifying the process, but also yielded high-purity products. It rapidly disrupted the traditional industry, filled the long-standing gap in China’s complete vitamin E industrial chain, and propelled China to become a major global producer of vitamin E.
From the initial observation to the publication of their findings, Deng Zixin led his team in discovering a novel DNA sulfur modification on the DNA backbone and systematically elucidated its biochemical mechanisms and biological significance, thereby pioneering a new branch within the field of epigenetics on the international stage. It took two decades for this research to gain widespread recognition globally. Prior to this, DNA sulfur modification was a long-underestimated area of study; it not only failed to secure project funding but also faced various criticisms from peers, with each rebuttal often requiring one and a half years or more to address. Nevertheless, Deng Zixin regarded such skepticism as beneficial, believing that it fostered greater rigor and diligence in scientific research.
Addressing the loneliness and setbacks encountered on the path of scientific research, Academician Deng emphasized that science has no end and its summit is never fully reached; one must strive for self-improvement in adversity and maintain self-discipline in prosperity. Meanwhile, Academician Deng stated that through innovations in the research paradigms, strategies, and methods of synthetic biology, new theories in the field can be nurtured and several major achievements formed. This will drive synthetic biology toward intelligent design and efficient operation, ultimately unleashing the power of disruptive technologies, breaking through the boundaries of biological system enhancement, and establishing a brand for synthetic biology. These efforts are poised to propel technological transformations in China’s pharmaceutical, healthcare, and related sectors.
The 7th Future Healthcare Top 100 Conference
Conference Name: The 7th Future Healthcare Top 100 Conference
Conference Dates: May 5–7, 2023
Venue: Zhangjiang Science Hall, Shanghai, China
Conference Format: Offline Summit
Conference Scale: Expected 7,000 Attendees
Organizers: VB100, VCBeat, VCBeat Research Institute
Strategic Partner: Shanghai Zhangjiang Group
Scan the QR code to purchase tickets: Early Bird Tickets for ¥299 are on sale for a limited time!
