Carbon dioxide captured from seawater is collected and, through transformation in a "cell factory," becomes the raw material for biodegradable straws. Synthetic biology technologies based on gene and cell engineering significantly enhance the reproductive efficiency of pigs, cattle, and sheep, bringing people healthier, safer, and zero-residue high-quality meat, eggs, and milk. This is not science fiction, but the reality being written by synthetic biology - a cutting-edge discipline hailed as the "third biotechnology revolution."

Market research data shows that the global synthetic biology market reached $17.55 billion in 2024. Industry forecasts predict that by 2026, the economic impact of synthetic biology and biomanufacturing will reach the hundred-billion-dollar level, positioning it as one of the strategic high grounds for future industrial competition.

01 What is Synthetic Biology?
The “15th Five-Year Plan” explicitly identifies biomanufacturing as a key focus for future industrial development, with synthetic biology serving as the core code to unlock biomanufacturing. What is synthetic biology? Simply put, it is like engineers designing machines, systematically designing and reprogramming organisms. Scientists edit genetic circuits and construct metabolic pathways, transforming cells into efficient and precise "living factories" that produce target substances on command.

Currently, synthetic biology is penetrating multiple key sectors. In the healthcare sector, from antibody drugs and mRNA vaccines to cell therapies, synthetic biology underpins numerous disruptive therapies. In the agriculture and food sector, products such as cultured meat and precision feed proteins are emerging. In the industry and materials sector, bio-based polyamides and biodegradable plastics are gradually replacing traditional petroleum-based products. In the environmental protection sector, efficient degradation enzymes and carbon-capturing microorganisms offer new approaches to pollution control.

"The essence of synthetic biomanufacturing lies in driving the industrial paradigm shift from dependence on fossil fuels, linear consumption, and pollution generation toward a new model based on renewable energy, natural cycles, and environmental friendliness," explained Luo Haoshu, founder of Beijing VJTBio Co., Ltd., and a professor at the College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University.

However, bridging the gap from the "cellular magic" in the laboratory to a "product" and ultimately to a competitive "commodity" is a systems engineering challenge far more complex than scientific discovery. This requires not only technological breakthroughs but also pioneers who can understand and navigate technology, markets, costs, and policy.

As synthetic biology transitions from grand narrative to industrial reality, countless explorers are aligning cutting-edge technologies with specific industry pain points. Luo Haoshu's story is a vivid example of channeling the power of "programming life" into the traditional animal husbandry sector.

02 An Entrepreneurial Journey to Bridge the "Technology Gap"

In 2016, after years of teaching and research at China Agricultural University, Luo Haoshu made a significant decision: to advance the integration of industry, academia, and research, and to venture into the uncharted territory of innovative animal pharmaceuticals. What drove this transition was a "technology gap" he had contemplated for years in the laboratory.

"Over the past two to three decades, cutting-edge biotechnologies such as genetic engineering, antibody drugs, and mRNA have achieved tremendous success in human medicine," Luo said. "But I found that the application of these equally advanced technologies in the agricultural animal sector was very limited - far from sufficient."

As an expert in reproductive endocrinology and genetic engineering, he deeply understood the importance of the agricultural context. "Disease enters through the mouth." The quality and safety of the meat, eggs, and milk people consume daily directly affect their health. At the time, the livestock industry relied heavily on traditional chemical drugs, carrying risks of residues and antimicrobial resistance. Could the biopharmaceutical technology systems already validated in human medicine be systematically applied to the animal sector to develop "zero-residue" new protein-based veterinary drugs? This idea gave birth to Beijing VJTBio Co., Ltd.

The vision was ambitious, but the entrepreneurial path was not easy. In 2018, during VJTBio's Series A fundraising, Luo encountered his first "difficult moment." He described VJTBio's vision to investors - to apply the most cutting-edge biopharmaceutical technologies to the animal sector, creating a new track in "innovative animal pharmaceuticals."

"Investors generally didn't understand," he recalled. "First, they were unfamiliar with the field and didn't understand agriculture. Second, the investment logic at the time typically required successful overseas comparables. But at that point, what we were doing had no precedent globally."

No comparables meant starting from scratch, but it also presented the greatest opportunity. The real challenges soon followed, with deep technological adaptation and reconstruction being paramount. Transferring human drug platforms to the animal sector was far from simple replication. Significant interspecies differences exist among animals, with pigs, cattle, poultry, and aquatic species varying greatly in genes, protein structures, and physiological and pathological mechanisms. Developing a universal animal biopharmaceutical was as complex as developing a series of new drugs from scratch for different species.

Even harsher than technological differences was cost. The market price of drugs for economic animals could be only a fraction of comparable human drugs. This forced VJTBio to drive an efficiency revolution across the entire industrial chain, from gene design and cell line screening to large-scale fermentation and purification. "Without achieving significant cost reduction, even the best technology remains a laboratory curiosity, unable to truly benefit the industry," Luo candidly admitted. This cost-reduction imperative is precisely the critical leap synthetic biology must make from "technologically feasible" to "industrially viable."

03 From "Eating Well" to "Eating Affordably"

After years of dedicated research, the VJTBio team achieved a milestone. In August 2025, the company's independently developed "Recombinant Porcine Follitropin Fc Fusion Protein for Injection" was approved as a National Class I New Veterinary Drug, becoming China's first innovative animal biopharmaceutical with complete independent intellectual property rights and global patent protection.

The significance of this product extends far beyond a single technological breakthrough. It signifies the establishment of an entirely new value logic for the industry. Luo explained that the product first aims to safeguard "safety on the plate." By replacing traditional chemical antibiotics with precisely designed recombinant protein drugs, it achieves "zero chemical residues" at the source of farming, directly addressing public concerns about food safety and solving the problem of "eating well." On this foundation, it further reinforces the cornerstone of "food security." The product enables precise batch control of sow reproductive cycles, significantly enhancing production efficiency. It is estimated that it can increase annual income by nearly 800RMB per sow for farmers. This model of boosting basic production capacity through biotechnology provides solid support for the stable supply of essential agricultural products, addressing the issue of "eating affordably."

04 From Scientist to Industry Pioneer

Hard-tech entrepreneurship is never a story of lone heroes. VJTBio's development profoundly illustrates the critical roles of entrepreneurial transformation, the integration of industry-academia-research, and the regional innovation ecosystem.

Luo Haoshu reflects deeply on this: "For scientists turned entrepreneurs, at a certain stage, you must learn to 'forget' that you are a scientist." This represents a transformation of identity - from an explorer pursuing academic discovery to an entrepreneur responsible for the entire product lifecycle; from a professor managing a laboratory to a CEO navigating strategy, capital, teams, and global markets. This self-transcendence is aimed at better "achieving" the company's vision.

VJTBio is deeply rooted in Haidian district, a fertile ground for innovation. Luo noted that the dense concentration of universities and research institutions in this district provides an inexhaustible source of intellectual capital. Haidian's forward-looking industrial policies have timely included innovative animal drugs as a key area of support and actively built bridges between enterprises and regulatory agencies, providing crucial support for the company's "from 0 to 1" innovation.

Currently, VJTBio has completed multiple rounds of financing, and its first products are heading to market. The company's long-term vision is to become a global leader in high-end innovative animal drugs, with its market reach already extending to several major livestock regions worldwide. Through a combination of "pipeline patents" and "platform patents," this enterprise, nurtured in Haidian district, is steadily advancing onto the world stage. Today, synthetic biology has transcended being merely a laboratory technology to become a key driver for industrial upgrading, achieving technological self-reliance and green transformation.