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Tech & Engineering

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 12-Jun-2026 00:15 ET (12-Jun-2026 04:15 GMT/UTC)

Engineering yeast to make rare anticancer saponins: Reconstructing the complete biosynthesis of polyphyllin II

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team has uncovered and reconstructed the complete biosynthetic pathway of polyphyllin II—a potent anticancer steroidal saponin—by identifying and engineering a key glycosyltransferase and transferring the optimized pathway into yeast.

Journal: BioDesign Research

Engineered yeast delivers record levels of animal-free chondroitin sulfate

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team has engineered a common industrial yeast to produce chondroitin sulfate A (CSA)—a widely used joint-health and pharmaceutical ingredient—at record levels, offering a safe, sustainable alternative to animal-derived sources.

Journal: BioDesign Research

Engineering a rigid protein ruler to measure antibody flexibility

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team engineered a rigid, nanometer-scale protein module to address the challenge of measuring antibody flexibility.

Journal: BioDesign Research

Lighting up biology: The rise of self-sustaining luminescent tracing

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team presents an overview of how luminescence-based tracing technologies are reshaping the way scientists visualize biological processes in real time.

Journal: BioDesign Research

A new biosynthetic route to optically pure S-2-Hydroxyisovalerate

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team reports the first successful microbial strategy for the de novo synthesis of S-2-hydroxyisovalerate (S-HIV), a valuable α-hydroxy acid used in pharmaceuticals and biobased polymers.

Journal: BioDesign Research

Brewing a rare medicine: Yeast engineered to produce a valuable astragalus isoflavonoid

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team shows that baker’s yeast can be genetically reprogrammed to manufacture calycosin-7-glucoside, a bioactive isoflavonoid valued for its cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory effects.

Journal: BioDesign Research

Reprogramming E. coli for eco-friendly surfactant production

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team has successfully engineered a microbial pathway that enables the sustainable biosynthesis of lauryl glucoside.

Journal: BioDesign Research

AI-driven protein design accelerates the synthetic biology of plant natural products

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team reports that advances in protein design—especially when combined with artificial intelligence—are rapidly transforming the synthetic biology of plant natural products, enabling enzymes to be discovered, understood, and optimized with unprecedented precision.

Journal: BioDesign Research

Reconstructing nature’s oxindole factory: Yeast-based biosynthesis of medicinal indole alkaloids

Nanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A research team has uncovered and rebuilt a previously elusive plant pathway that produces oxindole alkaloids—a rare and medically valuable class of natural compounds with neuroprotective and anticancer activities.

Journal: Plant Phenomics